The speech made by Anas Sarwar, the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, on 23 September 2024.
Conference, thank you for that wonderful introduction, and what a year it has been!
In the twelve months since we last met, we no longer have a Tory government.
We now have the fewest Tory MPs in modern political history.
We have seen the SNP beaten in Scotland.
And we now have a UK Labour government that has started the journey for change.
And we have crucially – for the first time in 14 years – a Labour Prime Minister.
A Prime Minister that understands Scotland, cares about Scotland and is determined to deliver for Scotland.
And for the first time ever we have a female Chancellor in Rachel Reeves, who made a fantastic speech earlier today and made it clear: there will be no return to austerity with a Labour government.
And in Scotland, we delivered a political earthquake.
With a record swing to Scottish Labour.
Our share of the vote went up 16 per cent.
Meaning we now have not one Scottish Labour MP – we now have 37 Scottish Labour MPs – putting Scotland at the heart of a Labour government.
Thirty seven. Let’s see them. Stand up and take a bow.
Thirty seven fantastic champions for Scotland.
And, friends, we have Ian Murray – who for so long was the sole Scottish Labour voice at Westminster – who is now the voice for Scotland around the cabinet table.
Scotland led the way in delivering a Labour government and delivering a Labour Prime Minister.
And Scotland led the way in delivering the change the UK needs.
Because friends, the importance of the election victory cannot be overstated.
Just think about how the last couple of months would have panned out differently had the Tories stayed in power.
When far-right thugs took to the streets of the UK, Keir Starmer and his government faced them down and made it clear that the politics of hate has no place in our country.
When a £22 billion Tory black hole was discovered, Rachel Reeves acted quickly to protect the public finances and to protect working people’s pockets.
And just think what would have happened if the Tories were still in power.
Thank goodness we now have a serious Labour government with competence, compassion, and decency at its heart.
After 14 years of Tory chaos, we have a Labour government standing up for our values. Labour’s values.
So no more will the politics of division and prejudice rule in our country.
The time has come for the politics of decency, of compassion and above all, hope.
This is the change that we have begun together.
And this is the brighter, better United Kingdom that we are building together too.
In Scotland we led the way in making this change happen.
Scotland is part of Labour’s history but we are also part of Labour’s present and, most importantly, Labour’s future.
As Keir has said during the election – there is no change without Scotland.
And there is no Labour without Scotland.
But the truth is that the story of Labour’s revival is only half-written.
You see Conference – for lots of you, there was only one incompetent government to get rid of.
But in Scotland we were stuck with two.
So at the General Election, we got rid of one incompetent government.
And in 2026 we finish the job and get rid of the other one.
That’s the next stage of change for Scotland.
Because as we speak, nearly one in six Scots are on an NHS waiting list.
Thousands have been driven into private healthcare.
Drugs and alcohol deaths remain stubbornly high.
Rough sleeping persists and homelessness is at record levels.
The education attainment gap remains.
And the economic flatlining has damaged businesses.
How does the SNP government react?
It hikes taxes on working people and doubles down on the politics of blame and division.
Working Scots left to pay the price of nearly two decades of SNP failure.
Working Scots left to struggle to get medical care because of two decades of SNP failure.
And working Scots having to watch public services crumble before their eyes because of two decades of SNP failure.
Because when Scotland most needs change, when it needs fresh leadership and new ideas, all the SNP offer is internal division and outward incompetence.
The same tired people in power peddling the same old excuses.
But frankly, the time is up for the SNP.
Because they are a party that has lost their vision and lost their way.
And above all, they have lost their ambition for Scotland.
Because, Conference, Scotland is a country of enormous potential and is brimming with talent.
But we are still held back by an SNP government that is failing Scots on a daily basis and has nothing but decline and division to offer to the people.
But for me, and for Scottish Labour, Scotland is the best country in the world.
Our potential is limitless – just like the ambition and vision of our people.
We have the expertise, we have the skills, we have the natural resources, we have the work force and we have the entrepreneurs that we need to deliver a decade of renewal.
But this requires a government at Holyrood that is ready and willing to work with others to make this happen.
That’s why the new UK Labour government is already acting now to deliver the change Scotland needs.
A UK Labour government with Scotland at its heart has got straight to work.
Delivering the energy transition with GB Energy.
A publicly owned energy generation company headquartered in Scotland.
And from looking at Michael Shanks’ face, he can’t wait to get on with the job of delivering GB Energy and transforming people’s lives.
Creating thousands of jobs and making sure Scotland leads the world in clean energy.
We have started action to transform the world of work with Angela Rayner’s game-changing New Deal for Working People.
And we have made the Scotland Office Scotland’s window to the world, not selling Scotland to the Scots, but selling Brand Scotland to the world.
Delivering investment for our country, boosting exports and creating more jobs.
Because Scotland is tired of being held back.
It’s time to turn the page on division and decline.
And this – Conference – is the change Scotland needs.
At the general election, as I say, we did half the job.
But in 2026, it is our chance to finish the job by electing a Scottish Labour government that works for everyone in Scotland.
And as we look towards the 2026 Scottish Parliament election I want to be clear.
Others might want to talk Scotland down, but I and all of Scottish Labour are relentlessly positive for the future of our country.
Because Scotland’s best days lie ahead of us.
Things can and they will get better.
We will make Scotland the best country in the world to live, to learn, to work and to do business in.
We will unlock the potential of our workers and natural resources by making Scotland a world-leader in green technology.
We will save our NHS by transferring power away from the managers and the bureaucrats and towards doctors and nurses.
And we will get our economy back on track by supporting businesses and workers to thrive.
This is what is on offer – a fairer and healthier future with Scottish Labour.
I believe a different future is possible.
A future that I am determined to see delivered for the people of Scotland.
A brighter and more prosperous Scotland.
And a Scotland where everyone is helped to thrive.
This is what we offer.
That is the change we need and that is the change we will deliver.
Scottish Labour – the party of change and hope.
Conference – that is the future we will deliver together.
Thank you.
