Mission-driven government

Ending the Conservative chaos at Westminster is vital, but we know that turning the page with a new government is not enough on its own to tackle the deep-rooted challenges our country now faces. We also need to change how it is governed.

For too long, we have been held back by governments across the UK and here in Scotland that, because they lack a relentless focus on long-term ends, are buffeted about by events. Politics has enormous potential to change lives for the better, but too often different governments have pursued their own narrow goals rather than working together. Government is at its best when working in partnership with other governments, business, trade unions, civil society, faith groups, and communities. But without a shared project those partnerships barely get off the ground.

The first opportunity to start that change is by electing a UK Labour government.

As well as a new administration with new priorities, Keir Starmer has made clear that the government he leads will be mission-driven with a relentless focus on ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that provide a driving sense of purpose for the country.

1) Kickstart economic growth

to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 – with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

2) Make Britain a clean energy superpower

to cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero.

3) Take back our streets

by halving serious violent crime, such as violence against women and girls, and raising confidence in the police and criminal justice system.

4) Break down barriers to opportunity

to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain.

5) Build an NHS fit for the future

that is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer.

This will mean a new way of doing government across the UK that is more joined up, pushes power out to communities and harnesses new technology, all with one aim in mind – to put the country back in the service of working people.

A UK Labour government will reset the devolution relationship – but where powers are devolved, we need to take a different approach in Scotland as well. That is why Scottish Labour is committed to reforming how government operates in Scotland. We want to change from the narrow and divisive short-termism of the SNP and instead push power out to communities, using the economic levers available in Scotland to deliver growth and ensure that politics once again acts in the interests of the people of Scotland.

Delivering this change will require perseverance. The starting point for delivering UK Labour’s missions is to ensure the foundations of good government are right. Labour will make sure we have strong national security, secure borders, and economic stability. Building on these secure foundations, we have already set out the first steps for change. We present the policies in this manifesto, as the starting point of the journey of rebuilding our country and delivering the change that Scotland needs.