Scotland going ‘backwards’ after almost 20 years of SNP rule, Alexander to claim
The Scottish Secretary will use his speech to the Labour conference on Sunday to hit out at the Scottish Government.
Scotland has gone “backwards” after almost two decades of the SNP in power at Holyrood, Labour’s Scottish Secretary is to claim.
Douglas Alexander will use a speech to the UK Labour conference on Sunday to attack John Swinney’s party, arguing public services “are worse, not better”.
He will go on to accuse SNP ministers of talking about issues such as independence, the rise of the right, Donald Trump and Nigel Farage to avoid discussion of their record in Government.
With Labour hoping to oust the SNP from power at Holyrood in next May’s Scottish election, Mr Alexander will use his speech to the Liverpool conference to attack the nationalists.
But with support dwindling for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, there are concerns the Government at Westminster could hinder Labour’s prospects in that vote.
Mr Alexander, who is the co-chair of Labour’s 2026 Holyrood election campaign, will insist there is “record investment now coming to Scotland” from the Labour Government, but communities across the country still “feel that their public services are worse, not better”.
He will tell the conference: “The facts don’t lie – 20 years of the SNP running Scotland has taken our nation backwards on health, backwards on education, backwards on housing, backwards on ferries, and backwards on pretty much everything it’s responsible for.”
He will add that after two decades of “Salmond, Sturgeon, Yousaf and Swinney” there is “so little to show for it”.
Mr Alexander will say: “Can you really claim to be stronger for Scotland when you’ve weakened all our public services and stagnated in Government?”
Looking ahead to next year’s Holyrood vote, the MP will claim: “The SNP’s election strategy seems to be ‘we’ve made a mess of everything we’re responsible for – so let’s talk about anything other than running Scotland’.
“Like independence, or Nigel Farage, or independence, or Donald Trump, or independence, or pretty much anything other than the state of Scotland.”
The SNP has been asked for comment.