Summary
Scottish Labour says its election manifesto provides an opportunity to deliver change “for this generation and the next”
Leader Anas Sarwar says the party will deliver economic stability, with tough spending rules to grow the economy
The manifesto promises to cut NHS waiting times and fund 160,000 additional appointments every year in Scotland
The party says its proposals will mean a pay rise for more than 200,000 people in Scotland
The manifesto also includes plans for the energy sector, help for first-time house buyers and steps to raise educational standards
Live Reporting
Edited by Claire Diamond
Goodbyepublished at 13:00 18 June
13:00 18 June
That's all from BBC Scotland's coverage of today's manifesto launch.
There will be another live page tomorrow to cover the SNP's manifesto launch.
You can catch up with rest of the day's news on the BBC Scotland website.
Today's writers were Ashleigh Keenan-Bryce and Megan Bonar.
The page was edited by Claire Diamond.
Key points: Scottish Labour manifesto launchpublished at 13:00 18 June
13:00 18 June
As we bring our live page coverage to a close, here are the key points from today's manifesto launch.
- The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has launched his party's manifesto for the 2024 general election.
- The party claims it will cut NHS waiting times and fund 160,000 additional appointments every year in Scotland.
- Sarwar said GB energy will put Scotland at the "global forefront" of clean energy.
- However, he refused to be drawn on where in Scotland GB Energy will be based - he just said it will be announced after the election.
- The party has vowed look after young people “from cradle to career” and highlighted a range of policies around employment.
- Sarwar said the Scotland Office will be at the heart of the UK government.
- He said his party will improve relations between the UK and Scottish governments.
Growth is the answerpublished at 12:59 18 June
12:59 18 June
Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editorGrowth is the answer to most questions facing Labour. With criticism that its plans imply a big cut to public spending, at least tothose services that are not given protection, it is also promising not to raisetax "on working people".
Labour has opted to constrain itself on borrowing, showingit is serious about economic stability by adopting the Conservatives' fiscal ruleson debt.
The only way out of that tax-spend-borrowing corner is witheconomic growth - generating more tax for public services, as well as more jobsand higher pay.
As UK and Scottish growth has been slow for 16 years, sincethe bank crash, Labour's means of boosting it are not that radical a change ofdirection from the Conservatives', with the same limit to the amount government canspend to stimulate growth.
So Labour's plan depends on government competence, workingbetter to stimulate business investment, backing the right technologies with anindustrial strategy to back the most promising growth sectors, and usinggovernment funds to invest in them.
In Scotland, a lot of that is about renewable energy, thougha hard line against further oil and gas drilling does not look helpful toinvestment or jobs.
Labour also says it will be be pro-worker. The tensionbetween these two begins with the promise of a rise in the minimum wage. Some200,000 Scots will be better off, we're told, but employers will pay for that.
The tensions continue with more workplace rights; on fireand re-hire, banning zero hours contracts but only if they are 'exploitative',broader parental leave rights.
Employment rights cross the Border, but much of ScottishLabour's manifesto is about devolved powers, and an indicator of what to expectat the 2026 Holyrood election campaign.
Anas Sarwar answered a journalist's challenge to rule out arise in Scotland's income tax rates, with a simple 'yes'.
That leaves the next Holyrood manifesto also dependent ongrowth, putting emphasis on backing for renewable energy, a faster planningsystem, business rates reform to help the high street, and workplace skills.
Holyrood issues used to fight for Westminster seatspublished at 12:33 18 June
12:33 18 June
David Cowan
BBC ScotlandMuchof Scottish Labour's manifesto raises criminal justice issues - which ScottishLabour MPs won't be able to do anything about, because they're devolved toHolyrood.
Theparty talks of Police Scotland being "gutted" (policing is devolved)and court backlogs delaying justice (courts are devolved).
Themanifesto says Scotland's "sense of security has been slowly eroded overthe past 17 years," taking us back to 2007 when the SNP gained power atHolyrood, not 2010 when the Conservatives gained power at Westminster.
Holyroodissues are being used to fight for Westminster seats, but that's nothing newand Scottish Labour won't be the only ones doing it.
Policieswhich a UK Labour government would be able to implement in Scotland includegreater collaboration between UK police forces on cybercrime, fraud,trafficking and terrorism.
Themanifesto says ninja swords, zombie-style blades and machetes will be bannedand rules strengthened to prevent their sale online.
Laboursays it will add new provisions to the Online Safety Act and explore furthermeasures to keep people safe, especially when they're using social media.
See AlsoTarget to Set New Starting Wage Range and Expand Access to Health Care Benefits to More Team MembersTarget Extends Enhancements to Pay and Benefits and Provides COVID-19 Business UpdateTarget Employee Benefits | Login / Register / EnrollmentAlight, Inc. (NYSE:ALIT) Shares Purchased by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.Is this a 'change' election?published at 12:27 18 June
12:27 18 June
Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political EditorIt’s fourteen years since Labourlast won a national election in Scotland.
When Gordon Brown was primeminister, they held Scotland in the 2010 UK election while losing power acrossthe UK. The SNP has dominated ever since.
But Labour senses that this is achange election, that frustration with a Conservative government atWestminster and an SNP government at Holyrood leaves them well placed to regainlost ground in Scotland.
One Labour veteran told me thatcampaigning in Scotland at this election was like taking a warm bath withbubbles. That is by comparison with years of rejection and some hostility onthe doorsteps.
Another long standing Labourcampaigner admitted that there was not yet enthusiasm for Sir Keir Starmer’sparty. It was just that people were so fed up with the alternatives, Labour isnow seen to offer the best route to change.
That’s why that word isplastered over the manifesto and threaded through the party’s campaign.
Yet the promises Labour aremaking are far from radical. They are modest and limited because as the party’sScottish leader, Anas Sarwar, puts it, in tough times they would rather underpromise and over deliver than break trust by doing the opposite.
Two child cap is a headache for Labourpublished at 12:21 18 June
12:21 18 June
David Henderson
BBC Scotland CorrespondentThere are repeated questions from journalists about the two child benefit cap.
It's a headache for Labour because they know the impactthis has on child poverty.
Anas Sarwar is under pressure from some grassrootsLabour members to change this policy.
But he - and more importantly his UKLeader, Sir Keir Starmer - are, for now, holding the line and sticking to the cap.
We haven't maximised the opportunities of devolution, says Sarwarpublished at 12:17 18 June
12:17 18 June
Continuing to answer questions from the media, Anas Sarwar is asked about comments made by Tony Blair, external, marking 25 years of devolution.
Sarwar says devolution has "undoubtedly been a success because it's brought power closer to home".
He adds: "We have to be honest and say we haven't maximised the opportunities of devolution have been squandered, in particular over the last 14 years where you've had two governments wanting to use devolution as a battering ram to pick fights with each other and ultimately fail Scotland."
He says a UK Labour government would "reset devolution", taking it back to its founding principles with two governments working together in the national interest.
Labour won't be making decisions about health in Scotlandpublished at 12:10 18 June
12:10 18 June
Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland health correspondentHealth is a devolved issue so even if Keir Stammer winsnext month, Labour won’t be making decisions about the NHS in Scotland.
For that reason, many of the plans in this manifesto: toreduce the number of health boards, to have a mental health practitioner inevery GP surgery, or to make more use of technology, can be seen as aspirationsand the sort of topics Anas Sarwar will continue to challenge John Swinney onin Holyrood.
Even the headline promise to create 160,000 appointmentsevery year to cut waiting times funded by tax crackdowns is not guaranteed tohappen if Labour win in Westminster.
Firstly, the money raised would be transferred toScotland through ‘Barnett consequentials’, then the SNP government would haveto decide they wanted to spend it on creating additional appointments, andhighly trained staff would then have to be recruited to ensure those patientscould be seen.
Labour manifesto 'won't set heather alight' - Cole-Hamiltonpublished at 12:06 18 June
12:06 18 June
Andrew Kerr
BBC Scotland political correspondentOut on the campaign trail, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader says Scottish Labour are "playing it safe" in this general election with their eyes on the prize of Downing Street.
Alex Cole-Hamilton was speaking on a visit to the small wetlands around Glasgow Science Centre as he spoke about his party's plans for the environment in this general election.
As Scottish Labour launch their manifesto, Cole-Hamilton said "it wouldn't set the heather alight".
He added that you don't hear a great deal from Labour about people wanting a GP appointment on first time of asking, about local NHS dental provision and who will get the sewage out of rivers.
Questioned if he was regarded as being too politically close to Scottish Labour and the leader Anas Sarwar, Cole-Hamilton said "you can't win - if you talk with civility or repsect to an opponent people automatically jump to assumptions".
Baseline spending for arts and culturepublished at 12:03 18 June
12:03 18 June
Pauline McLean
BBC Scotland Arts CorrespondentScottish Labour’s manifestoacknowledges the damage done to the cultural sector by the pandemic, whichcontinues today.
They propose a long term recovery plan to support the sector,which was one of the first industries to close, and the last to reopen.
Campaigners who have long called for an increase in public funding forarts and culture will be heartened by the comment that for the 0.2% of the Scottish budget currently spent on culture “we get so much back forso little investment.”
They will also welcome thecommitment to a baseline for cultural spending which reflects its value anddelivers a greater share of the Scottish government budget.
They also support the introductionof an Arts Bill which would place a statutory responsibility on localauthorities to deliver arts and culture.
Cash-strapped authorities like Glasgow - which has a huge number of museums, galleries and cultural organisations on itspatch - may note any plan would be supported by fair funding.
They suggest a Cultural Rucksackscheme - based on a successful Norwegian programme which allows everyschool pupil the chance to experience professional arts and culture.
And they also want to see moresupport for the grass roots music industry and for the film and television sector,as well as increased opportunities to learn production skills.
They promise a push to address thedecline in Gaelic language and to support a museum and archive devoted totelling the stories of underrepresented groups in Scotland’s history and culture.
That also ties in with a commitmentto recognising Scotland’s historical role in empire, colonialism andtransatlantic slavery, which they want to see included in the nationalcurriculum.
Sarwar challenged on two child benefit cappublished at 12:01 18 June
12:01 18 June
Sarwar is asked whether there is any truth that Scottish Labour has climbed down on their policy to scrap the two child benefit cap.
He is asked if he has "accepted the UK party line"?
He says it was right to oppose and vote against the benefit cap and it was right to want to change it.
Sarwar says: "We've worked really hard across the UK to only include in our manifesto promises we know we can keep and pledges we know we can spend money on right now that our country can afford.
"Once the financial circ*mstances allow, we want to move on the two child limit and we want to move on reforming Universal Credit."
The two-child cap limits the benefits families can receive if they add a third (or more) child to their family.
Sarwar refuses to say where GB Energy will be headquarteredpublished at 11:58 18 June
11:58 18 June
Probed on the proposed location in Scotland for the headquarters for the proposed GB Energy, Sarwar says this will come "on the other side of the election".
He adds while GB Energy may have a "central hub of thinking" at the headquarters, the Labour party want the investments made to benefit every community across the country.
He says: "One of the big mistakes when we think of the clean energy transition is thinking that its all opportunities are only in the North East or in our rural, remote and island communities.
"There is huge opportunities in our urban communities as well - in the North East and across the Central belt as well."
What are the other parties doing today?published at 11:49 18 June
11:49 18 June
Elsewhere on the campaign trail, the First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney will be in Oban meeting with representatives from the seafood industry.
Douglas Ross spent the morning meeting representatives from the fishing industry in Fraserburgh to highlight his party's commitment to safeguarding fishingwaters.
Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton was at Glasgow Science Centre to discuss plans toensure the whole UK reaches net zero by 2045.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Greens will be campaigning at the University of Glasgow calling for an end to investment in the arms industry.
Sarwar speech endspublished at 11:37 18 June
11:37 18 June
The Scottish Labour leader concludes his remarks by urging voters to elect Scottish Labour MPs on 4 July.
A Q&A with journalists now begins.
If you want to follow along with the Q&A, you can watch it on our live feed by pressing the play icon at the top of this page.
Let's sell Scotland to the rest of the world, says Sarwarpublished at 11:37 18 June
11:37 18 June
Sarwar says under Labour, the Scotland Office will be at the heart of the next UK government, playing a key role in the relationship with the Scottish government and ensuring devolution is strengthened and "works the way it was always meant to".
He adds: "It will also be a turbo charged Scotland office, bolstered by millions of pounds of funding which will be directly invested in Scotland to invest in infrastructure and tackle poverty."
The Scottish Labour leader adds Scotland's exports will be displayed on the global stage to encourage investment and create jobs.
Sarwar says: "Enough of selling Scots to the Scots. Lets sell our amazing nation to the rest of the world."
No sugar coating on fossil fuels policypublished at 11:35 18 June
11:35 18 June
Kevin Keane
BBC Scotland environment correspondentThe commitment to end new oil and gaslicences is a much less palatable pill to swallow in Scotland where 60,000 jobsrely directly or indirectly on the sector.
But there's no sugar coating it in theScottish manifesto, although it emphasises that existing licences won't berevoked.
Perhaps the biggest sweetener is thedecision to base its publicly-owned Great British Energy north of the border,delivering clean power and investing in green energies.
GB Energy will be given £8.3bn over thecourse of the next parliament to co-invest with the private sector in newtechnologies.
The renewables industry has some concernabout GB Energy being a generator of electricity because it fears that mightskew the market.
But the party says it will invest in Scotland'senergy potential and create new high-quality jobs.
Labour will put Scotland at forefront of clean energypublished at 11:34 18 June
11:34 18 June
Sarwar says Labour plans for a publicly-owned energy companywill “create more good jobs and bills for good”.
Labour wants to set up a new public company, called GB energy, headquartered in Scotland.
"Our bold energy plans put Scotland at the global forefront ofthe transition to clean energy," he says.
We will look after young people 'from cradle to career', says Sarwarpublished at 11:28 18 June
11:28 18 June
On education, the Scottish Labour party say raising education standards overall is a priority - pledging to improve numeracy and literacy skills andprovide digital skills to prepare young people for work.
The party manifesto sets out changes including a ‘Skills to School’ programme, uniting experts from theprivate and public sector to inform young people about career opportunities.
Scottish Labour want to reform apprenticeships inScotland so opportunities are more flexible and easy to find.
Sarwar says Labour will lookafter young people “from cradle to career”.
We can save our NHS again, says Sarwarpublished at 11:26 18 June
11:26 18 June
Sarwar says aside from being the day after the election, 5 July has other significance, being the 76th anniversary of the founding of the NHS.
He says: "I can't think of a better birthday present than returning a Labour government across our country."
Sarwar says in 1948 Labour created the NHS and in 1997 Labour saved the NHS. He says in 17 days time, "we can begin the process of saving our NHS again".
We will restore decency in politics, says Sarwarpublished at 11:25 18 June
11:25 18 June
He says the plans will cut bills, boost wages, strengthen the economy and renew public services, fixing the "mess" the Tories made of the economy.
He adds: "Never forget, Liz Truss crashed our economy and everybody in Scotland is still paying the price."
The Scottish Labour leader continues that while families struggle with the cost of living crisis and higher bills, the Tories had "parties in Downing street while we were all separated from our families" and "handing out billions of pounds of contracts to their billionaire pals".
Sarwar says his party will demonstrate respect for people's money and restore decency in politics.
He adds Labour will appoint a Covid corruption commissioner, to claw back tax payers' money lost in "pandemic-related fraud".
