second stage consultation document

GROWTHCAREPROSPER ACHIEVEFOR SCOTLAND

Scottish Policy Forum Second Stage Consultation Document

02 Foreword from Jim Murphy, Leader of Scottish Labour

04 Introduction by Sarah Boyack, Vice-Chair of Scottish Policy Forum

05 Office Bearers of the Scottish Policy Forum

06 About the Policy Forum and Policy Commissions

07 Your Part in the Consultation Process

12 Message from Agnes Tolmie, Chair of Scottish Policy Forum

14 Growth

22 Care

28 Prosper 36 Achieve

41 External Organisations who have taken part in the process so far

CONTENTS

Scottish Policy Forum

CHANGINGLABOUR,CHANGING SCOTLANDScottish Labour is changing. We are changing our party so we can change Scotland.

We have begun by rewriting the founding principles of the Scottish Labour party as a patriotic party, a party that puts Scotland first, with a permanent and strong Scottish Parliament.

This is just the first step though. We are creating a stronger, Scottish Labour Party under new leadership so that we can, in turn, make the changes that people in Scotland are desperate to see.

That change starts on the 7th May in a General Election where we can choose to continue with the Tories or to change government and change Scotland.

That means voting Scottish Labour because only Labour can replace the Tories. Only Labour can deliver:

• A Mansion Tax on homes worth over £2million across the UK to provide extra funding for 1000 more nurses in our NHS.

• A guarantee of a real job or real training for all our young people, paid for by a tax on bankers’ bonuses.

• A fairer Scottish welfare system, with the Scottish Parliament having the final say over benefit rates on top of the minimum guaranteed by UK benefits.

• A 50p top rate of tax to ensure that the wealthiest pay a fair share instead of Tory austerity.

This isn’t our manifesto but this document begins to set out Scottish Labour’s policy ideas. More and more it is Scottish Labour that is setting the policy agenda in Scotland and it is the SNP who are looking like a second term government, running out of ideas and ambition.

Change starts in 2015 with getting rid of the Tories but we also need a better government here in Scotland. After 8 years of the SNP too many working class kids get a bad education, too many patients wait hours at A&E or months for an operation, too many young people are unemployed and can’t get the training they need.

Change needs to happen in 2016. So we can have a government in Scotland with a plan to grow our economy, secure our NHS, giving all young people a chance in life with a great education and a good job.

We want to unite Scotland around change. People are desperate for change. We can’t let political divisions of the past get in the way of making that change happen.

Jim MurphyLeader of Scottish Labour


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SCOTLANDIS CHANGING

We are a country more politically aware, with people looking for a future defined by fairness and social justice for all. It’s our job to demonstrate, not just that Scottish Labour shares that ambition, but that we have a vision and determination to deliver it.

This document brings together months of consultation and engagement with our members, our affiliates, trade unions and representatives from a range of key organisations.

It’s our starting point which we will develop into our policies ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections, demonstrating what we stand for as Scottish Labour. It expresses our ambition to create a fairer, more sustainable Scotland; where our young people are able to achieve in world class education, where our elderly are cared for by an NHS fit for today, where our towns and cities can prosper and where our economy can grow, working for each and every one of us.

It is only the Scottish Labour Party working with Labour colleagues across the United Kingdom, which can create the fair nation we all wish to see. Our engagement process has been an opportunity to have real grassroots input from our members, as well as expert knowledge, giving us the policy ideas which we know can make real changes to people’s lives as well as being backed up by the research.

This document sets the stage for the next level of engagement. Now our activists, our councillors, our MSPs and MPs will be using this as the start of discussions with local community groups, neighbourhood associations and on the doors. This document is an active campaigning tool to reach out to every voter in Scotland.

Scottish Labour is a strong campaigning movement, with the vision and ambition to make Scotland a more successful, more socially just place to live. Now is the time for us to knock on every door and share ownership of that vision with every member and voter in our country.

Sarah BoyackVice Chair of the Scottish Labour Policy Forum

OFFICE BEARERS OF THE SCOTTISH POLICY FORUM


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01 Agnes Tolmie Chair

02 Clare Lally Vice Chair

03 Sarah Boyack Vice Chair

04 Rhondda Geekie Chair of the Prosper Policy Commission

05 Katrina Murray Chair of the Care Policy Commission

06 Paul O’Kane Chair of the Achieve Policy Commission

07 Cathy Peattie Chair of the Grow Policy Commission

ABOUT THE POLICY FORUM AND POLICY COMMISSIONSScottish Labour’s principles of social justice, fairness and opportunity are at the heart of every policy commitment and campaigning action.

Our work through the Scottish Policy Forum, has cemented these principles into this document, and we are proud of the direction it sets. The four commissions; Achieve, Prosper, Growth and Care have given us the structure to consult our members and experts, however, we understand that no one policy exists in isolation, just as no one issue impacts an individual’s life in isolation. Our policies and our beliefs will create a Scotland which supports all aspects of any person’s life, regardless of their background or postcode.

All of commissions overlap to ensure we have a joined up strategy and have considered cross-cutting themes. Whether it is a policy on housing, education or environment, Scottish Labour values of equality will be at its core.

GrowthThis commission covers;

Our EconomyBusiness Employment and TrainingInfrastructure and TransportEnergy

CareThis commission covers;

Our NHSHealth and Well-beingCare and CarersFuel Poverty

ProsperThis commission covers;

HousingJusticeEnvironmentRural and Land AffairsLocal Government and CommunitiesWelfare and Benefits

AchieveThis commission covers;

Primary and Secondary EducationFurther and Higher EducationChildcareCultureEuropeInternational Development

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YOUR PART IN DEVELOPING SCOTTISH LABOUR’S POLICY PROGRAMME FOR 2016This guide will help you and your CLP or organisation get the most out of your policy discussions over the coming weeks and months, and to play an active part in contributing to Scottish Labour’s policy programme for 2016.

You have until 31st July to submit proposed amendments, and ensure the views of your CLP or organisation are heard.

Policy in the Scottish Labour Party is made through a process called the Scottish Policy Forum (SPF). Our party’s structures are designed to involve all party members, CLPs, affiliates and Scottish Labour’s elected representatives in discussing and developing ideas to go forward to the next Scottish Parliament general election manifesto. They are also open to input from external stakeholders – such as business, the voluntary sector and the wider community.

The Scottish Policy Forum runs through the parliamentary cycle, with consultation and discussion on key topical issues and long term challenges throughout. We are now at the beginning of the fourth year of the current cycle.

The policy consultation papers which follow have been developed not just through detailed discussion over the last few months, but through the work carried out by the SPF and policy commissions since 2013. This work has been informed by hundreds of submissions and in consultation with over 40 external organisations.

These papers will ultimately, following consultation, discussion by the SPF, and adoption by Annual Scottish Conference, become Scottish Labour’s official policy programme, and a foundation for our manifesto in 2016.

CLPs, elected representatives, candidates and affiliated organisations are all encouraged to take this opportunity to help shape our policy agenda.

The consultation process

The publication of the final year policy consultation document marks the start of a process of discussion culminating at Annual Scottish Conference in October 2015, via the following steps:

1. Final year policy consultation papers published on scottishlabour.org.uk/policy2016.

2. CLPs and affiliates organise discussions at local level and submit proposed amendments. Each CLP may submit up to 10 amendments in total, and up to 4 on any one paper.

3. SPF representatives will meet to discuss which amendments to bring forward for discussion at the final SPF meeting. Each SPF representative may bring forward 6 amendments in total, and up to 3 on any one paper.

4. The SPF will meet in full to debate the papers and amendments brought forward.

5. Following debate and a vote at Annual Scottish Conference the document agreed will be adopted as Scottish Labour’s policy programme.

Timetable

7 March 2015 Consultation opens.

31 July 2015 Deadline for CLPs to submit amendments.

Mid-August SPF representatives consider which amendments to take forward.

End August SPF meeting: amendments brought forward discussed and settled, final year document agreed.

October 2015 Annual Scottish Conference votes on policy programme.

Spring 2016 Manifesto agreed at a “Clause V” meeting.


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The Scottish Policy Forum

Scottish Policy Forum, or SPF, is made up of around 90 representatives of CLPs and Scottish Labour Party members, as well as affiliates, elected representatives, the Shadow Cabinet and recognised representative groups within the party.

Members of the SPF sit on one of four policy commissions, which are responsible for the year-round discussion and scrutiny of policy, as well as drafting policy and consultation papers, including those contained in this final year consultation document.

The SPF meets as a whole to discuss key issues and at appropriate times to agree on papers to go forward to Annual Scottish Conference.

This year’s final SPF meeting will take place at the end of August. The main business of this meeting will be the discussion and settlement of amendments brought forward by SPF representatives on behalf of members and CLPs in their region, affiliated organisation or section of the party. Where possible, members of the SPF will seek to reach agreement on the final text of the paper by consensus. Where this proves impossible, votes may take place to settle any outstanding issues.

Finally, the document agreed will go forward to Annual Scottish Conference 2015 for discussion and adoption as Scottish Labour’s policy programme.

You can find out who represents you on the SPF at www.scottishlabour.org.uk/SPF-representatives.

Making your voice heard

Every CLP is entitled to submit up to ten proposed textual amendments in response to the final year policy consultation (up to four per paper). Affiliated unions and socialist societies may also submit amendments, as can organisations of elected representatives, such as the Association of Scottish Labour Councillors and the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Party Groups, and officially recognised bodies within the party such as BAME Scottish Labour, Scottish Labour Disabled Members Group, LGBT Scottish Labour and others.

Amendments should be developed through consultation and agreement among members of your CLP or organisation. It is vital too that we reach out beyond the party to make the best use of the knowledge, experience and expertise that exists in our communities and workplaces. So all CLPs and affiliates are urged not just to engage with party members, but to bring through the views of those who they work with and for locally. You can read more about engaging with communities below.Ultimately, only CLP secretaries and recognised officials of other organisations may submit textual amendments.

However, everyone is entitled to make submissions in response to papers, all of which go forward to SPF representatives and policy commissions for consideration ahead of their discussions at the meeting in mid-August.

The deadline for all amendments and submissions in response to the final year policy consultation is 31 July 2015.

Submitting amendments

The following are able to submit amendments through www.scottishlabour.org.uk/policy2016:

• CLP Secretaries

• General Secretaries and/or nominated officials of affiliated Trade Unions and socialist societies

• Nominated officials of elected and other party groups (contact [email protected] if you wish to check who in your organisation has permission to post amendments)

• Members of the Shadow Cabinet on behalf of external organisations

Through amendments you may propose the removal of existing text and the addition of new text. You do not have to propose new text to replace text you wish to delete, nor do you have to remove existing text to add additional text – amendments can do one or the other, or they can do both.

CLP secretaries, Shadow Cabinet or nominated officials can submit amendments on behalf of their organisation by following these steps.

• Go to www.scottishlabour.org.uk/policy2016


Complete your details and the details of your organisation

• Remember to tell us which CLP or organisation you are submitting on behalf of, and also if you are a member of the SPF

Page and Line Numbers

• Tell us the section (Care, Growth, Prosper or Achieve), page and paragraph number in which the sentence or section you wish to amend begins. Please take care that you select the right page and line number – if your amendment clearly does not correspond to the section selected it may be rejected:

Removing text

• If your amendment involves removing existing text from the document then type or copy and paste the text you wish to remove, in its entirety, into the “Text to change” box. If you are using copy and paste, please ensure that any unnecessary spaces, page or line numbering from the PDF are removed prior to clicking submit

Adding text

• If your amendment involves adding text, whether in addition to current text or to replace removed text, input the text in the “Change text to” box

Notes

• Use the notes box to add any explanatory text as to where your amendment fits within the line – for example, if your intention is to add three words within an already existing sentence, without deleting any other text, explain exactly where it should go here

• You should also use the notes box to explain how your amendment was reached – for example whether it was agreed at an Executive Committee or all-member meeting, or was informed by a local consultation event with members of local community groups, feedback from the doorstep etc. SPF representatives may look at the background to amendments when deciding which to bring forward for discussion

Uploading

• You can also upload your submission or amendment by clicking on ‘Choose File’ selecting your saved word document or pdf from your own drive, and uploading it onto our server

Submitting your amendment

• Check your amendment, and once you are happy click on the ‘Submit’ button

• Your SPF representatives will be notified of your proposed amendment

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Engaging with communities

To develop a policy programme which wins the support of the Scottish public, we must reach out and listen to our communities. We need our policies to come from the challenges, concerns and ideas of the people we aim to represent. This does not come from a handful of people in a meeting; it comes from real conversations, on the doorstep, at the school gate, in our workplaces and communities.

Therefore, we want as wide a range of views as possible to feed into our policy making. We can always do more to reach out to charities, community groups, workplaces, businesses and civil society both at a local and national level.

There is no one size fits all approach to community. However, these papers are designed to be a useful basis for local discussion meetings, to which you can invite not only your members, but the kind of groups mentioned above.

A good example of a community consultation meeting may involve some or all of the following:

• Your Scottish Labour MP, MSP or PPC, and/or local councillors

• Community groups and local residents

• Local business representatives

• Representatives of affiliated trade unions and/or socialist societies

• If you are discussing one specific topic, then relevant locally based experts or practitioners – for example if you hold your discussion on Health and Care, invite the Chair or Chief Executive of your local NHS Board and other members of the medical community

Inviting a Shadow Cabinet member can also be a good way both to boost the profile of your event (and possibly secure local media coverage). Your SPF representatives, Scottish Head Office, or local Scottish Labour MP or MSP, will be able to provide advice on who best to approach and how.

Use the policy document as a starting point for your discussion. Take notes of the discussions at your event – your amendments should be informed by these conversations.

Organising an event and making amendments

• Decide whether you want to discuss all the documents or just one area with your CLP, branch or group

• Contact your local SPF representatives to let them know and ask for support and participation

• Identify appropriate local groups, external organisations and affiliates to invite

• Set a date and find a venue, send invitations and arrange other logistics. The Scottish Labour Party Policy Team may be able to provide advice if you’re stuck. If you wish to invite a Shadow Cabinet member then do so early so their availability can be taken into account

• Your event could be facilitated by your local Scottish Labour MP, MSP or PPC, or an SPF representative from your area or organisation

There are various models for an event and no one-size fits all approach – however one common format that often works well is outlined below:

1. Introduction to the topic from your MSP, MP, Shadow Cabinet member, councillor or SPF representative

2. Break out into small groups of around 8-10 people. Each group should choose someone to feed back later, and a CLP officer or other organiser to take notes. Any Shadow Cabinet member, MSPs, MPs or PPCs present should try to spend time with each group

3. Reconvene the whole group for feedback

4. Wrap up from MSP, MP, Shadow Cabinet member, councillor or SPF representative: • Using collated notes from the breakout groups and the feedback session, sum up any key recurring points • These may include specific amendments that have been suggestion – if so gauge support in the room for any amendments that the CLP may subsequently put forward • Thank everyone for participating and remind them that their views will be going forward along with others from all over the country towards Scottish Labour’s policy programme and manifesto for 2016

5. Ensure your final amendments are agreed by your all-member meeting or Executive Committee before submitting them through scottishlabour.org.uk/policy2016, as outlined above. Remember that each CLP can submit up to ten amendments in total and up to four on any one document


Important: valid amendments

We want all CLPs and affiliates to make the most of their opportunity to feed into our policy programme. Therefore, we would ask that to avoid the possibility of wasting proposed amendments, the following points are borne in mind

A proposed amendment may be unlikely to be taken forward for further discussion (and may even be ruled out of order) if it:

• Addresses a matter of style, format, grammar or presentation only (i.e. where the substantive meaning of the text is not affected)

• Does not relate to a subject within the scope of the consultation paper to which it is submitted

• Proposes an addition or deletion which would cause the section being amended to not make literal sense – for example, deleting half a sentence and leaving the other half intact but senseless. This is likely to occur if you submit an amendment with the wrong page or line number. Always double check before submitting

Before submitting, please ensure therefore that you have proof read your amendments both as standalone text and within the paragraph or section that you are seeking to amend. Double check that you’ve got the right page and line number. If you’re concerned that it is not immediately clear where your amendment begins, use the notes box to explain.

What happens next?

It is the job of Scottish Policy Forum representatives, within their areas and policy commissions, to decide which amendments to take forward for consideration at the final SPF meeting at the end of August. In doing so, representatives should reflect the priorities of the members and organisations they represent, based upon the consultation work they have carried out with members in their region or section.

Each SPF representative is entitled to take forward up to six amendments (three on any one paper) for further discussion. Representatives in each section or region will be asked to meet to decide collectively which amendments should be brought forward, to ensure that the views of their constituencies are represented effectively, and that duplication is avoided.

Support

We understand that there may be questions or that you may need more support during this process.

For queries about the website or the SPF process and/or feedback, email: [email protected]

To find out who represents you on the Scottish Policy Forum, visit scottishlabour.org.uk/SPF-representatives

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE SCOTTISH POLICY FORUM It has been a privilege leading the Scottish Policy Forum process for the last two years. Having the opportunity to hear the knowledge, ideas and passion we have across the Scottish Labour movement has been heartening and a reminder of how much more we can achieve for the people of Scotland with Scottish Labour in power in the Scottish Parliament.

From our constituency activists who spend Saturdays knocking on doors, to our strong trade union affiliates, to our MSPs and MPs working hard for a better Scotland, all have had an opportunity to make their voices heard in these first stages of consultation. For the last 12 months the Scottish Policy Forum commissions led by activists and councillors, have been consulting with every corner of our movement and with experts across Scotland, to create policies and campaigns which make a real difference to the lives of people in Scotland.

Over the last 12 months Scottish Labour’s Policy Forum has;

• Organised member consultation events in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow

• Organised a stakeholder event with almost 50 public, private and third sector organisations being represented

• A full consultation phase with every CLP in Scotland being given the opportunity to feed in over a two month period

This paper sets out a vision with the input from the Scottish Policy Forum at its core. We now will be taking forward an ambitious engagement plan to talk to our CLPs, more stakeholders than ever before and more real life experiences across Scotland.

There is still time make a submission and be part of the engagement process by emailing your thoughts to [email protected]. I want to see as many people take part in this process as possible, as together, we have the chance to bring about social justice in Scotland with an ambitious manifesto for 2016.

I would like to express my thanks to all of the members of the Scottish Policy Forum for their hard work in bringing this together, and look forward to the next stage of consultation and planning.

Agnes TolmieChair of the Scottish Labour Policy Forum

GROWTHFOR SCOTLAND

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Introduction to Growth

5 Our economy isn’t working for people in Scotland. We are told by the Tories that the economy is recovering but people aren’t feeling the benefits. The link between the wealth of the country and finances of ordinary Scots is broken. We are working hard but don’t feel we are being rewarded. Parents worry that the next generation won’t have the chances they had in life. Our nation is too unequal and too unfair.

10 After a long and painful recession people have lost faith that any party can really make a difference to the way the economy is led. Both the nationalists and the Tories want to pretend there isn’t a choice to be made and that there isn’t a different approach.

15 The Tories have hit families with higher VAT while giving a tax cut for the highest earners. The Tories offer more of the same failed economic plan and the cost would be even bigger cuts. The nationalists plan for all spending in Scotland to be paid for solely from taxes raised in Scotland would cut us off from sharing in the wealth of the rest of the UK and would, by their own admission, mean billions of pounds of cuts here in Scotland. We can do better.

20 Starting at the General Election we can change. We can make different choices. Like cutting the deficit in a fairer way by asking those earning over £150,000 a year to pay a little more through the 50p top rate of tax. When people’s earnings are squeezed, so is the tax we bring in, making it harder to balance the books. A rising minimum wage, clamping down on tax avoidance, promoting the Living Wage and giving people more regular hours by banning exploitative zero hours contracts are ways we can increase our standard of living and cut the deficit.

25 Looking forward to 2016, we have an opportunity to elect a Labour Government in Scotland that will use the new powers of the parliament to grow our economy, extend opportunities and end poverty.

30 We want a Scotland that is the fairest nation in the world. That is our cause. Together we can meet this challenge. We want a country that protects our environment and promotes the life chances of every child in Scotland to have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and develop their talents.

35 This means making sure that everybody in Scotland, no matter their background, has a chance to get on in life. The inequality that divides our economy, society and communities is unjust. Scottish Labour exists to end it.

A Growing Economy for a Fairer Scotland

40 Our twin priorities of increasing prosperity and eliminating poverty go hand in hand because the most effective anti-poverty measure is a successful economy providing well paid, secure jobs for all people in Scotland.

45 We will support Scotland’s businesses to thrive and grow working with businesses, trades unions, colleges and universities and others to increase productivity, exports and R&D investment and increased business birth-rate.

50 We are proud, but not satisfied with, Scotland’s unique successes. We know we can do much better. We continue to lead the world in many areas, from aerospace to life sciences to the oil & gas sector. Today we recognise shared prosperity will be underpinned by our care and service sector, and vibrant creative industries.

WE WANT A SCOTLAND THAT IS THE FAIREST NATION IN THE WORLD. THAT IS OUR CAUSE. TOGETHER WE CAN MEET THIS CHALLENGE.


55 We need a growing economy because if redistribution is our aim, then we need to create, and more evenly share, the wealth that is generated so that more families share in that success. As part of this, we would use the new powers coming to Scotland over income tax to ask the wealthiest Scots, those earning over £150,000, to pay a little more so that we can create the fairer society we all want to see.

60 We want this success to be shared so that our cities, our rural communities and our islands flourish, as hubs of enterprise and wealth creation.

65 We will bring forward an economic plan which gives business certainty and outlines an active industrial strategy for manufacturing. We recognise that inequality harms our economy and can limit growth. We will bring forward a manifesto for Scottish business. We will create an expert group to advise on the implementation of the new Smith powers to achieve these goals and work with Scottish society to ensure our new powers are implemented in a way that unites Scotland.

70 We will ensure proper competition in banking and an Investment Bank so businesses can get the finance they need. Recognising the failure of the present Scottish Government to meet our climate change targets, we will give the Green Investment Bank the borrowing powers it needs to do its job. We will create one million green jobs across the UK as part of a 10-year plan to be a global leader in clean technology and renewable energy.

75 Scottish Labour is proud of its relationship with the wider labour movement from co-operatives to trade unions. At the heart of Labour are values respecting work and workers. Scottish Labour will promote trade union membership and the co-operative movement to bring company decisions closer to their employees and ensure that workers have an influential voice.

80 We want to grow the strong Scottish economy, one where the wealth of the nation is used to benefit the whole of society.

85 We believe in the pooling and sharing of resources across the UK to deliver change here in Scotland. We support the continuation of the Barnett Formula because it is in the best interest of Scotland. We believe that giving up Barnett, in favour of the nationalist plans for Scottish services to be funded from Scottish taxes only, would mean damaging cuts to public services as Scotland’s share of UK spending would fall. Likewise we want to see the Scottish Parliament with the final say over benefit levels in Scotland, but we want to keep the guarantee of the UK benefit and pensions system.

90 A Scottish Labour Government will deliver industry specific plans, drawing on the best economic advice to meet the challenges we face to remain competitive and successful in the future. We are clear on the need for immediate action to support the oil and gas sector – supporting a roadmap based upon clear principles which deliver certainty for the industry. Scottish Labour will continue to develop Scotland as a world class export sector.

95 Businesses want certainty and must be confident in the actions of the Scottish Government. Scottish Labour will establish an independent Scottish Office for Budget Responsibility – giving transparency over our finances and economic forecasting. This will deliver on the Smith Commission’s conclusion that financial scrutiny be strengthened in the light of new powers.

100 We will look to provide incentives for people to start a business. Our local business strategy will support smaller businesses and the self-employed to facilitate expansion and therefore growth in local employment. Support for social enterprises should be encouraged.

105 Working with employers, we will bring forward a specific plan for business ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections. 110 Our world class universities are renowned for their research innovation. From the Euan McDonald Centre at The University of Edinburgh investigating the cure to Motor Neurone Disease, to Food and Nutrition innovation at the University of Aberdeen. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework 77% of the research submissions by Scottish Universities were considered to be “world leading”.

115 Scottish Labour believes our universities and their research are a key to developing innovation and growth. We want to see a Scotland that is not only a world leader in research, but a leader in using this research to create the jobs of the future in Scotland.

120 Our universities are a major industry in their own right contributing £6.7 billion to the Scottish economy and employing 142,000 people, missing opportunities for jobs and longer term economic growth. We will foster greater partnership between universities and business to translate our world leading research into making Scotland the most innovative economy in the world.

125 Employee ownership and co-operatives should be facilitated, supported and encouraged in partnership with trade unions. We will extend the role of Co-operative Development Scotland and promote the co-operative council model where councils can consider developing local employee co-operatives to deliver services.

130 We will look at options to change planning legislation to support local economies, deliver community benefits and develop diversity on our high streets. As part of this we will work to develop a retail strategy alongside other sectorial strategies.

135 We will create change through leading by example. In Government we would use Scotland’s £10billion procurement investment to transform workers’ rights and promote the Living Wage. We believe that the Living Wage should be paid by all public sector contractors, something the SNP have repeatedly blocked. Scottish Labour wants to see the Living Wage extended to public contracts and we will establish a Living Wage Unit to promote the Living Wage in the private sector.

140 We can go further to deliver a positive employment agenda through procurement, including ending the use of exploitative zero hour contracts and addressing inequality at work for women. We will look to use procurement, through Article 19 to support people with disabilities into work by targeting contracts to modern supported employment providers.

145 We will introduce a lower 10p starting rate of income tax, which will cut taxes for people on lower and middle incomes. We will introduce a top rate of income tax of 50p in Scotland so that those with the broadest shoulders contribute the most. The revenues raised will build a more prosperous Scotland by supporting small businesses, creating jobs whilst at the same time fighting poverty.

150 The SNP have been the most centralising government on record, removing power from local government and communities. We do not want to swap one centralising government in Whitehall with another in St Andrew’s House. We will reverse the SNP’s centralisation by devolving power down from Holyrood to our villages, towns and cities.

155 With new powers coming through the Smith Agreement, we support double devolution to our local authorities and cities. With Labour, the Work Programme will be devolved to local authorities – a real job creating power that can meet local economic need. We will consult on how we use these new powers to establish a new employment support service helping people back into work. We will support and campaign for city deals for every one of Scotland’s cities.

160 Having devolved the work programme to local authorities, we will work in partnership with tailored local programmes to ensure that travel is no barrier to work.

165 We will promote connectivity through a broadband strategy to ensure full internet coverage and access across Scotland.

170 We support a UK Mansion tax on properties worth more than £2million, the majority of which are in London and the South East, to fund 1000 nurses here in Scotland. Scottish Labour will never support the SNP’s race to the bottom on corporation tax, or promote policies which would promote inequality through a giveaway to large corporations. We will use procurement policy to promote corporate tax justice.

175 We will create a Resilience Fund to support local communities when large scale job losses are threatened. It will be available to local councils in times of crisis for some of Scotland’s crucial industries – today it should be used to support the North East as the oil crisis continues. This package should include using business rates to support industries experiencing unforeseen and exceptional change. We will ensure the PACE team have a proactive role in helping businesses that are in difficulty.

180 Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) was implemented by a Scottish Labour Government, and is intended to support workers as well as businesses, we must ensure this balance is maintained.

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Employment and Training

185 We will end youth unemployment in Scotland. A Scottish jobs guarantee will be established for anyone under 25 on Jobseeker’s Allowance for a year or more. This job will pay at least the minimum wage for 25 hours a week and offer training for at least 10 hours a week.

190 We will encourage more employers to pay the Living Wage through ‘Make Work Pay’ contracts. Firms that sign up to paying at least the Living Wage at the start of the next parliament will benefit from a 12 month tax rebate of up to £1,000 for every worker who gets a pay rise up to the Living Wage. The living wage should become the expectation not the exception.

195 Working with local authorities, we will also look to create pooled apprenticeship schemes and entrepreneurship focussed programmes for young people who are hard to reach.

200 We will invest in skills diversification and support career changes that meet economic need. We will fully implement and fund the recommendations of the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce chaired by Sir Ian Wood.

205 We want more and better apprenticeships. But there is nothing to be gained from simply playing the numbers game. Our aspiration is for properly accredited and approved apprenticeships that will provide a high-quality alternative to academic routes for many young people. That is why we will look at setting up a pooled apprentice scheme to help small businesses afford high-quality apprenticeships, and to help apprentices gain a wider range of work experience and skills. This system will allow apprentices to move around different employers, gaining a range of experiences, networks and contacts.

Transport

210 We will support a non-profit rail operator – a people’s ScotRail -using powers devolved through the Smith Agreement. This approach will see profits reinvested in better services and cheaper fares for passengers. We will explore the options to protect commuters from rising costs.

215 We will connect our nations, regions and cities through high-speed rail. It will boost our economy and develop links with our most important trading partner – the other nations of the UK. We support the extension of high-speed rail to Scotland. An early priority will be to put in place a plan to link Scotland to the high speed rail project much earlier than the current plans which will take decades for Scotland to be connected.

220 We will commit to the long-awaited Glasgow Crossrail scheme which will mean better links between the North and South, East and West of the country.


SCOTTISH LABOUR IS PROUD OF ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WIDER LABOUR MOVEMENT FROM COOPERATIVES TO TRADE UNIONS. AT THE HEART OF LABOUR ARE VALUES RESPECTING WORK AND WORKERS.

225 We will work to ensure we connect our towns and cities with sustainable transport that also supports growth. We will continue to support free bus travel for pensioners, which we introduced. We will go further to give local authorities more powers to regulate bus routes so that they meet the passengers’ needs, not those of the operators. We will go further to promote and invest in active travel. We will work with local authorities to deliver a programme of work to clear the backlog of roads maintenance work.

230 We will build on the growth of cycling by developing routes for safe cycling and active travel.

235 We will continue to support investment in the Strategic Freight Network to electrify key routes as well as ensuring gauge clearance to allow higher capacity and longer trains on paths to key ports and diversionary routes.

Energy

240 Scottish Labour works alongside the UK Labour party to ensure a fairer energy market for Scottish consumers. We will cap energy prices until 2017, saving the average Scottish family around £120 and an average small business around £5000. This policy will save Scotland around £500m. While prices are capped, we will reform the energy market to break up the monopoly of the “big six” energy companies, simplifying tariffs and creating a tough new energy watchdog. We will support energy co-operatives for purchasing fuel.

245 We will look to empower local government to enable them to negotiate deals with suppliers. In addition to this we will explore offering 0% loans for energy efficiency measures for those able to pay. We will continue funding for solar panels and energy efficient heating.

250 A Labour Government would invest in wave, tidal and hydropower and using energy from waste. We would do everything necessary to meet the climate targets SNP have failed to, three years running.

255 We will work across the country to create a more sustainable Scotland, and in particular will work with the three island councils to support the development of renewable energy resources with genuine community participation and benefits, and to ensure that grid connections can be developed.

260 The environmental and safety case for fracking has not been made. We will introduce a triple-lock system to halt any onshore fracking taking place in Scotland until environmental and health safeguards are in place.

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WE DO NOT WANT TO SWAP ONE CENTRALISING GOVERNMENT IN WHITEHALL WITH ANOTHER IN ST ANDREW’S HOUSE. WE WILL REVERSE THE SNP’S CENTRALISATION BY DEVOLVING POWER DOWN FROM HOLYROOD TO OUR VILLAGES, TOWNS AND CITIES.

Equality

265 With gender balance already achieved in the Shadow Cabinet, in a future Labour Scottish Government Cabinet will have at least 50% women members. We will appoint a Cabinet Minister for Women, with specific responsibility for promoting equality and the rights of women within the Scottish Government.

270 In government, we would deliver equal representation between women and men on the boards of public bodies accountable to the Scottish Government. We will campaign for private firms with more than 250 employees to publish their pay gap (and their pay ratios), to expose any discrimination and inequality in workplaces across Scotland.

275 Scottish Labour will make equality and transparency a key in all public contracts to government. Using the procurement bill, we will ensure that all companies publish the pay difference between men and women and publish pay ratios to highlight the increasing disparity between the highest and lowest paid in Scotland.


CAREFOR SCOTLAND

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Introduction to Care

05 The NHS is Labour’s proudest achievement. An institution that embodies the idea that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of their wealth or background.

10 Every family in Scotland has a personal story about what they owe to the NHS. We will always do everything in our power to protect and improve it. That is why after delivering devolution, we set about ensuring our NHS, its staff and patients got the support they needed, raising spending to record levels.

15 Between 1999 and 2007, Scottish Labour doubled per capita health spending, elevating it to record levels. By 2007 there were over 2,500 more doctors working in our NHS and over 5,000 more nurses. We introduced free personal care for the elderly and quadrupled investment in support for unpaid carers, to £23.7m. We led the UK in banning smoking in public places. Between 1997 and 2007 stroke deaths among under-75s fell by 40% and heart disease deaths among under-75s fell by 45%.

20 We are proud of our record on the NHS, but today the NHS, and its extraordinary staff, are not getting the resources it needs to keep up Scotland’s changing needs and to deliver the excellent care we have come to expect of our most valued national institution.

25 The SNP have taken their eye off the ball on the NHS and the result is an A&E crisis, waiting time targets missed and too few staff, with too little time, to care for patients.

30 We will provide our NHS with the resources it needs. We will tax properties across the UK worth over £2million and invest the money in more NHS nurses and interventions to deal with the areas in the NHS where patient care is not as good as it should be. Only Scottish Labour can deliver these new resources for our NHS because only Scottish Labour stands across the UK and can deliver new funding, through the Barnett Formula.

35 As we all know, Scotland’s health record is not nearly as good as it should be to allow our citizens to live fulfilled and happy lives. Health inequalities are a scar on Scotland. In the poorest areas of our country, some people live a full twenty years less than other Scots. It’s unacceptable that the poorest people live 9 years less than the richest and are three times more likely to take their own lives. Unequal distribution of income, wealth and power all contribute to our unequal health record. That’s why we need a Labour Government committed to tackling the gap between rich and poor.

Protecting and Investing in our NHS

40 Scottish Labour’s vision is of a country where every individual’s life chances are the same.

45 Inequality of access is unacceptable. Tackling health inequality begins with ensuring that access to local health services, and to the leisure and sport facilities that keep us healthy, is equal.

50 In order to tackle health inequality we must address wealth inequality, and the Living Wage will play a huge part in that. Only recently, the Scottish Public Health Observatory published a study which highlighted the Living Wage as one of the most effective ways of reducing inequalities and improving health.

55 But we won’t stop there, Labour’s crackdown on zero hour contracts, bringing an end to the exploitation that hits so many people who want a stable and secure job. With increased job stability, working people can begin to lead a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their families.

60 Mental health, its prevention, support and recovery, must be a priority in Scotland, where two people die each day by suicide. Recent figures showed that mental health research funding has been cut by 80% by SNP. We must do more to identify mental illness and support recovery, especially in young people.

65 There is real concern over the delivery of integration of health and social care. For Scottish Labour, the integration of health and social care is a mounting challenge which we will focus on strategically and with more resources.

70 Scottish Labour believes that we must create a healthier Scotland by working to tackle the causes of alcohol and substance misuse as well as poor diet and nutrition. We must build a healthier Scotland with an NHS fit for today, which is able to meet the demands of an ageing population and be able to support all people of Scotland at any stage in life.


75 We will make sure that we have a single system for Scots to raise concerns, whether it is about hospital care primary or social care. The current system should have been integrated along with health and social care. Where the SNP has failed, Scottish Labour will act.

80 We will ensure that data of all Scots is protected whether it is as a patient or in social care. No ones data should accessed or shared without their consent.

85 Our nurses are under too much pressure. There aren’t enough of them to do the job. Scottish Labour will pledge 1,000 more nurses to work in our hospitals and in our communities. This will be paid for by the Mansion Tax on properties in the UK – pooling and sharing resources across the UK to improve the NHS. We will ensure that there are sufficient support staff, who are essential to the care patients receive, to back up the work of these additional staff.

90 The fear of a cancer diagnosis and waiting for treatment is an extremely anxious time that most families in Scotland have experienced. Our NHS is good at treating cancer, but the SNP Government’s cancer waiting time targets are regularly missed.

95 More than half of Scotland’s Health Boards are missing their cancer waiting time targets, Scottish Labour will drive up standards and bring down the wait that Scots have to see a cancer specialist.

100 Getting elderly loved ones out of hospital with a care package suited to their needs is one of the biggest challenges in the Scottish NHS. We have an ageing population so must get this right as ‘bed blocking’ could increase. Scottish Labour introduced free care for the elderly and will better integrate health and social care so delayed discharge becomes a thing of the past. Our elderly citizens deserve more than waiting in a hospital beds for weeks on end.

105 Our hospitals should be able to work at their full capacity to improve patient care. Scottish Labour will put a £100million frontline fund in place targeted at reducing pressures on staff and ensuring better services for patients.

110 Diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are affecting families across this country at a rising rate. Scottish Labour will put a strategy in place to ensure we are able to support our aging population and that local health services are fully equipped and trained to assist those dealing with their diagnosis.

Our NHS staff

115 Nurses, doctors, porters, administrators, physiotherapists and kitchen staff all go the extra mile to keep our health service running and providing the excellent care that it does.

120 Scottish Labour will always protect and stand up for our public sector workers, whilst working in partnership with NHS Unions.

125 We know that NHS staffs are under pressure. We know this can affect the quality of care. Scottish Labour will ensure that there is a minimum level of staff on all hospital wards and ensure that quality training is in place for all staff.

Mental Health

130 Every family in Scotland is affected by mental health. Scottish Labour wants mental health and prevention to become a priority across our public services, especially for our young people. Good mental health should be rooted in our communities.

135 Scottish Labour’s plan for mental health will focus on prevention, early intervention and better support – particularly for young people.

140 Too many families wait too long to have their child seen by an Educational Psychologist. Psychologists in primary schools can spot mental health problems early and can often intervene before the problems escalate or are referred into the health service. Scottish Labour believes that no child should wait longer than 2 weeks to see an Educational Psychologist.

145 There is a shortage of Educational Psychologists in Scotland. Scottish Labour will increase their numbers across the country. Scottish Labour will ensure that mental health is an integral part of all teacher training in Scotland so teachers can identify, support and refer children with mental health problems.

150 Scottish Labour will ensure that the training of all NHS staff includes mental health so problems get spotted.

155 Scottish Labour will guarantee one point of contact for young people with mental health issues who have left school and not yet transitioned to adult care services.

160 We will ensure there is support for families where someone has a severe mental health issue, we will support the invaluable work of the third sector and voluntary organisations and we will look to tackle short-term funding of third sector organisations by committing to longer term funding.

165 Access to counselling is critical. Waiting times in Scotland under the SNP are far too long. Scottish Labour will work towards a 28 day waiting time standard for both adults and young people’s counselling.

170 Multiple appointments with different people undermine patient confidence in their care. Scottish Labour will ensure that people with complex physical and mental health conditions will be given a single point of contact for all of their care.

175 We will consider greater use of social prescribing to link those who are isolated or lonely up with social activities and support.

180 We will ensure providers of government employment programmes have specialist knowledge of mental health and can offer access to programmes that will help.

185 Scottish Labour is committed to supporting campaigns to de-stigmatise mental health.

190 Scottish Labour recognises that mental health difficulties are not just limited to adults. It has taken the SNP 8 years to increase the number of child and adolescent mental health beds, meaning many young people living with mental health difficulties have had to be admitted to adult mental health wards. Scottish Labour will provide extra beds to ensure there are enough child and adolescent spaces, we believe our young people should not have to admitted to adult mental health wards.

Well-being

195 Scottish Labour believes that well-being and fulfilled lives are forged in the heart of our communities with support in place to allow healthy lives.

200 Scottish Labour is committed to well-resourced family centres in our deprived communities in Scotland.

205 Play-parks and outdoor activity can rapidly improve health and well-being but many of our play-parks are not up to scratch. Scottish Labour will do an audit of our children’s play equipment across Scotland and invest in new modern play-parks.

210 All school meals should be packed with nutrients. Scottish Labour is committed to strict nutritional standards on all school meals.

215 Scottish Labour will ensure that all schools meet their targets for physical activity.

220 Gyms and swimming must be at affordable prices for all. Scottish Labour will make sure that public leisure centres and gyms are affordable.

225 Scotland’s relationship with alcohol has a detrimental impact on our health, well-being and capacity for work. Scottish Labour will bring forward proposals to reduce alcohol problems.

Care and Carers

230 We know that our NHS staff are overstretched and undervalued by the Scottish Government, 70% of staff don’t think there are enough staff for them to do their job properly. Scottish Labour has consistently challenged the Scottish Government to act on the scandal of 15 minute care visits.

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235 Families are left with no confidence that loved ones are being given the level of care they need and deserve and workers are being rushed between far too many clients and placed under immense pressure. What’s worse is that only around half of carers are paid for their travel between clients which in effect leaves many workers beneath the minimum wage level.

240 We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow old, and we can only do that by treating care workers with the respect and dignity that they in turn need to give to our elderly. We know the selfless work that carers do. We know the hours, days and weeks of work with the highest quality of care that they provide. We also know the unpaid efforts of family members, caring for their loved ones day in and out need to be recognised and respected.

245 Scottish Labour will seek to provide one night’s paid respite support for unpaid carers every month.

250 We will consider reforms to Carer’s Allowance using the powers of the Smith Commission.

255 We will support Carers Scotland in their aim to ensure every carer is aware of the financial support they are entitled to and will go further by ensuring and promoting the “carer positive” employer kitemark programme.

260 Every carer, if they wish it, will have an emergency plan created for them as part of the carer support plan and we will support access to training and support for unpaid carers who want it, without it negatively impacting Carer’s Allowance.

Fuel Poverty

265 At least 40% of Scottish households are living in fuel poverty, with the problem particularly acute in rural and island communities.

270 The measures adopted by the SNP Government will not meet the statutory duty under the Housing Act 2001 to eradicate fuel poverty by November 2016. It will not stop financially disadvantaged families being asked to make substantial contributions to Scottish Government grants to have measures fitted to their homes - financial contributions that they cannot afford to make.

275 Scottish Labour will adopt a transparent action plan of effective measures to address energy efficiency and we welcome contributions at this stage of the policy process from those working in the sector.

280 Millions of people have been ripped off by the big energy firms who never seem to pass on savings to customers. In the last year, wholesale energy costs have fallen by between 9% and 20% but not enough of the savings are not being passed onto consumers. Scottish Labour’s energy price cap will make a real impact on the cost of domestic energy along with new powers for the energy regulator to force firms to cut gas and electricity bills. This is just the first step towards making the energy market work for those suffering from fuel poverty.

Health technology

285 Innovation in technology is rapidly changing society and the NHS is no different. Across the NHS there are excellent examples of the harnessing of technology to improve outcomes and the treatments for patients.

290 The technology used to enhance treatments currently available for one condition can often be applied to other conditions.

295 A Scottish Labour Government will invest in a specialised staff resource and implementation to ensure learning from technology utilised in the NHS can be applied where possible across the NHS in other disciplines to enhance patient outcomes, reduce waiting times, improve care, and an increase access to services for people living in remote and rural communities.

300 The impact of technological communication advances has been significant in the business world, and there are real productivity and financial benefits to be had by bringing them into our public services.

305 Clearly, for people living in our rural communities there can be benefits around accessibility and not having to travel for a health consultation that can be done via video conferencing, but there are potential other gains such as allowing people to utilise their own time to have an e-consultation with a doctor rather than waiting in a clinic.


PROSPERFOR SCOTLAND

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Introduction to Prosper

5 Scottish Labour believes in building strong communities, supporting families and ensuring access to high quality public services for all.

10 We want safe, sustainable communities where every young Scot, regardless of their background gets the opportunity to flourish, where our sick and elderly get world class care and where our environment is protected and enhanced.

15 In too many areas people feel that their community is changing in a way that makes them feel less secure. Whether it is payday lenders taking over high streets or private landlords who abuse tenants there is a sense of people feeling they have less power over their lives and the areas they live in.

20 We want everyone to have a stake in our society and our democracy, where there is civic pride in the communities we live in, and where decision making is as close to people as possible.

25 Scottish Labour has a proud record in decentralising power, most notably in creating the Scottish Parliament, establishing the Calman Commission to strengthen the parliament, and supporting the Smith Commission which will deliver real financial and welfare powers to Holyrood. However we do not simply want to shift power from Whitehall to St Andrew’s House.

30 The current Holyrood Government’s agenda of centralisation is harmful to our communities. We need to re-establish local democratic accountability. We recognise that a one size fits all approach is not good enough for our local communities. People should have a greater say in matters that impact on their local area, whether they live in an urban or a rural area. We have a commitment to empowering local communities and enhancing democracy.

Justice

35 We want to ensure that there is transparency and local accountability of our police and fire services. We will focus on reducing crime, reducing reoffending and supporting access to justice for victims.

40 We will conduct a review of sentencing; a prison sentence should both be effective at deterring reoffending and mean what it says. We will explore alternatives to custody, including support for community justice centres, to reduce reoffending.

45 Scottish Labour is proud of our record on equality and human rights. Every person in Scotland, from every background lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), Black and Minority Ethnic communities (BME), women, disabled or new to Scotland is equal and shares the rights of all.

50 No worker should face discrimination or intimidation at work. We will ensure that there is legislation in place to protect them and that access to justice is not dependant on their income.

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WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE A STAKE IN OUR SOCIETY AND OUR DEMOCRACY, WHERE THERE IS CIVIC PRIDE IN THE COMMUNITIES WE LIVE IN, AND WHERE DECISION MAKING IS AS CLOSE TO PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

55 We will ensure that there is transparency and local accountability of Police Scotland.

60 Scottish Labour will review the Police and Fire Rescue Service Reform Act. We will introduce measures that give communities the opportunity to be involved in how their policing is delivered and how the service is held locally accountable. We want the police to work with the communities they serve and be open about the budgets allocated for each local authority. We want to ensure greater transparency on the numbers of police constables and staff to ensure that the objectives of local police plans and community needs are met.

65 We recognise that sectarianism exists beyond our football terraces and will tackle it through genuine and effective methods without penalising football fans at large.

70 Scottish Labour will repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act. We recognise that sectarianism is a human rights issue and will tackle it through education and prevention, working with anti-sectarianism charities, churches, football authorities and fans to develop positive and practical evidence based measures to stamp out sectarianism in Scotland once and for all.

75 Scottish Labour will establish the long promised Sentencing Council and ask it to review how sentencing works. We need people to have confidence that sentencing is fair and deliver justice. We will reform sentencing so that: offenders stay in prison for at least as long as a judge says they should; and will only be released early if they have complied with a mandatory nationally accredited programme of work, volunteering, education, and drugs and alcohol rehabilitation (where appropriate) and/or have been assessed as willing and ready to engage with community based rehabilitation.

80 Not only will this make sentencing fairer, but it will help prison work and reduce the risk of released prisoners reoffending. We also believe that there should be a more joined up holistic approach to work inside and outside of prison and the transition between them. We will work with stakeholders to define what this looks like in practice.

85 We will focus on reducing crime and supporting our communities. Scottish Labour wants to end the cycle of crime that can exist within a community or family. We need to create opportunities for intervention at an earlier stage. Young people with a history of offending in their families and local communities with a high crime rate should be identified and supported through local educational activities. We will work with charities and stakeholders to decide how best this can be implemented across Scotland. We will ensure that all young people have real opportunities by guaranteeing a job or training, paid for through the tax on bankers’ bonuses.

90 We will review the operation of Scotland’s anti-social behaviour legislation.

95 Too many communities are still blighted by anti-social behaviour perpetrated by a small minority of individuals who have no respect for their neighbours. When Scottish Labour was in power, we introduced policy initiatives and legislation to tackle these problems, but since coming into power the SNP has ignored the issue. We will consult with stakeholders and victims to ascertain how well these initiatives are working in practise to ensure that momentum is resumed.

100 Scottish Labour successfully campaigned to scrap the building of the women’s “super prison” in Scotland. We need real justice and rehabilitation. When mothers are imprisoned, the impact is wider than an individual, children and families suffer too. Scottish Labour will focus instead on community based alternatives to custody such as community justice centres, ensuring perpetrators are held to account, that justice is served, but importantly, that rehabilitation is not sacrificed and families do not suffer.

105 Scottish Labour believes that a justice system works well when victims are supported to report crimes. We will develop and support advocacy projects for victims of crime, to provide them with independent advocacy and counsel where required. In particular, this will be a platform to further support victims of sexual offences and domestic abuse.

110 Scottish Labour advocated for the regulation of employment tribunals to be devolved to Scotland. We know that the volume of employment tribunal claims being pursued by our workforce has dropped dramatically since the introduction of Employment Tribunal fees. We will ensure that access to justice for employees is not dependent on their level of income.


115 We would ensure that survivors of historic child abuse get the justice they deserve. We know that they still face too many barriers to justice. We backed their calls for a public inquiry and will make sure this inquiry is robust and delivers the answers survivors have fought so hard for.

120 Scottish Labour recognises the vital work of the Children’s Hearing System and Children’s Hearing Scotland in supporting children and young people at risk, and will ensure their work continues to be integral to the justice system of Scotland.

Local Government and Communities

125 We want to reinvigorate civic pride in Scotland. Scottish Labour believes in local accountability and inclusive democracy. We believe communities are entitled to high quality local public services not determined by their postcode. Our rural and urban communities should have equal access to the support that they need.

130 Scottish Labour’s vision is one of community empowerment in practice, not just in name. We will bring about the change that local government in Scotland needs by working closely with our councils to empower communities so that they have a greater say on shaping their local communities and the services they rely on.

135 We will provide a constitutional guarantee of powers to local government.

140 We recognise the special requirements of all island communities and will work with island councils to develop and extend their powers.

145 We will consider how co-operative models can empower people in our communities to influence the decisions in their area.

150 Scottish Labour will work to address the long-term funding of local councils.

155 We will support our local authorities in a capital programme ensuring that local authorities have the infrastructure to provide the best schools and vital services including care and housing.

160 We will support councils in restricting the number of, fixed odds betting terminals, betting shops and payday loan companies setting up in our town centres.

165 We will publish and implement a radical plan to reinvigorate our town centres.

Rural Affairs, Land and Environment

170 Scottish Labour will make sustainable development and environmental justice key priorities and will ensure that climate change targets are met. We want communities in Scotland and across the world to benefit from us taking climate justice seriously.

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WE WILL ENSURE THAT ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR EMPLOYEES IS NOT DEPENDENT ON THEIR LEVEL OF INCOME.

175 We want to set out a long-term vision for the future of our communities which reinvigorates localism to ensure that there is access to services and opportunities for all regardless of where people live. We aim to build upon our ground-breaking land reform legislation to offer solutions that tackle the inequalities faced by our rural communities. We want to empower rural communities make the best use of resources in their area for the benefit of the whole community through collective action and community mobilisation.

180 Animal welfare remains a concern for Scottish Labour and we will work to ensure humane treatment of animals within farming.

185 Scottish Labour was at the forefront of ground-breaking land reform legislation in the early days of the Scottish Parliament which has led to radical change in many of our communities; we aim to build upon this to offer solutions that tackle the inequalities faced by our communities - urban and rural.

190 Scottish Labour will support the promotion of local produce and facilitate greater use of locally sourced food, including supporting food cooperatives and greater access to allotments. We also recognise the need for a well-funded regulatory regime to protect our food from any more scandals and restore public confidence in food quality.

195 We recognise the link between poor food safety standards and poor working conditions. Our commitments on tackling abuses such as exploitative zero hours contracts is part of ensuring safe, hygienic food standards.

200 We will devolve the administration and revenue of the Crown property and rights and interests in Scotland to ensure local communities can manage and develop their own seabed and foreshore.

205 We will commit to the 2030 decarbonisation target.

210 We will review the future of national parks with a view to establishing a new national park.

215 We will both extend the rights that communities have to buy land across Scotland and also support capacity building to enable communities to exercise those rights.

220 We will review community ownership legislation; the process should be made easier and less lengthy.

225 We will secure a fairer deal for our Highland and Island communities, particularly in relation to better access to goods and services.

230 We will consider how we can support and encourage the employee co-ownership model of working which helps distribute wealth to employees and encourages long service.


EVERY PERSON IN SCOTLAND, FROM EVERY BACKGROUND; LGBT, BME, WOMEN, DISABLED OR NEW TO SCOTLAND IS EQUAL AND SHARES THE RIGHTS OF ALL.

Social Justice and Equalities

235 Inequality, unfairness and prejudice impacts on us all. Scottish Labour believes in a Scotland where all people regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality or disability are full and active members of society. Scottish Labour will ensure that our policies reflect the needs and lives of everyone in Scotland, including ethnic minorities. We want Scottish politics to see people at the grassroots level involved in influencing decision making. Scottish Labour believes decisions should be made with people not for people.

240 Scottish Labour aims to reduce the gap between rich and poor. This ambition is clear in policies such as the 50p top rate of tax, a new Mansion Tax to invest in the NHS, and a bankers bonus tax to offer more opportunities to young people.

245 The Labour Party has a proud history of tackling child poverty. In 1997 360,000 children in Scotland (35%) lived in poverty. By 2003 that figure had fallen to 280,000 (27%) and by 2011 it fell to 220,000 (25%). Scottish Labour will make cutting child poverty a priority again. Our target is to lift 100,000 children out of poverty by 2021. We will ensure that children have access to a world class education and that every child has the opportunity to reach their potential. We will use all the powers of the parliament, including the new devolved powers over welfare, to lift children and the most vulnerable in our society out of poverty.

250 We believe that improving social mobility should also be a stated aim of Scotland’s education and housing policies.

255 Loneliness is a significant problem for so many of our fellow citizens. Alongside specific health and social care initiatives, we will introduce a programme of support for the voluntary sector targeted at older people living alone. We reaffirm and reclaim our support for concessionary travel.

260 We would appoint a Cabinet Minister for Women and Equalities, with specific responsibility for championing the rights of women within the Scottish Government.

265 We would campaign for private firms with more than 250 employees to publish their pay gap, to expose the discrimination in many workplaces across Scotland.

270 Scottish Labour would show its support for charities and the voluntary sector working to combat discrimination, whether they are tackling racism, sexism, homophobia or disability discrimination.

Housing

275 Scottish Labour believes that every person in Scotland has the right to a safe, affordable and suitable home. Tackling Scotland’s housing crisis will be a priority of a Scottish Labour Government in Holyrood.

280 We will tackle the housing supply crisis. We will tackle the need for housing head on by radically increasing the number of homes being built. A UK Labour Government will get 200,000 homes built a year by 2020.

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SCOTTISH LABOUR WILL MAKE CUTTING CHILD POVERTY A PRIORITY AGAIN. OUR TARGET IS TO LIFT 100,000 CHILDREN OUT OF POVERTY BY 2021.

285 We will offer those in the private rented sector some of the protection enjoyed by those in social rented properties by: • capping rent rises in pressured areas • limiting rent reviews to one per year • and reforming private rented sector tenancies

290 We will help everyone across Scotland to make their homes more energy efficient.

295 We will ensure that access to safe and suitable housing for those with disabilities and the elderly is a priority; and we will work with local communities on housing build projects to ensure that the needs of the community are being met and that local communities are able to influence decisions.

300 Too many people in Scotland find themselves without a roof over their heads. In 2013/14 almost 30,000 households were assessed as homeless in Scotland. It is our duty to support those most in need and Scottish Labour is committed to creating a Scotland where every person has the right to safe and affordable accommodation.

305 Scottish Labour created a homelessness sounding board in 2014 with expert organisations to consider how homelessness in Scotland can be eradicated and how we can ensure that vulnerable people in Scotland are given safe shelter and support.

310 Scottish Labour’s policy on housing will include prioritising the affordable housing shortage, ensuring all people who find themselves without shelter have access to advice and assistance, developing quality standards for temporary housing and creating better partnership working between housing officers and other support services to ensure all people who are homeless have a central point of contact. We must also consider the type of housing the most vulnerable need and ensure that families and lone parents, who are assessed as homeless, have the accommodation they need.

315 Scottish Labour has already made it clear that we will abolish the bedroom tax to remove one of the most unfair policies of the Tory Government. The Smith powers offer Scotland the ability not only to raise revenues but to spend them to tackle poverty through the welfare system. Scottish Labour would build on Smith by ensuring that the final say on benefit rates are set in Scotland, that the Scottish Parliament has clear power to establish new benefits, that powers around incentives to return to work in the welfare state are devolved so we can align them with colleges and other support that is already devolved. This means that Scots would be guaranteed the minimum security of the UK benefits system, underpinned by the sharing of resources with the rest of the UK, but with a Scottish welfare system having the final say over benefit rates over and above the UK level.

320 Research has suggested that as much as 95% of government spending on housing is through the benefits system with just 5% being invested in new homes. The devolution of Housing Benefit to Scotland will put an additional budget of £1.8bn in the hands of the Scottish Government enabling a more radical approach to be taken to tackling Scotland’s housing crisis. Devolving housing benefit will enable us to invest in the future rather than simply dealing with the current housing crisis.


SCOTTISH LABOUR IS COMMITTED TO CREATING A SCOTLAND WHERE EVERY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO SAFE AND AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION.

ACHIEVEFOR SCOTLAND

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Introduction to Achieve

5 We believe that it is through education that all Scots will reach their full potential.

10 This has always been central to Scottish Labour’s belief in a fairer society but in today’s global economy unlocking young people’s talent and ambition through education is an economic necessity.

15 If we are to create a fairer, more equal Scotland then everyone, old or young, must get the opportunity to learn.

20 Scottish Labour wants to ensure that all children in Scotland have a nurtured, secure and fulfilling childhood.

25 Scottish Labour aims to: • Create a flexible, accessible and high quality childcare system in Scotland that includes universal out-of-school-care services • Set an ambitious target to make Scotland’s schools the best in the world • Create world leading literacy, numeracy and science education for all children in Scotland • Transform the performance of the schools and pupils currently being left behind by the SNP • Close the attainment gap in Scotland’s schools

30 We want schools that provide broader educational opportunities for Scotland’s young people by supporting opportunities in music, sports and the arts. We want to inspire a new generation of world leading scientist and innovators.

35 It is simply unacceptable that, in modern Scotland, where you are from determines where you are going in life. We need to break the link between parent’s income and educational attainment so that young people can continue into further and higher education and working life able to fulfil their hopes and dreams.

40 Supporting young people to achieve means supporting their families too with affordable, accessible childcare. It means giving people not just a first chance through education but a second chance through access to the skills and training adults need to get on in life.

Opportunities for All Young Scots

45 We will turn around the 20 schools left behind by the SNP Government by transforming them into places of community learning and opportunity. This targeted support will include doubling the number of teaching assistants in every associated primary school. Labour has committed to recruit and train literacy specialists to support pupils in these primary schools, as well as 1st and 2nd year pupils in the designated 20 secondary schools. This literacy support will be extended to parents so they can learn alongside their children and we will introduce special literacy provisions for looked after children in Scotland.

50 We will create Family Centres, based in Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities but open to all, so young children and their parents can receive a wide range of support, including educational and health care support, in one place in their community.

55 Scottish Labour has set a goal of capping childcare costs at no more than 10 per cent of the median income of Scotland. Barnardo’s, Save the Children and Children in Scotland have all supported this policy and we are working alongside them to determine how this will be best delivered to meet the needs for parents across Scotland.

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SCOTTISH LABOUR HAS SET A GOAL OF CAPPING CHILDCARE COSTS AT NO MORE THAN 10 PER CENT OF THE MEDIAN INCOME OF SCOTLAND.

60 We are developing a long term strategy for childcare in Scotland that includes expanding wraparound care for school pupils.

65 Labour will double the amount of paid paternity leave available to new fathers from two to four weeks. We will increase the rate of statutory paternity pay by more than £120 a week to at least £260 a week.

70 We recognise our particular responsibilities towards children who have been in care. We believe there is a need to change the school inspection system so it reports on how schools cater for looked after kids.

75 We need to recognise that children with a parent in prison are more likely to go on to commit a crime themselves later on in life and suffer from mental health problems. They are victims of circumstance who need support, and should not be punished for things outwith their control. When a parent is sentenced, we will ensure a needs assessment of their child is carried out right away. It will also guarantee that the difficulties faced by children with a parent in prison are recognised in school.

80 We will change the existing exam review system which is clearly unfair to pupils from poorer backgrounds.

85 We recognise the wider role young people play in society and support 16 & 17 year olds voting at all elections.

Further and Higher Education

90 We will safeguard free access to higher and further education to ensure that all young people have opportunities without financial barriers, and crucially, ensure that students are properly supported on their education journey.

95 In contrast to the SNP’s cuts in student bursaries, we will make sure that students in the most need get the essential support they need throughout their studies. The SNP cut bursaries and grants for the poorest students in Scotland going into higher education by 35.5%. At the same time, student loans have increased by 69% in the last year.

100 Universities and colleges benefit from significant public funding and should not employ exploitative zero hour contracts. Scottish Labour will ensure they do not, by agreement if possible, otherwise if necessary.

105 We will ensure free pre-school childcare places for mums re-skilling at college. To enable mums to access well-paid jobs we must support them to gain the necessary skills to make the most of their potential. Mothers are often disadvantaged by taking time out of the jobs market to have their families but by offering a free guaranteed childcare place for all pre- school children whose mothers are attending college, we will support mums to re-skill and return to work where this is desired. This will be delivered on the college campus, unless otherwise desired, and will also be extended to single dads.

110 In redesigning disability benefits when they are devolved, Scottish Labour will create new support for young people with disabilities to access mainstream education at all levels.

115 Scottish Labour will maintain and expand as funds allow the Scottish Union Learning Fund and network of Trade Union learning representatives.

Culture

120 Scottish Labour values our vibrant cultural life. Cultural experiences benefit and enrich communities and help bring them together. They give us a sense of who we are and bring enjoyment and excitement into our lives.

125 We should be proud and celebrate our rich and diverse culture, from our traditional culture and arts to all the vibrant and multicultural experiences modern Scotland has to offer.

130 Everyone, regardless of where they live, their income or circumstances, should be able to engage with Scotland’s culture and artistic community, being the audience, the performer, the artist. There should be no barriers to cultural experience. Children and young people should have high quality experiences.


135 Our traditional and national days are celebrated here and around the world. Our local and national museums tell the story of Scotland and our role in the world. Our unique historic environment, from the battlefields of Bannockburn and Culloden to the Standing Stones of Callanish and the Neolithic settlement at Skara Brae.

140 Scottish Labour is committed to ensuring that Scotland’s home grown talent have the opportunities to fulfil their potential at home and abroad.

145 We want to see a flourishing cultural community in Scotland, an inclusive arts sector, the potential to make a living from the arts, a recognition of the importance of the arts and the economic contribution it makes, from significant major events and festivals to the network of craft industries Scotland encompasses.

150 We recognise Scotland’s rich cultural heritage including Gaelic, Scots and Nordic. We will meet the current commitment to Gaelic education for all students that desire it. We also want to see wider access to Gaelic education and culture and to see Gaelic being promoted more effectively to encourage its expansion.

155 Increasingly the place of popular history and working class history is under threat with local and national museums facing funding difficulties. Scottish Labour recognises this is a vital part of our heritage and will work to protect it.

160 Scottish Labour will ensure that entrance to museum and art galleries remain free in Scotland. We will establish a network of creative industry skills hubs within existing venues across Scotland to support and develop Scotland’s international creative platform and ensure these hubs commit to outreach to supporting creative education in disadvantaged area. We will ensure that all libraries across Scotland are equipped for a digital age and that digital downloads, including eBooks, are available across all platforms. We know the value local news can have on developing community links accountability, we will support and promote local community media and reporting.

Scotland in Europe and Beyond

165 Labour is the party of Europe; our MSPs and MEPs work together for Scotland to have a Europe wide reach. Labour’s history of delivering positive change through the European Parliament cannot be matched and Labour will continue to be the party that delivers.

170 We have an international duty to developing countries. Labour has a proven track record in creating a fairer more equal world. We are the party that developed DFID, tripled the aid budget, lifted millions worldwide out of poverty, helped to get 40 million children into school and improved water and sanitation for those that needed it the most. Under Scottish Labour, Scotland became a friend of Malawi, recognising our historic relationship and supporting a growing country.

175 Scottish Labour will work in partnership with Scottish MEPs to ensure Scotland has the strongest voice across Europe and makes best use of EU regional economic development investment in Scotland.

180 Scottish Labour will protect the international aid budget of the Scottish Government, using it to help the most vulnerable throughout the world and to respond to the challenges faced by developing countries.

185 Scottish Labour believes that companies that behave responsibly in developing countries, for example those that contribute to the local tax base and treat workers with decency and respect, should be recognised and those who don’t should be exposed.

190 Scottish Labour believes Scotland can have a wider role in international development, supporting the education and development of girls and young women in partnership with local NGOs and working to achieve climate justice.

196 Through the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund, Scotland will be granted over £600million pounds between 2014-2020. Our membership of the European Parliament, through the United Kingdom, will give us vital funds to tackle youth unemployment, and a further £130million being ring fenced for Highland and Islands development. Our engagement with the European Parliament has not only given Scotland a European wide stage, but has been the source of employment, Third Sector funding and the redevelopment of our town and cities across our country.

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EXTERNAL ORGANISATIONS WHO HAVE TAKEN PART IN THE SPF ENGAGEMENT PROCESS:Action For ChildrenAge ScotlandAlzheimer’s ScotlandAssociation of British Credit UnionsBarnardosBethany TrustCBI ScotlandChildren 1stCo-Operative Education TrustCouncil of Occupational TherapistsDigby BrownEngenderEquate ScotlandFabian SocietyFederation of Small BusinessesGovan Law CentreHomelessness Action GroupInclusion ScotlandInclusion ScotlandInstitute of Civil EngineersMuslim Women’s Resource CentreNil By Mouth

One Parent FamiliesOxfamPeek ProjectPositive Action In HousingRoyal Society of ChemistrySave the ChildrenScotland InstituteScottish CareScottish Council for Voluntary OrganisationsScottish Education Research AssociationScottish Parent Teacher CouncilShelterSocialist Education AssociationStonewallTimes Higher EducationTransform Community DevelopmentTurning Point ScotlandUniversities ScotlandVolunteer ScotlandWho Cares ScotlandWith Kids


second stage consultation document

Documents