Keir Starmer speaking at the launch of Labour’s six steps in Glasgow – The Labour Party

Lorna, thank you, that was fantastic, what a story, what you’ve done, that’s a story that should be told right across Scotland, inspiring so many young people. 

And not only the story, but for you to walk from there up on to this stage, and deliver it in from of all these people, and the cameras. 

That is what inspiration is all about. And I can tell you with our plans for infrastructure we’ve got a lot of work coming your way. 

And thank you Anas and all the other speakers. Anas, thank you for your friendship and your leadership here in Glasgow, along with Jackie and with Ian. Because together we have transformed and changed the Labour Party and put it back in the service of working people, so thank you Anas. 

And it’s great to be back here in Scotland. 

It’s sunny. And I seem to be here every other week. And that’s not just because of the tandoori salmon in Mr Singhs, which is getting quite a reputation, but it is fantastic to be here.

And to be with all of you, to launch these first steps, because look, the wait is over. 

The Prime Minister has called a General Election. We have waited a long time for this. Scotland has waited a long time for this. A chance for an election. A chance to change. 

So if you’re a family that have been struggling with the cost of living day after day, week after week, month after month, if you’re a business that’s been struggling now for years against the odds. If you’re in service to your country or your community, then this election is for you. 

Because by the power of our democracy, the beautify, if you like, of our democracy, the power shifts to you. 

Your chance, your vote, your chance to vote for change. For your community and for Scotland. 

And I say to you this, make sure you use your vote, Your voice. Not to send a message. The SNP says they want you to vote to “Send a message”. Send a message? To go and sit on the opposition benches protesting? 

I don’t want you to vote to send a message. I want to you to vote to send a Government. 

A Labour government with Scotland at its heart. So this the chance for change. 

To end the chaos and division. To turn the page, and to rebuild Scotland and rebuild Britain. 

Because we have to stop the chaos. In Westminster, we have had fourteen years now of chaos and division.

IN Scotland, 17 years of spinning round in circles going round and round in circles getting nowhere. 

In Westminster, five prime minister in a row. 

Here in Scotland, three First Ministers in three years. 

That’s failure, that’s not delivering, that’s not good for Scotland. 

And there is a cost. 

There is a human a cost, there is always a human cost, of chaos and division and spinning round getting nowhere. 

And Anas and I went to a community centre not that far from here. We were at an event, and we finished the event, and then I was doing a short piece to camera using an autocue. 

So I went to the edge of the centre, set it up, and did my piece to camera. 

There was a 7 year old girl there. She had been with us during the event, she was very very sparkly, huge personality, quite incredible. 

And as I was doing my piece to camera, I saw her come over and watch what I was doing. She was really intrigued, 

What was I doing? This camera rolling? Some words? 

So when I finished, I said to her, do you want to have a go, do you want to see what it’s like? 

And the words she said to me will stick with me forever. She said, “I don’t read, me.”

“I don’t read, me.”

I carried those words all the way home with me. That went right through me. Because that is the cost that she is paying for the failure here in Scotland under the SNP. 

And they’re not gonna change the Tories won’t change in Westminster and the SNP won’t change here. 

It’ll be more chaos. More division. More chaos and more scandal. And they’ll feel more entitled if they got more at this election. 

So we have to stop the chaos, we have to draw a line.

But here is the good news, you don’t have to put it up with it anymore. 

You can choose change. 

But don’t take anything for granted. If you want change, you have to choose change. And vote for change. 

We can make sure that we boot the Tories out and end the chaos. 

Because change is on the ballot on the Fourth of July. 

Make no mistake there are two futures, two paths that we could take – down one path, the future is more chaos, more division, more of the same. 

Down the other path – hope and unity. A chance to take Scotland forward, to take Britain forward. Now Anas and I, Jackie, Ian, Angela, Ed, the whole party has change for everyone. To put it back int the service of working people. 

And what we ask now at this election, humbly, is the opportunity to change Scotland and change Britain and put them back in the service of working people. 

Now I know that in the past, some people here in Scotland, who wanted the Tories out, didn’t vote Labour, because they didn’t think that we could win. 

But we’ve changed Labour, we now have that opportunity, and you have to vote for it. Because there is no change without Scotland. 

There is no Labour without Scotland. 

And I believe that the solidarity of working people is not just our identity, it is our argument. 

The single greatest force, probably the only force, that can bring our four nations together. 

And that’s why Scotland is at the heart of our mission. 

And Anas and I have worked side by side to deliver across Scotland. We’ve got huge ambition to deliver for Scotland. 

Like all ambitions, it has to start with first steps. First Steps that we’ve set out this morning. As you’d expect, ruthlessly well prepared, fully costed, fully funded, and ready to go. 

Step 1 – Economic Stability 

The foundation of growth. The only way to keep taxes, inflation, and mortgages low. Because if we learnt one thing from recent years, it’s that if you lose control of the economy, it’s working people who pay the price. 

Liz Truss lost control of the economy, and in Scotland everybody with a mortgage is paying the price, month by month by month. 

The average increase: £120 in Scotland, per month. 

People desperately worried that they can afford it. Even thinking of having to sell their house and downsize. 

How do you think they feel when Rishi Sunak says: “We’ve turned a corner! Everything is fine!”

How do you think they feel when they see those that advised Liz Truss in the House of Lords swanning around because Rishi Sunak was too weak to block them? 

They are paying the price. 

We visited a food bank, Anas and I, not so long ago. 

And this was in Glasgow. A real shock. People going to pick up their food, because they couldn’t afford to put food on their own table. Shocking in its own right. Shocking particularly when we saw people coming from work, having finished work, to come and pick up a food parcel. 

That is the price that they are paying/. There simply always a cost to chaos and division. And that’s why stability is our first step. 

Step 2 – We will work with you to help cut NHS waiting times in Scotland 

It is impossible to overstate how many people are on waiting lists, and the impact it has on them. It is now one in six in Scotland. I was here last year saying it was one in seven. It’s now one in six. 

That means almost everyone watching or listening to this, is probably on a waiting list themselves, or knows someone who is. That’s shocking. It’s absolutely shocking. 

What we can achieve together is 160,000 extra appointments every year here in Scotland. What a difference that would make. And we would pay for it by cracking down on tax avoidance, and getting rid of the non Dom tax status. 

Step 3 – Make work pay with the New Deal for Working People 

As Angela says, the greatest levelling up for workers rights in a generation.

And what does that mean?

Zero hours contracts banned. Fire and rehire ended. A genuine living wage. Because I believe that everybody is entitled to dignity, and respect at work. 

That is a bare minimum.

But I also know that dignity and respect at work are essential for economic growth. 

Step 4 – Great British Energy 

That publicly owned company, owned by the tax payer, making money for the tax payer, harnessing clean power. 

Do you remember what the Tories said ten years ago?

“Cut the green crap.” 

Made us more exposed to what was going on in the world. 

And as a result, your bills higher. 

I want to be clear – we are not turning of the taps for oil and gas, they’ll be part of the mix of decades to come. 

But the transition is coming. 

We can’t stick our head in the sand. 

And as Ed said, renewables are cheaper. There is a massive prize here: lower bills, security, the next generation of jobs. So clean power is the best opportunity we’ve had in a generation for the next generation of jobs. 

Now other countries are in the race. 

Look across Europe. Look to America and Rishi Sunak is in the changing room. 

I want to be in the race, and I want to win the race. Why not Scotland? 

I went to Aberdeen and there is a glimpse of the future there. Because what I saw and talked through with the energy sector and the workers there was the pipelines and skills they would use for the next generation of jobs. 

And I asked them: how long would these jobs last for? And they said decades, upon decades, upon decades. Jobs for the next generation here in Scotland. 

And Scotland can, and Scotland will, lead the clean energy revolution. 

And that’s why Great British Energy, which will cut those bills, which will give us that security and those jobs, will be headquartered right here in Scotland. 

Step 5 – Maximising Scotland’s influence on the world stage 

I’ll give you an example of that. Scotland has the second largest off shore wind capacity in the world. Yes three times as many jobs, are in Denmark.

That’s shocking. 

I went to Whitely’s wind farm. 

Some people have heard this story but it sticks with me. 

There’s 200 – 300 wind turbines there. Really huge bits of engineering and skill and design. 

And I went up and they were turning around and generating energy. I had two problems: one, we didn’t have a battery big enough to store the energy – they were turning them off because of a lack of planning. 

Second, I asked a question, how many of these incredible pieces of kit were built in Scotland? 

None. 

Not one. 

They were towed in from other countries. 

Not a single one was built here.

We have to end that. We can change that. 

Floating offshore wind is the next generation. We can get ahead. Not only have floating off shore wind, but build it her win Scotland, with manufacturing jobs, engineering, building on the skills that we have here. Promoting Scotland abroad. Scottish business abroad, and attract investment needed for jobs here – good jobs – in Scotland. 

Step 6 – Jobs and opportunities for young people 

Training people for the future. For the jobs, and the work and lives they’re actually going to live. Making sure that young people are actually going to get the apprenticeships they need. Support first time buyers. Work with Anas to create 50,000 Scottish jobs in clean energy. 

So this election is the chance for change, the chance for renewal, the chance for Scotland and Britain to go forward. 

A new generation of Scots on Labour government benches. Working with me, for Scotland, and delivering for Scotland. I believe Scotland can lead the way and lead the change. 

Stop the chaos, turn the page, rebuild.

Make sure you take that chance, make sure you vote Labour. Thank you.