Scotland central to Labour mission for government - Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to make Scotland "central to the mission" of a Labour government.

The Labour leader told voters in Glasgow that it needed to be a "leading voice", at his Scottish campaign launch for the 4 July election.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier criticised the SNP's record, on a visit to Scotland on Thursday.

But Scotland's Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the election would allow the SNP to outline "a real prospectus for change".

Sir Keir was joined by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar at an event in the Glasgow's Gorbals area.

The party pledged to stabilise the economy, protect workers and create "tens of thousands of jobs" by basing a new publicly-owned power company, called Great British Energy, in Scotland.

Sire Keir said: "This is going to be a change election, but there isn't any change without Scotland.

"Scotland is central to my mission to change Britain for the better.

"There's no Labour without Scotland."

Labour, which currently has two Scottish MPs, are ahead in the opinion polls overall and could stand to win 35 seats in Scotland.

Sir Keir also criticised the SNP and its call to "send a message" to Westminster.

He said there would be not be a deal between the parties "under any circumstances".

Sir Keir told the audience the Labour Party had been put back in the service of working people.

He added: "We're a changed party and we now have the opportunity to kick the Tories out but you have to take that opportunity by voting Labour."

Mr Sarwar told the audience Scotland was desperate for a general election and "crying out for change".

The Glasgow MSP said: "Every vote for Scottish Labour is a vote to get rid of the Tories, a vote to maximise Scotland's influence and a vote to deliver the change Scotland needs."

Meanwhile, the Scottish Greens also launched their own campaign in Glasgow, with the party pledging to have a record 31 candidates in Scotland.

Co-leader Patrick Harvie said Keir Starmer was “not ready to make any clear commitments” on his vision for the country.

He added: “In particular, the investment that’s needed to reverse nearly a decade and a half of Tory austerity is not going to come from Labour."

He criticised the Conservatives for “ripping up its climate policies” and Labour for “dumping” plans to invest £28bn a year in the green economy.

He also said the SNP was “reverting to type and trying to face both ways”.

“When Greens are in the room, that puts climate and nature on the agenda,” he said.

Earlier, speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the election had been announced during a "really good period of unity" for the SNP.

It follows the unopposed election last month of First Minister John Swinney as the party's new leader.

She said: "I think the campaign offers us the chance to set out a real prospectus for change and not just the Westminster consensus that flips from Tories and Labour.

"As John Swinney said yesterday, a Labour government is usually followed by a Tory government which tends to last longer."

Ms Forbes said rural Scotland was struggling with exports due to Brexit and people needed SNP MPs who would stand up for them in Westminster.

"My message is that you can count on the SNP to stand up for rural Scotland, we understand it and we will always have your back," she added.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister accused the SNP of being “out of touch” with Scots on a campaign trip to Nigg Port near Inverness

Rishi Sunak said the SNP had an “obsession” with independence that was a risk “to the integrity of our union”.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, visiting Thainstone Centre in Aberdeenshire, predicted a “very good result” for Tory MPs in Scotland.

He said: “In key seats up and down the country, people know it’s a straight choice between the Scottish Conservatives or the SNP.

“If people want the focus of their MP to be on their local priorities rather than independence then they can unite behind the Scottish Conservatives."

Mr Ross also said he would bring forward a vote at Holyrood next week urging the SNP's Michael Matheson to resign as an MSP.

On Thursday, John Swinney said he would not support a committee's recommendation to ban the former health secretary from Holyrood for 27 days for racking up an £11,000 bill on his parliament iPad.

Mr Ross said: “John Swinney must show leadership and kick him out of the SNP and support our calls to have a by-election in Falkirk West on the same day as the general election.”

Elsewhere, Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said that his party would increase taxes on social media giants - to fund improved mental health services and relieve the pressure on GPs.

He also called for more transparency in government, including an accountability bill that would "end government by WhatsApp".

The Edinburgh Western MSP said: "The Lib Dems want to clean up our politics, both at Holyrood and Westminster."

He hailed the party's success in the most recent local elections, adding: "We're back, we're in business and people are coming to us in numbers."