Sir Keir Starmer has been the leader of the Labour Party since April 2020, following the resignation of Jeremy Corbyn after his humiliating defeat to Boris Johnson at the Labour's defeat at the 2019 general election.
The former Chief Prosecutor is now preparing to fight his first election as leader, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Britain would be going to the polls on Thursday, July 4.
Here are 10 things he’s said about Scotland.
5. Sir Keir Starmer on...trust
"“Working people I speak with have their doubts – and that’s putting it mildly. From Kirkcaldy to Glasgow, Inverness to Rutherglen, they all tell me how little trust they have in politics to change things for them. And, if I’m totally frank, this extends to my Labour Party. Countless people tell me they support Labour values. Yet they remain unconvinced that we – or, for that matter, Britain itself – still offer the way forward for Scotland or their community." | Getty Images
!["We will set up a proper national champion, Great British Energy, [and] we will grow the industries of tomorrow here. And because it’s right for jobs, because it’s right for investing in our communities, and because it’s right for national security, GB Energy will be publicly owned. And let me also be clear, GB Energy will be a shared project owned by all four nations on these islands. So we will set up a governance structure that will protect its long-term future. Whoever is in power in Westminster, whoever is in power in Holyrood, this will be the driving force for a new Britain.”](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/24/14/22/GettyImages-2149668211.jpg.jpg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
6. Sir Keir Starmer on...setting up a Scottish-based public energy company
"We will set up a proper national champion, Great British Energy, [and] we will grow the industries of tomorrow here. And because it’s right for jobs, because it’s right for investing in our communities, and because it’s right for national security, GB Energy will be publicly owned. And let me also be clear, GB Energy will be a shared project owned by all four nations on these islands. So we will set up a governance structure that will protect its long-term future. Whoever is in power in Westminster, whoever is in power in Holyrood, this will be the driving force for a new Britain.” | Getty Images
7. Sir Keir Starmer on...the Scottish oil industry
"Communities depend on it – the jobs it provides, good jobs for working people, they’re precious," | Getty Images
8. Sir Keir Starmer on...Scottish voters
"I also want to have a frank conversation with the Scottish people about what is happening in their communities and how we can restore people’s trust in Labour as a force for good and a force for change.” | Getty Images