Scottish election 2021: Labour recovery plans would create 170,000 jobs in Scotland

Labour’s economic recovery plans would lead to the creation of 170,000 jobs in Scotland, Anas Sarwar and Sir Keir Starmer have said.

The party has proposed a number of job-creating schemes ahead of May’s Scottish Parliament election.

These include a “jobs for recovery” plan where every Scot who has struggled to find work is guaranteed a job for at least six months – something Labour says will lead to around 60,000 posts.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Picture: Jessica Taylor /UK Parliament/Getty Images

At the end of January, 360,000 Scots were furloughed and the most recent figures show a drop in the employment rate.

The party also aims to create 19,000 jobs through a new programme of social home building, 7,500 roles through energy efficiency upgrade work, a 10,000-strong Scottish Conservation Corps and 48,000 jobs through a kickstart scheme.

Labour says there would be a total of around 170,000 roles across the nine schemes it proposes.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “This election in Scotland cannot be about old arguments or personalities – the pandemic has shown us that too much is at risk.

“That is why Scottish Labour’s plan is the only thing on offer with the scale of ambition needed to start Scotland’s recovery from this pandemic.

“Neither Nicola Sturgeon nor Boris Johnson can deliver what is needed to protect lives and livelihoods in the coming months.

“Scotland deserves better than they can offer.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar added: “Scotland is facing a job crisis and without urgent action, we could see hundreds of thousands of people facing a future out of work.

“Scotland deserves a brighter future – that’s why at this election we’ve set out plans to create at least 170,000 jobs in Scotland.

“That includes a guarantee for every young person or unemployed person to have a job and it is the biggest job creation scheme in the history of devolution.

“Scottish Labour will put national recovery before all else and will focus on what unites us, not what divides us.”

The economic recovery plan was released as new polling out on Friday morning suggested around two thirds of Labour Party members backed a second independence referendum and around a third believed Scotland should become independent.