It’s been one year since Scotland voted for change. We turned Scottish politics on its head, booted the Tories out of government and elected a Labour government with 37 Scottish Labour MPs at its heart.

The difference a Labour Government makes has been clear. We have decisively ended the era of Tory austerity, delivering record funding for Scotland.

We have delivered a pay rise for 200,000 of the lowest paid Scots and introduced legislation to provide the greatest boost to workers’ rights in a generation.

We have restored economic stability after years of Tory chaos and overseen four interest rate cuts, helping to lower mortgages by an average of £1000 a year.

We have set up a publicly-owned GB Energy company here in Scotland so that we can reap the benefits of the green revolution. But Scotland is still being held back by a failing SNP government.

The SNP runs our NHS and it is fighting for survival. In England waiting lists are falling as a result of Labour’s action, but in Scotland they’re not. The SNP is responsible for housing and Scotland is in the grips of a housing emergency.

Angela Rayner is driving forward a game-changing programme of planning reforms and housebuilding, but SNP ministers are sitting on their hands. The SNP runs our schools and they are slipping down the international league tables.

The SNP runs our justice system and it is stretched to breaking point. The SNP runs our transport system and it is in chaos.

The SNP received record funding from the Labour government but managed to create a blackhole of almost £5bn in Scotland’s finances.

The list goes on and on. Almost all of what is broken in Scotland is run by the SNP.

For years the Tories provided the SNP with cover for their own failures but that doesn’t hold anymore. Labour has turned the page on Tory austerity and put an end to its economic chaos.

The SNP has the powers and it has the money – it just lacks the ambition. After almost two decades in charge, the SNP has simply run out of steam. This is a tired government with no positive vision and no new ideas.

At the Scottish Parliament election next year, Scotland will face a direct choice - more managed decline with an SNP government led by John Swinney or a new direction with a Scottish Labour government led by me.

We cannot afford a third decade of the SNP. We need a Scottish Government with a plan to rebuild our NHS so Scots can count on it in their hour of need.

We need a Scottish Government that will do right by the next generation and create opportunities for all. We need a Scottish Government that will end waste and treat public money with respect.

That’s what Scottish Labour will deliver. I’m ready to lead a Scottish Labour government that will renew our public services, bolster our economy and give Scotland the NHS it deserves.

Legal aid system on 'verge of collapse'

Eyebrows were raised last week when it emerged that former SNP CEO Peter Murrell will receive legal aid at taxpayer expense after being charged with embezzlement. Putting the political drama aside, this episode shines a light on an important issue.

Legal aid is a lifeline for many Scots, from women fleeing abusive relationships to families seeking the truth in Fatal Accident Inquiries.

It is a fundamental part of our legal system – a way to make sure that access to justice isn’t determined by wealth. It is how we ensure that the principle of equality under the law is upheld in practice as well as on paper.

But the system is on the brink of collapse under the SNP. The Law Society of Scotland has warned that ‘legal aid deserts’ are growing as lawyers move away from a broken system, and looming strikes threaten to make a bad picture worse.

If the SNP fails to fix this crisis it will cause chaos in the courts and deprive Scots of the legal representation they are entitled to.

We cannot tolerate a system where your income is a barrier to justice. Peter Murrell has been able to access legal aid in his hour of need – but too many people can’t and that's not good enough

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