This general election is the time for change - vote Labour to turf out vile Tories who shattered public trust

Like all great election campaign slogans, Labour’s has managed to sum up the overwhelming mood of the nation in four small words ... it’s time for change.

Heaven help us if it’s not delivered in today’s General Election. We’re crossing all our fingers, toes and everything else in between that Labour win today and Keir Starmer becomes the next prime minister tomorrow.

Rarely in British politics has a government deserved to be turfed out of power more than this appalling Tory rabble. The Conservatives have become a byword for corruption and sleaze, and have shattered trust in our public servants.

But Rishi Sunak’s ejection from Downing Street will only happen if Scots vote. A Labour win here will be a big step to consigning the Tory government to history and putting the country on a new path.

The last 14 years of Tory rule have driven a wedge between Scots and Westminster. It was David Cameron who imposed austerity, taking money out of people’s pockets and slashing public services.

Social security cuts undermined the safety net many rely on and ushered in an era of cruelty. Not content with that, the Tories then forced Brexit on Scotland.

Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Sunak have made the cost of living crisis worse through their despicable economic policies. Westminster has been a hotbed of incompetence, recklessness and deceit, so it is no surprise many have turned to independence.

But the reason we are backing Labour for the first time since 2010 is Keir Starmer has an agenda that will reconnect Westminster to ordinary Scots. His plan for GB Energy, headquartered in Scotland, will create tens of thousands of jobs and motor the UK’s transition to clean energy.

A genuine living wage will give a pay boost to 200,000 Scots at a time when Tory-inspired inflation and interest rate rises have hammered our wallets. Starmer’s plan to boost workers’ rights is also something the Record supports.

Holyrood, which has been badly undermined by successive Tory Governments, will receive extra cash if Starmer wins. His plan to end the ludicrous non-dom status, from which Sunak’s wife benefited, and slap VAT on private school fees will deliver a boost for the NHS and schools.

But these improvements should be the bare minimum if Labour wants to secure the long-term trust of Scots. When the economy grows, so too must Starmer’s ambition.

He has said cutting child poverty will be a priority for his government and his cabi

net needs to back up their words with action. The proceeds of economic growth must be used to dismantle hateful Tory welfare policies.

That means an end to the bedroom tax and the vile two-child benefit cap. He should also take seriously Gordon Brown’s plan for a £1billion fund to change the lives of the poorest children. Starmer has impressed us with his decency and his transformation of Labour, but the Record is not giving him a blank cheque.

There is no guarantee we will support Labour at the 2026 Holyrood election and Starmer has two years to prove he can have a positive impact. The election will be over at 10pm and the time to deliver starts tomorrow morning.

Scots should be confident a vote for Labour will result in the economy and public services becoming significantly better. So much of what we value in society has come about through previous Labour governments. Clement Attlee gave us an NHS and social security system based on need.

Tony Blair delivered a national minimum wage, a multi-billion-pound tax credit system, devolution and the expansion of higher education. Gordon Brown helped save the UK economy during the global financial crash.

Progress does not happen by accident and requires intervention by centre-left governments acting in the public interest. It is also a fact that Scottish Labour MPs had a big influence on the progress made by the Attlee and Blair governments.

Labour winning in Scotland will ensure Starmer keeps his promise of our country being the “beating heart” of his government. The election has also thrown a spotlight on the record of the SNP government. They’ve had the wrong priorities of late and are likely to lose seats to Labour.

However, we have also called on Scots to vote SNP in Tory seats and hope John Swinney’s party helps ensure Scotland is free of Conservative MPs. But this election is about kicking out the Tories and replacing them with a progressive and credible administration.

Only Labour can form an alternative government and turn the corner on an ugly chapter of UK history. Starmer needs a thumping majority to give him the power to implement a bold and radical agenda.

He needs a big win to send a signal that what the Tories have done over the last 14 dismal years is unacceptable. We urge Scots to vote Labour and seize a brighter future with both hands.

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