Don't believe the polls. Why the Scottish election is all to play for
With a fifth of Scots undecided about who to vote for, opinion polls may be under-estimating support for a new government
Over the past six weeks, I have been knocking thousands of doors in my constituency. From winter conditions to glorious sunshine – there is no place I would rather be than in my constituency. It is fair to say that many voters are sceptical of politicians after two decades of the SNP promising the world but failing to deliver.
The free school bags the SNP are offering children this time will no doubt be some compensation for the free bikes they are still waiting on since 2021. However, more gimmicks and sticking-plaster approaches will not cut it with fed-up voters. They want change that they can see and feel in their everyday lives.
SNP veteran John Swinney has focused on turning out supporters of independence, for whom this single issue trumps the state of the country’s hospitals and schools, and growing the economy. And wherever possible, he has blamed Westminster and hidden from the record of his own government.
Reject the politics of division
But this election is not about Keir Starmer or passing judgment on two years of a UK Government. It is not a protest or another score for Nigel Farage. This election is about our schools, our hospitals, our communities, and the opportunities available to our young people and families. It is a chance to reject the politics of division and come together to improve our country.
After 20 years in power, the SNP’s record is clear: rising NHS waiting lists, falling standards in our schools, a housing emergency with more than 10,000 homeless children, and communities that feel less safe.
Given the chance, Scottish Labour will fix the mess, get the basics right, and build a better future – because this is not as good as it gets. We will ensure our NHS is there when you need it by cutting waiting lists, ending the 8am rush for a GP appointment, and bringing back the family doctor.
We will make life affordable and create jobs, reduce childcare costs, end the waste, and back business to create jobs. We will deliver 9,000 new apprenticeships, raise school standards and set our young people up to succeed. We will put police back where they belong on the streets and end the SNP’s soft touch on crime.
We will build 125,000 new homes, make rent more affordable, help first-time buyers and end rough sleeping. And we will fill the potholes, restore high streets and invest in our local economies.
Polls at odds with doorsteps
The polls do not reflect my experience on the doorsteps and this is reflected in Scottish Labour’s data for constituencies across Scotland.
The majority of people are sick of the SNP and, with a fifth of Scots still undecided, there is all to play for.
This week, we have the chance to end the SNP’s decades of managed decline and change the government here in Scotland. It’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss.
Jackie Baillie is the Scottish Labour party's candidate for the Dumbarton constituency, deputy party leader and spokesperson for health and social care
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