Labour's Anas Sarwar reveals whether he would keep free prescriptions and university tuition as first minister

The Scottish Labour leader has confirmed a list of SNP policies brought forward at Holyrood he would retain if he forms the next Scottish Government next year. But he has warned the policies alone are not enough to offer the public, claiming there is a “need to do much more to improve outcomes for Scots”.

Mr Sarwar has seen the prospect of him forming the next government cut in the polls after his Labour colleagues at Westminster have had a difficult time selling their policy programme and economic strategy to the public, across the UK and in Scotland.

Speaking in the run up to the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow later this month, Mr Sarwar said: “Over the 25 years of devolution, successive Scottish governments of different political parties have introduced a range of measures that symbolise some of the real successes of devolution.

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“When my party was last in government in Scotland, we introduced the ground-breaking policy of free personal care and the current government scrapped prescription charges for Scots.

“A Scottish Labour-led government refused to introduce tuition fees on Scottish students and this has been maintained by following governments.

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“Scottish Labour was proud to introduce free bus passes for older and disabled people in Scotland, which has since been expanded and now also enables free travel for Scotland’s young people.

“These polices, alongside others including the Scottish Child Payment, baby box and free school lunches, have been a success and would be maintained by a government that I lead.”

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He added: “These are important policies that an incoming Scottish Labour government will maintain, but we also need to do much more to improve outcomes for Scots.

“Free prescriptions are welcome, but they need to be tied to better health outcomes, and free tuition is positive but we need to make sure the education on offer is world class for all.

“That’s why a Scottish Labour government will never use these positive policy decisions as fig leaves to hide poor outcomes for Scots and that is why Scottish Labour will set out its plans for better outcomes for every Scot.”