Keir Starmer’s Government has finally woken up to the fact that making people better off should be their defining mission.
It’s about time. The early days of the Labour administration were ruined by ludicrous decisions that took money away from voters.
The move to slash winter fuel payments for the elderly was a disaster and a promise to reduce energy bills has been painfully slow to deliver.
These early missteps damaged Labour and they have never fully recovered.
So the announcement yesterday by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves of a series of measures to boost families and tackle the cost-of-living crisis are welcome.
A temporary cut to VAT for attending theme parks, zoos and museums will help families enjoy the summer holidays with their kids.
Cuts to import taxes on some basic foods under a “Great British Summer Savings” campaign will also help voters.
These types of initiative are also the best way to combat Reform. Nigel Farage is portraying the Labour Government as being full of elites ramming their woke agenda down people’s throats.
The best way of challenging this bogus narrative is to focus on bread and butter issues that raise living standards.
But it is tragic these policies have come AFTER the Scottish elections.
Had UK Labour got a grip earlier that would have helped Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar take the fight to the SNP.
As it was, he was fighting an uphill battle and John Swinney’s SNP simply swatted away Labour’s challenge.
Starmer’s Government must now hit the reset button and draw a line under their disappointing two years in office.
Failure to do so will lead to Farage becoming prime minister – a disaster for working people. Scots feel broke and want more money to make their lives easier.
Reeves’ announcement was a good start but must be the beginning of bolder changes.
TV show Outlander is loved around the globe for its depiction of Scotland as a swashbuckling land full of hunky heroes in kilts.
But it seems the modern reality of has proved to be less of a hit with the stars of the show.
Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire Fraser in the long-running series, described the Lanarkshire town of Shotts as an “armpit” after filming there turned into her “worst experience” on set.
Now locals have invited Caitriona to visit the town again to form a better impression of their village.
Shotts has a world-class pipe band among many other attractions – so she could even meet a few hunks in kilts to match her on-screen love interest Jamie Fraser.
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