Sarwar puts NHS at centre of Scottish Labour’s 2026 pitch, pledging to end 08:00 GP scramble
Anas Sarwar put the NHS at the heart of Scottish Labour’s election appeal on Monday, unveiling a manifesto in Edinburgh that promises to end the 08:00 rush for GP appointments, cut waiting times and strip out bureaucracy in the health service ahead of the 7 May Holyrood election.
Positioning the vote as a choice between “more of the same with the SNP or change with Scottish Labour,” the party leader said the SNP had “lost their way” after nearly two decades in office. “They’ve had 20 years, I’m asking you to give me five,” he told supporters, adding that, as a former dentist, fixing the NHS was “personal” to him.
The manifesto sets out plans to negotiate a new contract with GPs to free up appointments, use spare capacity in the NHS to reduce waiting times, and cut administration by reducing the number of health board areas from 14 to three. Labour also pledged a new emergency mental health response service and mental health support workers in GP practices, alongside an NHS app, AI scanners in hospitals and new screening programmes.
Sarwar’s pitch comes amid sustained pressure on waiting lists. The number of waits longer than a year for planned hospital appointments or procedures has been falling since July, but the Scottish government missed its target to eradicate long waits by the end of March, with more than 44,000 such cases recorded.
“Patients and staff can’t risk a third decade of the SNP in government,” Sarwar said. Beyond health, Labour pledged childcare tax breaks for parents, a programme to fix potholes and a move to lift the Scottish government’s block on new nuclear power.
Launching the wider platform, Sarwar said it aimed to make life more affordable, support young people, build more homes and back Scottish jobs and businesses, while ensuring government “respects your money and focuses on the things that matter.” Sarwar presented himself as the main rival to Swinney to become Scotland’s next first minister, despite his party lagging behind the SNP in the polls.
He told reporters he looked forward “to proving you all wrong” on 7 May. Addressing energy costs, Sarwar said that if prices continue to rise due to the war in Iran, his government would deliver a £100 million emergency support package, including loans for energy‑intensive industries, bulk buying fuel to bring down prices and crisis grants and loans for households.
With the campaign entering its final stretch, Labour is banking on a health‑first message to sway undecided voters, arguing it can deliver faster access to care and a leaner system within the next parliamentary term.