Education comes before referendums - Ian Murray
After a week in which it emerged that Scottish pupils continue to trail their peers in England in reading, science and maths, you might have expected Scotland's First Minister to be fully focused on boosting attainment in our schools.
Instead, he was to be found in Cardiff, yet again attempting to reboot the debate on the constitution, a debate that has got us nowhere and has led to the real issues that face people being ignored. It has led to our once world-leading education system plummeting down the international league tables.
I’ll be clear: I do not support the calls for another referendum. In 2024 I was elected on a manifesto to oppose another referendum, as were another 36 Scottish Labour MPs across Scotland and I will continue to do so.
The Scottish Government’s focus should instead be on using the vast powers already available through devolution more effectively to improve outcomes in areas like health, education, crime and transport.
The devolution settlement provides significant powers and responsibilities, but all too often the SNP has neglected to use these powers to their full extent, instead preferring to stir up grievance and blame their own failures on Westminste, running Scotland down deliberately to support their case. My priority and that of the UK Labour Government is to work constructively with the Scottish Government to deliver tangible improvements for people: raising living standards, supporting local services and ensuring our economy works for everyone, rather than returning to prolonged constitutional debate.
That’s why we have provided the Scottish Government with £12bn in additional resources since July 2024 for Scottish public services.
The memorandum signed by the First Minister in Cardiff claims to want ‘greater ambition’ for Scotland, but when it comes to the public services Scots depend on every day, what is striking is his government’s lack of ambition. Because while the First Minister postures in Cardiff, the real problems Scots face are being forgotten about.
Take the pupil attainment scores I referred to at the top of this article, for example. The annual PISA study of reading, science and maths scores across developed countries shows that Scottish children are lagging far behind their English counterparts in these crucial areas.
The Scottish education system was once the envy of the world. I know first-hand how committed and hard-working teachers and school staff are, and how talented and bright Scotland's young people are, but both are being failed by a Scottish Government that seems to have no ambition for our children and no curiosity about what has gone wrong.
Indeed, the Cabinet Secretary for Education’s response to the scores was shockingly complacent, bordering on dismissive.
Meanwhile, on health, recent figures show that the SNP’s 2017 pledge to deliver 800 more GPs by 2027 is woefully off target, with only an additional 300 being delivered in the last 9 years. In 2026, the number of Whole Time Equivalent GPs in Scotland remains lower than in 2013.
Being able to see your GP, standards in schools: these are the things that really matter to people. I will continue to make the case that the SNP should ditch the renewed push for a debate on the constitution and instead try and get the basics right. After their dismal record in government, that would really be charting a new course for Scotland.