- Ian Murray

The country is desperate for change and desperate to remove the Tories from office. But that will only happen if people vote for Labour candidates.

The overwhelming message from everyone I’ve spoken with across the country is “we want change”, but if you want it you have to vote for it.

In Scotland, every Scottish Labour MP elected will not only help ensure the Tories are trounced, but ensure that Scotland’s voice is at the heart of government.

If we have the immense privilege of serving the people, we will get straight to work to tackle the Tory cost-of-living crisis and slash bills.

This includes cutting energy bills through a green prosperity plan, which will deliver cheaper, cleaner power and insulate thousands of homes.

We will boost pay with a New Deal for Working People, which will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and give a pay rise to 200,000 of the lowest-paid Scots

We will deliver economic stability and growth, in order to keep taxes, inflation and mortgages as low as possible. And we will create jobs and opportunities, including 69,000 clean energy jobs in Scotland.

In recent years, the Tories have gambled with the economy while the SNP squandered billions in public money – and it’s working Scots, you, who have paid the price.

Employers have also been let down. Earlier this week I took part in an Edinburgh hustings for business leaders, where I had the opportunity to outline Labour’s firm focus on economic growth.

Growth is vitally important because it enables employers to invest more and create jobs, while producing more revenue in taxation for our stretched public services.

It’s important to be honest about the scale of the financial challenges that Labour will inherit after years of Tory chaos.

We won’t make promises we can’t deliver – that isn’t fair to voters. That’s why our manifesto is fully costed, and a realistic blueprint that we will put into action if elected next week.

In stark contrast, the SNP has produced a fantasy manifesto. The nationalists’ document commits to £95 billion in new unfunded spending.

The seven biggest spending commitments alone would cost £134 billion, yet the party has only put forward measures to raise an additional £39 billion. It is an extraordinary miscalculation and betrays a complete misunderstanding of basic finances.

The SNP’s plans would add £17 billion to the UK’s debt interest payment at a time when they are taxing nurses and teachers like never before.

So I have written to Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes to seek an answer from her about the impact of this – and I look forward to her reply.

But as Kate herself said at the hustings we were at together, the SNP can’t form the next UK government.

This is a straight fight between Labour and the Tories. And at this election, it is a straight choice between a Labour government that delivers the change our country needs, or another five years of the same.

With just one week to go, the exciting opportunity for change is edging closer and closer. It’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss.