Acting Scottish Labour leader Jackie Baillie has accused the SNP of lying to voters over the promised Monklands hospital, saying official advice to cancel it was given months before the election while the party continued to campaign on it. Writing in the Daily Record, she said government papers showed the advice was given in March, yet Neil Gray, then Health Secretary and local MSP, had pledged on social media throughout the campaign that the hospital would be delivered.
Baillie, who is acting leader while her party chooses a new one, said the issues of the cost of living, the NHS and public safety have not gone away. Weeks after the election, the hospital project was cancelled, officially because of new expert guidance. She said: "This is shocking that they lied to voters."
National Care Service and Burnham plans
Baillie also criticised the SNP's record on care, noting she had advocated for a National Care Service since 2011 against SNP opposition. After the pandemic, the SNP agreed in principle, but then spent years paying consultants for a plan that did nothing, she said. She added that despite offering to work with them, the SNP did not listen and their plans were filed in the bin.
She welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plans to tackle the crisis in care, alongside his earlier proposals to cut energy bills and relieve VAT on pubs and clubs, saying it was vital to learn lessons from the SNP's failed plans.
Cairngorms wildfires and fire service cuts
On the wildfires in the Cairngorms National Park, Baillie said locals, particularly in Nethy Bridge which was evacuated, blame the Scottish Government for a slow response. She argued the priority is to ensure fire and rescue services are properly supported and resourced.
She said SNP cuts had taken £900m from fire and rescue budgets, reduced available equipment, and led to more than 1,200 job losses. With the threat of summer wildfires now clear, she called for the cuts to end.
Commonwealth Games
Baillie also praised the opening week of the Commonwealth Games, describing eight medals in five hours as an incredible display of Scotland's best.
