Labour would give every Scot £75 to spend in shops to boost high street recovery

Scottish Labour are offering everyone in Scotland £75 to spend in non-food retail in an attempt to boost the high street recovery after coronavirus lockdowns.

Party leader Anas Sarwar said the policy could help save the nation’s retailers from further pain, as he fights to oust SNP from power in the Holyrood election campaign.

Under the £341m pledge, all Scots over the age of 16 would be given a prepaid card for use in a non-food store, which would be time limited for six months.

Any cash left over from the scheme would be donated to food banks across Scotland, according to Scottish Labour.

Mr Sarwar said the benefits would be felt by the public as non-essential retail reopens in the weeks ahead, while also supporting businesses forced to spend months shuttered over the past year.

“The last year has been tough for us all,” he said. “But amid the hope of an end to the public health emergency, we must recognise that Scotland still faces a job crisis.

“Without urgent and ambitious action in towns across this country, hundreds of thousands of people face a future out of work – with empty town centres hollowing out once vibrant communities.”

He added: “But it doesn’t have to be that way … we have it in our power to act. This is bold and ambitious thinking to aid our economic recovery and get Scotland back on track.”

The Labour leader also pledged to help the tourism sector, by offering a government-subsidised third night’s holiday stay which could be used in hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and other forms of accommodation.

The £90m fund would be accompanied by a £5m advertisement campaign promoting Scotland as a holiday destination – both of which Labour says would be covered by Barnett consequentials coming to Scotland from Westminster.

Mr Sarwar said: “This scheme would invite people from across the UK to visit every corner of our beautiful country, saving jobs and creating a lifelong love of Scotland.”

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Recent polls show Scottish Labour faces an uphill battle to have any chance of ousting the SNP from government in Edinburgh.

Most recent surveys have put Nicola Sturgeon’s party on course to win a narrow majority at Holyrood, ready to form another pro-independence alliance with the Scottish Greens to push for a referendum on separation.

The latest Savanta ComRes poll puts Scottish Labour on 18 per cent support in the constituency vote, on course to take 23 seats at Holyrood – one fewer than the party has currently.

Mr Sarwar has dismissed calls from Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross for the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems to form a political coalition in Scotland to thwart the “threat of independence”.

On Thursday Mr Ross suggested that Conservative supporters should vote for Labour candidates if they have the best chance of stopping the SNP in a particular constituency.

Pressed on whether he was really advocating that Tories vote Labour in some areas, Mr Ross replied: “I’ve just said – vote for the strongest party to stop the SNP.”