Extra cash for Scotland under a Labour government could fund a £1300 pay rise for public sector workers and provide free school meals for every child, Richard Leonard claims today.
The Scottish Labour leader identified money from Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto to fund the inflation busting increase.
Leonard, launching the Scottish party’s manifesto in Glasgow, will say public sector pay should be restored to pre-financial crisis levels starting with a five per cent increase.
It would mean £1700 for a teacher in Scotland, while a Band 5 nurse could get £1300, which is the average public wage across the country.
Someone earning the average £26,802 wage would go up to £28,142.
Leonard said: “For too long Scotland’s public sector workers have seen their cost of living rise without their wages keeping up, that’s why it is time to deliver an inflation busting pay rise.”
The school meals policy could benefit 700,000 children currently at primary and secondary schools - if Scottish Labour get into power at Holyrood in 2021.
It would be funded from £190 million a year, with an extra £25 million one-off payment for infrastructure.
Under Labour, it would cover holidays and weekends at the cost of £41 million a year.
Leonard said: “Children should not be put in a position where they are left behind through no fault of their own and through no fault of their family.”
Corbyn can make pledges to make immediate changes in England but the Scottish Government controls large areas of spending on devolved areas such as education and public sector pay.
Labour are effectively challenging the SNP to use the money, or explain why they don’t want to.
The promises are also Scottish Labour election pledges for the 2021 Holyrood vote.
Yesterday, Corbyn promised a bumper £100 billion package over a decade.
Some of the money comes from so-called Barnett funds which come to Scotland to offset spending commitments only in England.
