Scottish Labour’s manifesto contains a suite of measures which should resonate with voters.
Handing out £75 vouchers to spend in shops and £100 water rebates would boost spending power - always a popular move.
New leader Anas Sarwar has given his party a shot of self-confidence and the election is the first Holyrood poll Labour has enjoyed in years.
However, Sarwar’s rising popularity does not appear to be reflected in Labour’s standing in the polls.
Although they are eyeing second place, Labour could easily come third again and go backwards for the fifth Holyrood election in a row.
Good presentation skills cannot provide a solution to the problem that has dogged every Labour leader since the independence referendum. Scotland is split on the constitution and Labour cannot find a way to bridge that divide.
Sarwar is opposed to indyref2 and so he will always find it hard to reach the 50% of voters who support independence.
His positive tone is refreshingly different to the approach of some of his predecessors, but on substance he is still slamming the door on people who want another referendum.
Having a “clear” view on the constitution has its benefits, such as removing the need to constantly clarify a muddled position.
But it also inevitably limits your potential support base with a huge chunk of voters who have an equally clear, but fundamentally different, position.
Sarwar is having a better campaign than Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, but the pair of them are fighting for the same half-share of the electorate alongside the Lib Dems.
Just as Yes strategists should be devoting all their energies into wooing soft No supporters, so should the entire basis of Sarwar’s leadership be geared towards winning back voters lost to the SNP.
His current strategy - focusing on recovery - buys him a few years. Ultimately, however, he will hit the wall if he does not produce a medium term plan b.
Scottish Labour hopes a Keir Starmer win at the next general election will derail the SNP juggernaut. Polls suggest this could be forlorn hope.
Sarwar has barely been leader for two months and is under no pressure in this election. That will change if the SNP wins a majority as Labour’s position on indyref2 will come under increased scrutiny.
