Can Labour 'absolutely' overtake the SNP for Holyrood 2026?
'We won in Scotland last year and we won well,' she said.
But a lot has happened since that big win at the General Election over a year ago.
It's been only a matter of weeks since her government's spectacular unravelling of plans for the benefits system and the Chancellor could now be left at risk of breaking her own fiscal rules amid trade wars, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned.
So, what's her cause for confidence?
Well, other than not wanting to appear weak, the Chancellor claims it is because of how UK Labour are delivering for Scotland.
READ MORE:
Chancellor refuses comment on rape clause fairness
Chancellor faces fiscal risks and 'significant challenges' amid trade war – IMF
'Transport boost' expected during Reeves' trip to Scotland
At the Rolls Royce plant in Inchinnan on Friday, she got on her safety goggles to prove that a focus on defence was crucial.
The Chancellor told journalists that morning Rolls Royce joins other companies across the country like Babcok in Rosyth who are benefiting from the Labour government's investment in the defence sector.
It's estimated the government will spend over 2.6% of GDP in the industry in 2027.
'Good jobs and prosperity' mixed in with the ability to say the SNP did not back this funding appears to be a winning strategy for Ms Reeves.
But evidence of this being successful remains to be seen as Labour is consistently trailing behind the [[SNP]] in the most recent polls for Holyrood 2026.
Following the Chancellor's visit, pollster Scott Edgar from Diffley Partnership told The Herald the path to victory for Labour in Scotland looks "steep" but they have been comforted by one recent win.
The senior research manager said: "Labour continues to trail the SNP in national polling, and the path to forming a government at Holyrood remains a steep one.
"If the election were held now then the strong likelihood is that the SNP would be the largest party, albeit a long way short of having a majority. However, the recent by-election result in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will have offered Labour encouragement which they will hope can give them some much needed momentum.
"We are still 9 months out from the election and if Labour can carry any momentum forward, there may yet be an opportunity to move the dial nationally."
At the start of this month, an Ipsos poll suggested the SNP is currently leading on Scottish Parliament voting intentions, with 34% of voters saying they would vote for the party.
Meanwhile, Labour have fallen out of favour with many Scottish voters while in government at Westminster, with 22% now saying they would vote for the party, 13 points lower than the party achieved last July.
In contrast, Reform UK are very much on the up, with a 16% vote share putting them 9 points higher than the 7% they achieved at the General Election.
UK Labour's leadership is also not going down well north of the border.
Keir Starmer's approval rating among Scots is at an all-time low as he marks one year as Prime Minister, according to the polling.
Only 22% of the Scottish public are satisfied with the way Starmer is doing his job, giving him a net-satisfaction rating of -42 in Scotland.
And it is not just amongst the public where discontent lies but within the Prime Minister's own ranks. The recent internal party split over welfare reforms left Labour MPs critical of the leadership from 10 Downing Street.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
27 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Trump agrees US-EU trade deal avoiding tariff war in Turnberry talks with Von der Leyen
A deal was struck after European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen met with the US President at his golf resort in South Ayrshire. Donald Trump has announced a huge trade deal with the European Union worth more than $1.35 trillion (£1.05 trillion) after meeting European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire. The former US President said the agreement, struck during Von der Leyen's visit today, will see the EU buy $750bn of American energy and invest a further $600bn into the US economy. Trump told reporters: 'The European Union is going to agree to purchase from the United States $750 billion worth of energy. 'They are going to agree to invest into the United States $600 billion more than they're investing already. So they're investing a large amount of money. 'You know what that amount of money is, it's very substantial.' He added that all EU countries had agreed to open up their markets for zero-tariff trade with the US and to purchase 'a vast amount of military equipment,' calling the deal 'bigger than any other deal', reports the Mirror. Trump also revealed both sides had agreed to a 'straight across' 15% tariff on cars. 'I think that basically concludes the deal,' he said. Von der Leyen said the US and EU remain the world's biggest trading partners and described the talks as an attempt to 'rebalance' the multi-trillion-dollar relationship. Calling Trump 'a tough negotiator and dealmaker,' she added: 'I think it would be the biggest deal each of us has ever struck.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Trump described hosting Von der Leyen at his Scottish resort as 'an honour' and repeated his long-standing concerns about 'unfair' trade with Europe, warning that without an agreement, the US had been ready to impose 30% tariffs on EU imports. The agreement follows months of tense negotiations, with both sides previously threatening retaliatory tariffs on goods ranging from European cars and cheese to American beer and aircraft.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Two-tier policing is the nail in the coffin for Britain's social contract
Has a British Government ever appeared so terrified of its own people? More to the point, can you think of one that deserved it more? The social contract has been shredded. You go to work and pay your taxes for a state that seems to be crumbling into disrepair. In exchange, the Government takes your money, and uses it to fund an alleged secret scheme to fly in Taliban fighters to live on your street. But don't worry – we've got a new 'elite police squad' to prevent trouble. That police unit won't be patrolling your neighbourhood to keep you safe from harm. Rather, it will be tasked with scouring social media for protest pre-crime, monitoring your opinions for anti-migrant sentiment. The police might not have enough resources to deal with shoplifting. They might not have solved a single theft or burglary, or recover a stolen bike, across a third of England. But we are to believe they have resources for what really counts: scrutinising your views for wrongthink. The current state of affairs is so absurd that simply writing it down feels almost subversive. But each element is true: we do appear to have flown unvetted Taliban members into Britain. The Government really will be watching your posts for signs of dissent. This isn't some accident, some Civil Service blunder. It's by design. It truly appears that Labour's strategy is to impose ever more restrictions on the freedoms of the law-abiding, in the hope that eventually people will acquiesce with a resigned shrug. The problem is that it isn't working. The population is fed up with being punished for doing the right thing. The hectoring about slavery, imperialism, war and all the other iniquities of history used to justify sacrificing our comforts and liberties on the altar of mass migration is no longer having the desired effect. British citizens living today did not build the empire. They didn't enslave anyone. Why should they foot the bill for housing illegal migrants up in four star hotels in central London? Why should they put up with them working in the shadow economy? Unfortunately for the Government, the previously silent majority is beginning to vocally express its frustration. MPs and ministers are fearful that the country is becoming a 'tinderbox'. But even this isn't enough to convince them that we must change course. Why? Perhaps because doing so would be an admission of past failures. For decades we were told that mass migration was an unalloyed good while critics were denounced as bigots. To concede, after all this time, that it has not come without costs – at times intolerable costs – would be catastrophically damaging to the political class. The pro-migration fanatics, who promised to control numbers while throwing open our borders, who overrode objections to impose their policies despite what they were repeatedly being told at the ballot box, would be discredited. So instead, the state appears to be passing through the stages of grief. At first there was denial that people were worried about migration at all; Brexit had allowed us to be liberals. Then there was anger after Southport, with Starmer's denunciation of the 'thugs' taking to the streets. Now we seem to have reached bargaining: if we can stop people talking about it, perhaps they'll stop caring? It was a strategy that might have worked prior to the social media era, and in particular prior to Elon Musk's buyout of Twitter. Now, even the censorship of protest videos, arrest of people for incendiary content, and threat of mass scanning of output isn't sufficient to quell dissent. And though many of the protests now cropping up across Britain are peaceful, shows of police force are not enough to deter outside agitators from hijacking them. Tiff Lynch, the head of the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, last week warned that officers were being 'pulled in every direction' and commanders were 'forced to choose between keeping the peace at home or plugging national gaps'. Where do we go from here? As the costs of legal migration become apparent, with talk of labour market infusions and attracting the 'best and brightest' seeming increasingly hollow, overall numbers must be reduced. As the impact of illegal migration becomes clearer, the establishment must stop trying to guilt us into acceptance, and finally stop the influx. It's highly doubtful Yvette Cooper has the will or the way. The Home Secretary would prefer to silence opponents, by censoring and arresting those who speak out.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Readers discuss Corbyn's 'own goal', Doctor Who and gorilla costumes
Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments. The most significant thing that Jeremy Corbyn's new political party (Metro, Fri) is likely to achieve is dividing Labour's extreme left vote between two camps, which will reduce Labour's overall support, and therefore help more right-wing political parties such as the Conservatives and Reform gain traction before the next General Election. This should please rather than threaten 'the rich and powerful' he has vowed to 'take on'. As a football fan, Corbyn ought to know what is meant by scoring an own goal, but perhaps he doesn't. Robert Hughes, London I don't understand the furore about 16-year-olds being allowed to vote (MetroTalk, Tue). Regardless of whichever particular party is in power, MetroTalk will be full of letters asking why people voted for them. There will always be people unhappy with the government. Instead of the Opposition childishly trying to score points against whoever is in power, the only sensible solution would be for the government to be a Coalition, made up of members from every political party, working together for the good of the people instead of for themselves. Owen, London Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. If 16-year-olds get the vote they will probably be drawn to the Lib Dems, purely because Ed Davey's stunts are social media-friendly. Why bother with politics when you could be rolling downhill, strapped to a giant Wensleydale? Tess Kamara, via email Perhaps if 16- and 17-year-olds had been allowed to vote in the referendum, we wouldn't have been subjected to the debacle that is Brexit. Roger Smith, Witham Policemen are noticeable by their absence in most towns and cities and rarely bother turning up when a crime is reported – yet a reported 5,000 officers are suddenly available to protect a convicted felon from America on his visit to Turnberry in Scotland? Martin J Phillips, Leeds I agree with Kim from Hornchurch (MetroTalk, Wed) about the grossly misjudged decision by the school that didn't allow a student to wear a Union Jack dress. However, that's not at all the same as an adult approaching a school wearing a gorilla costume. For those who think it's OK for a father to go to his child's school in a gorilla costume, I suppose it would also be OK if a parent approached a school wearing a motorcycle helmet or maybe with a clown's face painted on? It's interesting how when someone is admonished for doing something stupid and inconsiderate, they jump on to the bandwagon of calling those who disagree with their actions 'woke'. Kehinde, London The recent incident involving Chris Napthine collecting his daughter from school in a gorilla costume reminds me of the Not The Nine O'Clock News sketch where Professor Timothy Fielding is describing his early experience with Gerald the Gorilla. Fielding says, 'When I first encountered Gerald, he was completely wild.' Gerald then replies, 'Wild? I was absolutely livid! Stephen Dugdale, Sheffield In Wednesday's Metro, on page seven, there were two tragic stories of women being stabbed to death by their ex partners. One perpetrator was jailed for a minimum of 28 years and the other 15 years. Where is the consistency? Malcolm Hair, Surrey John Coyne (MetroTalk, Wed), voiced concern about Doctor Who stories not being as good as they once were. I agree. Some of the recent series have been quite weak and I have sat watching, almost willing a decent storyline to appear. More Trending Sadly, the least effective Doctor in recent times was Jodie Whittaker. I had no issue with the character being female, but Jodie was completely unsuited to the role. There are many fine female actors who could have done a far superior job. I understand that ratings have been falling and I am not surprised. If the writers don't write decent episodes and soon, then it will not be long before the series is taken off air and it may not return for some 20 years, as was the case, a few years back. Ed Lewis, Mansfield MORE: British & Irish Lions won't settle for a Test series win over Australia with an historic clean sweep on the cards MORE: Huge plumes of smoke seen for miles as 20 tonnes of tyres go up in factory inferno MORE: Thief hides 76 bottles of stolen wine in wheelie bin and flees in tuk-tuk
