Lamont is right to put focus back on children

In Edinburgh, Ms Lamont challenged her colleagues and the Scottish people to move beyond constitutional wrangling to work together to improve the quality of Scottish lives. She understands an overwhelming majority of people in Scotland, whether they voted Yes or No in the referendum, want a fairer, more prosperous Scotland. Yesterday she made her opening bid.

Ms Lamont's credentials on social justice and equality are beyond doubt. She has fought for them all her political life. She knows too that the keys to prosperity are good health and education, and particularly investment in early years education, so it was right and proper to put them at the heart of her opening gambit.

The NHS was thrust to the top of the agenda during the referendum campaign and while politicians argued about the best means of securing its future it's a safe bet to assume many people didn't and still don't know who to believe. Ms Lamont has tried to tackle that scepticism and doubt. She has suggested taking the long-term decisions over the NHS out of the hands of politicians and putting them in the hands of medical experts. She has proposed that politicians be bound by the findings of experts.

Superficially this has its attractions: what after all do politicians know about health? But it is a risk. Health, like everything else, is a political issue so surely the last word should be left in the hands of those democratically elected, whether at a local or national level.

Ms Lamont could have dusted down Professor David Kerr's comprehensive review of the Scottish health service carried out for her Labour colleagues in 2005. In it the eminent Professor Kerr, who was responsible for transformative practices in the NHS in England, made a series of recommendations that would deliver an "NHS safer, faster, fitter for purpose and more capable of sustaining care in remote communities". At least it could be the starting point if Ms Lamont's proposal gets off the ground.

Women throughout Scotland, and men for that matter, should applaud Ms Lamont's attempt to put childcare at the heart of her agenda. Affordable childcare is an imperative, not a choice or an indulgence, if we want to improve the life chances of children and help women return to work.

Childcare is devolved to the Scottish Parliament so if the political will existed at Holyrood improved childcare provision could be delivered now. No need to wait for the findings of the Smith Commission, the next General Election, or one more power.

When the Scottish Government published its White Paper last November it promised to keep childcare at the top of the political agenda. That was an admirable ambition, and hopefully one that will prevail post-referendum. Ms Lamont and Kezia Dugdale, Labour's education spokeswoman, should make sure it stays on top.

Earlier this year Ms Dugdale went on a fact-finding mission to Finland, where they have established progressive early-years education policies despite straightened times. It is reasonable to ask why Scotland cannot do the same.

Ms Lamont has promised to include transformative early-years education policies in Labour's manifesto in 2016. She has accepted that it will be expensive, that it cannot be free, but she has proposed to cap the cost of nursery care at 10 per cent of average earnings, equivalent to fees of £200 a month. At the moment average outgoings on childcare are £650 a month.

Nicola Sturgeon, on course to become the next First Minister, could if she wished spike Labour's guns on childcare. It will be expensive, it could take time to deliver but it could be done. Of course, it may mean a change of priorities but that after all is politics.

Great energy was expended by both sides during the referendum debate. Hopefully that energy and political commitment will be channeled in a different direction to deliver the policy changes so many wanted to see.