SCOTTISH Labour has pledged to focus on delivering childcare expansion and use personal comeback plans to close the attainment gap.

The party’s leader, Anas Sarwar, said his plans will ensure the “next generation do not carry the weight of the pandemic”, claiming Labour will keep the agenda of the next parliament focused on an education and childcare recovery.

Mr Sarwar is today meeting with mothers and children in Maryhill to learn about their experiences during the pandemic and is warning that young people’s futures are at risk by MSPs squabbling over “old arguments and political games”.

The Labour leader has claimed that the Scottish public deserve a better reaction to the pandemic than the SNP "taking their eye off the ball" and accused the Tories’ of having "failed to make a difference in opposition".

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Mr Sarwar has pointed to the SNP’s struggle to deliver flexible expansion of childcare and highlighted Labour’s proposals to designate childcare as a key growth sector to deliver a year-on-year expansion of free hours available in early years.

The party claims this would ensure every child’s early learning is supported by a professional workforce and boost the economy by creating jobs and helping parents return to work.

For older children, Labour is pledging to close the attainment gap, with personal comeback plans drawn up for each child.

The plans include a tutoring offer for every child to fill gaps in learning and a summer comeback pass giving every young person free access to sport and outdoor activities, arts and culture.

Mr Sarwar said: “A generation of young people have had their learning and lives disrupted by Covid, but even before this pandemic Scotland’s childcare and education system wasn’t setting up all our children for success.

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“We have a moral imperative to ensure that our next generation do not carry the weight of the pandemic - that’s why they must be the focus of the next parliament not old arguments or political games.

“Unfortunately, too many children are paying the price for the SNP taking their eye off the ball - and the Scottish Tories have failed to make a difference in opposition.”

He added: “We need Holyrood to focus on our national recovery.

“That’s why Scottish Labour is ambitious about giving our children the best start in life as part of building a fairer, better Scotland.”