Sarwar can't be trusted with free tuition and prescriptions if he's FM

This week, as we languish in the midst of cut after cut with more cuts to come, First Minister John Swinney came under questioning about whether he would protect Scotland’s universal benefits, such as free university tuition and free prescriptions.

To his credit, Swinney made clear any such cuts would not be happening. He warned that difficult spending choices would have to be made, but insisted Scotland’s unique ‘social contract’ was safe.

And it is a unique social contract. Some of us pay more tax in Scotland, but those taxes fund free tuition and prescriptions, as well as wider access to concessionary travel and childcare.

Those earning more than £28,850 in Scotland - which is marginally above median earnings - pay more income tax than elsewhere in Britain.

Swinney rightly came under questioning after it was reported that the Scottish Government’s director general for health and social care, Caroline Lamb, had told civil servants universal benefits could be facing cuts, as the SNP considers how to cope with the crisis in public spending.

It appears that either the reports or Lamb were wrong, given Swinney’s full-throated response when asked if universal benefits were “on the table”. He replied: “No, they’re not.”

It’s a pretty safe bet that Swinney will not renege on his word. These benefits are something of a religion among SNP members, and understandably so. Retaining the policies was central to the electoral success the party has enjoyed since 2007 until its fortunes began fading in the wake of Nicola Sturgeon cutting and running.

If Swinney did go back on his promise, he’d most likely face a full-scale rebellion and be ousted. Even if he clung on to power, the party would be blown out of the water at Holyrood in 2026 for lying to voters and ditching such a central part of its platform.

But it’s not John Swinney we’ve got to worry about when it comes to the likes of free prescriptions and free tuition fees. It’s Keir Starmer’s man in Scotland, Anas Sarwar.

Now clearly, there’s folk out there among the Scottish electorate who don’t support universality. That’s fine and dandy. Each to their own and all that. But what’s vital is that voters are told right now where Sarwar stands so he can be held to account and judged - just like Swinney.

Sarwar promised there would be no austerity under Labour - yet among the first major decisions taken by the Starmer government was the move to inflict a fresh round of austerity on the country. That is an immoveable fact.

Here’s another fact: recent polling shows that the SNP will lose control of Holyrood to Scottish Labour at the next election in 2026.

Evidently, polls can change between now and then, but given the recent history of the SNP it’s likely their fortunes will only decline rather than improve. So the chances of a Labour-led Scottish government, with Sarwar in Bute House, seem fairly strong.

The soil is already being fertilised by senior Labour figures for the removal of universal benefits. This May, Kezia Dugdale said that any future Labour administration in Scotland would have to make “dramatic changes” regarding public spending, such as ending free university tuition fees.

The former Scottish Labour leader said “something’s going to have to give” with respect to policies like free prescriptions, free personal care, free tuition fees and new child payments.

She said: “It’s going to be incredibly difficult for whoever comes into office in 2026, because a lot of these very difficult things have been kicked down the road by the current administration in the box marked too difficult.

“I don’t think that puts Anas off. I think if anything he’ll actually relish the opportunity to do what Labour people do with power, which is to fundamentally reform public services and advance the role of the state in our lives in a meaningful and positive way. It’s only really Labour politicians that can do some of that hard stuff at these key moments.”

This was all reported in the Labour-supporting website, Labour List, under the headline ‘Scottish Labour may have to scrap free tuition fees, Kezia Dugdale warns’.

Currently, Sarwar is basking in the pain of the SNP, as nationalists find themselves facing the prospect of enacting brutal spending cuts. Fair enough. Many of the problems facing the SNP are of their own making, not just the fault of Westminster.

However, it is not okay for Sarwar to parade as some holy-than-thou saviour of the people if there’s any chance his party is planning an assault on universal benefits should it win power.

It’s already rather ironic to hear Scottish Labour supporters criticise SNP cuts when their mothership in London is in full Tory-lite mode and wielding the axe in a distinctly George Osborne-esque fashion.

All this allows Scottish Labour to keep clicking up the percentage points in the polls against a deflated and frankly useless SNP administration. However, the polls may not be so kind if Sarwar was - like Swinney this week - put under close scrutiny about his plans for universal benefits should he take power.

It’s important to remember that Sarwar has already backed Labour’s UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves ending the winter fuel payment for all pensioners, ditching the concept of universality. The SNP said pointedly that Sarwar had “previously promised that a Labour government would ensure no pensioner had to choose between heating and eating”.

Recently, when Sarwar was asked about means-testing other benefits, he said: “We’re not opening up that discussion and that debate, that has been decided in Scotland.”

That’s just not good enough, though. So unfortunately for Sarwar, that discussion should be opened up. Indeed, it is entire anti-democratic to not open up the discussion. The electorate needs to be full informed.

Until he puts his hand on his heart and swears by all he holds dear that he won’t cut benefits like tuition fees and free prescriptions should he take power, nobody should be buying any used cars from Sarwar’s show-room.