Scottish election 2021: Scottish Labour pledge staycation scheme
- Published
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has promised a £75 for all 16s to spend on non-food businesses
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has set out plans to help the tourism sector.
He said The Great Scottish Staycation scheme would give people holidaying in Scotland a third night of holiday accommodation for free.
Labour's plan would also see everyone aged 16 and over given a £75 prepaid card to spend in non-food businesses.
Mr Sarwar said the scheme would be time-limited, starting in June and would last six months.
The initiative could not be used for online purchases and unspent funds would be donated to food banks.
"We need to focus on our national recovery, not go back to the old arguments," Mr Sarwar said during a visit to Loch Lomond shores.
"That's why Scottish Labour is ambitious about our economic recovery and is committed to building a fairer, better Scotland."
SCOTLAND ALERTS: Get extra updates on BBC election coverage
Elsewhere on the campaign trail, the Scottish Greens said they were "supporting small independent businesses" as hospitality and non-essential retail reopened.
Co-leader Patrick Harvie visited a bar in Glasgow, saying the reopening marked an "important step" towards economic recovery.
He stressed that pre-pandemic working conditions with "endemic low pay and insecure contracts" should not be allowed to return.
Mr Harvie said: "As we make our town centres safe and attractive places to be, with less traffic and pollution, as well as quality green spaces and public transport, we must value the places where we get together and socialise, to see the people we have missed over this last year, and value the staff that work in them too."
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon on the campaign trail in North Berwick
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said the easing marked "another big step forward in our recovery from the pandemic".
"I know that people across Scotland are keen to get out there and support their local businesses as they reopen - and I would encourage them to do so, safely," she said.
She highlighted the SNP plans for a £25m tourism recovery fund, calling the sector "one of Scotland's crown jewels".
The SNP leader said the funding would help people on low incomes or those who had caring responsibilities to take short breaks in Scotland.
She said: "As we look toward Scotland's long-term recovery, we need to decide whether to leave the key economic levers in the hands of Westminster, or if we can take better decisions about our future in Scotland."
SCOTLAND'S ELECTION: THE BASICS
What's happening? On 6 May, people across Scotland will vote to elect 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). The party that wins the most seats will form the government. Find out more here.
What powers do they have? MSPs pass laws on aspects of life in Scotland such as health, education and transport - and have some powers over tax and welfare benefits.
Who can vote? Anyone who lives in Scotland, is registered to vote and aged 16 or over on 6 May is eligible. You can register to vote online, external.
The Scottish Conservatives have said lifting the remaining restrictions could be speeded up "safely".
Visiting a bar in Edinburgh, Douglas Ross said Scotland "can't afford any more of the SNP's anti-business approach."
The party say venues should be able to serve alcohol indoors.
The Conservatives have also called for other restrictions due to be lifted on 17 May to be relaxed now - apart from the mixing indoors restriction.
Mr Ross said: "The success of Scotland and the UK's vaccine scheme means we can afford to safely speed up the easing of restrictions, and dozens of businesses have backed our calls to bring forward those reopening dates.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross visited a bar in Edinburgh as restrictions eased
Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has visited Inverness in his campaign "to put the Highlands and the recovery first".
Mr Rennie said he was in the city to "bang the gong" for the region's Liberal Democrat candidates.
He said: "We can win new seats and stop a nationalist majority who will just spend the next five years arguing about independence."
The Scottish Lib Dem leader also called on all parties to commit to a zero-tolerance approach to abuse.
After a brick was thrown through the window of the party's headquarters, Mr Rennie asked the opposition parties to "come together and unite".
POLICIES: Who should I vote for?
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PODLITICAL: Updates from the campaign
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