Labour set out new election campaign

The Scottish Labour Party is promising the “most sophisticated campaign in the history of devolution”.

In an announcement today the party’s co-chair on the Scottish election campaign, Douglas Alexander, MP, said that funding of £1.1 million has been raised. Jackie Baillie MSP, the Scottish Labour Deputy Leader, is the other co-chair.

The campaign will be “the most sophisticated” digital operation and the “largest and most effective ground campaign” in Scotland.

The party said it raised almost half of the funding in the final few weeks of 2025.

Douglas Alexander, MP, said: “Scottish Labour is up for the fight and absolutely determined to win the Scottish Parliament election.

“We are unleashing the most sophisticated and largest digital operation of any party in Scotland, reaching one million Scots every week.

“We have the largest and most effective ground campaign of any party, and between now and polling day, we will have one million conversations about Scotland’s choice.

“And during the festive period, we raised almost £500,000, meaning we have an election fund sitting at £1.1 million, and rising.

“Every single penny will be used to make clear the choice facing Scotland this May.

“A third decade of SNP failure with John Swinney – or new energy, new ideas and fresh leadership for Scotland with Anas Sarwar as First Minister.”

Scottish Labour Deputy Leader, Jackie Baillie, MSP, said: “This election is not about Keir Starmer, Westminster, or Nigel Farage – it is about who you want as First Minister of Scotland.

“In four months’ time, there is a clear choice to make – a new direction with Anas Sarwar, or a third decade of decline under John Swinney and the SNP.

“Scottish Labour has the ideas, energy and vision to enable Scots to turn the page on almost 20 years of SNP mismanagement – which has left our public services including our NHS utterly neglected.

“We firmly believe that a better future is possible, despite the SNP’s narrative of grievance and despair.

“As a party, we will be reaching out to as many people across the country as we can, to invite them to be a part of our campaign to give Scotland that new direction.”

The regulated period for the May election begins today and runs until the election, which means that campaign spending is subject to restrictions on spending limits. The Electoral Commission sets the rules – which are different for constituency and independent regional candidates.