A Labour government at Westminster will use its powers to make life better for working-class families, the party’s Scottish leader will tell voluntary organisations today.
Jim Murphy says Labour will bring forward policies to ban “exploitative” zero-hours contracts, provide better childcare, implement rent controls, tax payday lenders and guarantee affordable bus services.
He will pledge to “work in partnership” with the third sector, business and trade unions.
The politician will address the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) conference in Glasgow.
He will say: “The debate ahead of the general election has rightly focused on the need to elect a government that would reverse the bad decisions made by the Government in recent years.
“Abolishing the bedroom tax, reversing the tax cut for millionaires and re-instating the 50p tax rate, ending the failed austerity agenda and getting back to a growing economy that works for working-class families.
“These are all things Labour will do.
“But I want this general election to be as much about how we use the power of government for good as about how we reverse the bad things the Tory Government has done.
“There are areas where, when things are clearly not working, we need to use the power of government.”
He added: “Government can’t turn the other cheek in the face of market failure.
“It isn’t just enough for people to claim to be on the progressive left, they must show it by putting forward real policies that lay bare their real priorities.
“That’s what I have set out to do. Others must now do the same.”