SCOTTISH LABOUR will clear “needless obstacles” holding back Scotland’s world-leading medical research, according to Anas Sarwar.

On the campaign trail promoting Labour’s industrial strategy and Scottish Labour’s blueprint for economic growth, the party’s leader pledged to ensure that the Life Sciences Council would in the future report directly to the Industrial Strategy Council, and put research on a more long-term footing with 10-year research budgets.

Mr Sarwar said: “Life sciences is a Scottish success story — creating jobs and attracting investment while making a crucial contribution to the fight against diseases like Scotland’s biggest killer, cancer.

“But this fantastic sector is being held back by two bad governments putting needless obstacles in its way.

“Tory chaos and SNP incompetence have undermined Scotland’s world-class research sector, but Labour will back these key industries and unlock the benefits for our economy and our healthcare system.

“A Labour government will ensure Scotland is at the global forefront of life sciences and on the cutting edge of medical research, making these industries an unstoppable force in our economy.”

He called it an “opportunity for change that Scotland cannot afford to miss.”