Scottish Labour has always been the party of ideas.

Our MPs and MSPs have been at the forefront of improving the lives of ordinary Scots.

You can read more about Labour's achievements here and can follow Scottish Labour's youtube channel here.

But the way we make policy in the Scottish Labour Party is changing - reaching out to the wider community like never before, including establishing independent expert sounding boards to support the work of our four policy commissions.

The road to the 2011 manifesto has already started, with the policy forum producing first year consultation documents. They ask wide ranging questions and urge blue sky thinking.

We encourage you to download the policy documents below and to feed your responses to the questions back to us. You don’t need to be a member to take part: any organisation or individual can reply by 2 October 2009. 

You can send in your views by using the form below. You can also contact us by email or post.

Working together for a caring and healthier Scotland looks at health, wellbeing and sport. It focuses on how we can prevent ill-health and promote the uptake of sport amongst young people. It also looks at housing and asks how we can respond to future housing needs.

Working together for a safe Scotland looks at crime, justice, policing, sentencing and rehabilitation. It also discusses the horror of domestic abuse and violence against women.

Working together for a more prosperous and sustainable Scotland looks at how we can come through this global economic crisis together and emerge stronger. It also looks at the role of local government in improving the lives of Scots, and our how we interact with and protect our environment.

Working together for a Scotland of opportunity focuses on education and skills. It asks how we can deliver the best possible opportunities for young people in schools, how we can give teachers the back-up and resources they need, and how we can build the best education system in the world. It also looks at the important role of apprenticeships, colleges and universities.