SNP manifesto General Election 2017: Key points, policies and summary
Here are the key points in the SNP manifesto for General Election 2017:
Independence
An SNP vote is reinforce Scottish Parliament’s right to decide on timing of a second independence referendum
Scotland should have another referendum at the end of the Brexit process
The SNP winning a majority of Scottish seats would create a “triple lock” for another referendum after the party won the most seats at last year’s Holyrood election and the Scottish Parliament voted for talks over getting the powers for an independence vote
It would be “democratically unsustainable” for Theresa May to continue blocking a second referendum
Scotland should be an EU member state if independent but the process by which this would be achieved would only be set out before a referendum
Immigration
Devolve immigration to allow Scotland to have its own policies after Brexit.
Press UK Government to ensure border checks are as seamless as possible after the UK leaves the EU
Lobby for the scrapping of the Skills Immigration Charge – a charge for employers of £1,000 per non-EEA worker per year
Press UK Government to limit immigration detention to 28 days and to pursue alternatives
Brexit
Push for the Scottish Government to be given a seat at the Brexit negotiating table
Push for the SNP plan to keep Scotland in the EU single market when the rest of the UK leaves to be included in the UK’s negotiating stance. However, do not introduce trade barriers with England.
This would require the devolution of powers in nearly every area except defence to Scotland could meet the regulatory and administrative requirements of single market membership.
Call for the UK Government to guarantee EU nationals’ right to remain in the UK
Oppose any attempts by the UK Government to ‘sell out’ the fishing industry during talks
Devolve all powers repatriated from Brussels that relate to devolved areas such as fisheries and agriculture
Oppose any move to use security cooperation as a bargaining chip during Brexit
Defence
Scrap the renewal of Trident “as quickly and safely as possible.”
Support its Faslane home on the Clyde being turned into a conventional naval base
Halt the closure of a series of old bases
Tax
Increase the top rate of income tax from 45p to 50p across the rest of the UK in 2018/19. The Scottish Government would implement the same change north of the Border.
Reverse the Married Couple’s Allowance and reductions to the bank levy
Introduce a tax on bankers’ bonuses
Freeze VAT and examine reduction for tourism industry after Brexit
Double the Employment Allowance for National Insurance to £6,000 so firms’ bills are cut when they take on more staff
Extend the Annual Investment Allowance that encourages companies to invest in plants and machinery from £200,000 to £1 million
Review alcohol taxation to reflect alcohol content
“Targeted incentives” to develop “small pool discoveries” in the North Sea oil and gas sector and to help “late life” fields
Introduction of fuel duty regulator to prevent large hikes in the price at the pump
Energy
Price cap on standard variable tariffs
Help people switch to lowest tariffs and provide advice on reducing energy use
Push for reform of the punitive transmission charging regime
Hold the UK Government to account over the Hinkley C nuclear plant “white elephant”
Spending and Deficit
End austerity with an extra £120 billion of spending across the UK over the next parliament.
Balance the UK budget by the end of the parliament in 2020/21
Health
Increase English NHS spending by £11 billion, or seven per cent, so it is the same per head as in Scotland. This will produce more than £1 billion extra spending for Scotland via the Barnett formula
An NHS Reinstatement Billl to reverse the supposed privatisation of the health service in England
Press UK Government to close loopholes in sugary drinks tax and tighten regulation of broadcast and digital junk food advertising
Abandon ‘unsustainable’ pay caps for NHS workers in Scotland
Education
Protect ‘free’ university tuition for Scottish students
Call for the full reinstatement of the Post-Study Work Visa scheme, which allows foreign students to stay in the UK after graduation
Welfare
Give Scotland full control over welfare powers
Introduce UK-wide targets to end child poverty
End Work Capability Assessment and review Personal Independence Payments
Oppose cap that restricts child tax credits to two children and the so-called ‘rape clause’ providing an exemption for women whose third or subsequent children were the product of rape
Abolish the Bedroom Tax in Scotland and call for the UK Government to follow suit south of the Border
End the cash freeze on many benefits and support them being uprated annually by at least CPI inflation
Scrap the current benefit sanction regime
Complete halt to the roll out of Universal Credit
Reinstate the work allowance for all benefit claimants
Reverse cuts to Bereavement Payments and Widowed Parents’ Allowance
Payment of a Real Living Wage to all adults aged 18 and over
Pensions
Oppose increases in the state pension age
Maintain the triple lock on the state pension
Stand up for women short-changed by the accelerated timetable for increases in the state pension age
UK Foreign Policy
Immediate ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia pending an investigation
The struggle against Isil must include the “battle of ideas which demonstrate that international justice and civic tolerance can be achieved without recourse to violence and barbarity.”
Justice
Appeal to the UK Government to refund £140 million of VAT payments made by Police Scotland
Oppose any relaxation of the laws on fox hunting
Transport
Call for the devolution of Network Rail, which is responsible for more than half the ScotRail service delays
Connect Scotland with HS2, with construction starting in Scotland and England
Work with the UK Government to improve cross-border rail links
Work to secure more international flights to and from Scotland after Brexit
Democracy
Oppose the refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster
Call for the abolition of the House of Lords
Change the General Election voting system from First Past The Post to the single transferable vote form of proportional representation
Lower the voting age in Westminster elections to 16
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