RE-ELECT - A Scottish Government working for Scotland

RE-ELECT

A SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT WORKING FOR SCOTLAND

Manifesto 2021

BOTH

VOTES

FREE SCHOOL MEALS If we are re-elected, we will seek to extend free school meals to all children in Primary Education.

EXTRA POLICE

The SNP have oversaw an extra 1000 police on Scotland’s streets since 2007, and we seek employ an addition 1000 over the next parliament.

SCOTLAND’S FUTURE We will seek to publish a white paper on Scotland’s future, and hold a second referendum on Independence.

JOBS FOR ALL

We will allocate more funding to Skills Development Scotland and create 500 new, green jobs in our first 100 days.

INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORT We will nationalise Scotland’s Railways, and invest in upgrading the West Highland Line, with an extension to Inverness added in the next 5 years.

ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS As Glasgow prepares to host COP26, we will seek to build a Net Zero Scotland by 2045, with the help of our nationalised energy company.

STRONG LEADERSHIP The SNP have the most experience in leading the Scottish Government, and we are delivering for the people of Scotland.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

This election is your opportunity to judge the SNP on our record in government and our policy platform for this election.

The SNP are presenting the people of Scotland with an ambitious policy platform that will enable us to build a fairer and wealthier Scotland, that works for everyone.

This manifesto is my application for First Minister, and I hope that you take the time to read it.

We are keen to continue on our mission to build a Scotland that is ready and equipped for the 21st century, and as we emerge from the pandemic, we will bring that mission into full force.

This manifesto is our vision for Scotland, a sensible and carefully considered vision for the future of our country.

This May, Re-elect a Scottish Government that is working for Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon, Leader

RE-ELECT CONTENTS OF THIS MANIFESTO NICOLA STURGEON KATE FORBES & FINANCE STRONGER FOR SCOTLAND A STRONG RECOVERY INDEPENDENCE LAUREN MAYBERRY EDUCATION BOTH VOTES SNP

4 6 8 11 12 15 17 18

Since 2007, every home in Scotland has benefited from SNP Governance, and we are seeking your vote to re-elect us to continue on that mission towards a fairer nation.

Progress has been made, and lives have been changed by our bold and ambitious policies, and in this election, we want to continue to do the good work that have been doing in Holyrood.

Progress

Building the alternative to harsh Westminster Cuts The SNP government are continuing on our mission to build a fairer Scotland for all and prevent the harshest of Westminster cuts from making an impact here in Scotland. We mitigated the unfair and cruel bedroom tax, and we are continuing to bring forwards mainstream, progressive policies that work in the interests of the Scottish people.

A robust recovery from the pandemic The SNP will continue to work to suppress the Coronavirus and work towards a stable coronavirus recovery, by developing a clear road-map towards a just and fair economic and social recovery, that works in the interest of the many, not the few. We will push towards additional funding for our NHS and NCS services, and employ an additional 100 nurses in our first 100 days.

Scotland at the heart We continue to put the people of Scotland at the heart of our leadership and governance, and we will publish a document that outlines how we can make Scotland better for everyone, regardless of the outcome of a second referendum on Scotland’s future.

Giving the Scottish people a choice.

We are committed to ensuring that the Scottish people have a choice over their future as an independent country, and a referendum will take place. We will seek to form a ‘Fort William Agreement’ between the UK and Scottish Governments that sets out the franchising and the rules for the referendum. We won’t take no for an answer. There will be a referendum on Scotland’s future in the United Kingdom regardless of what the Whitehall Wise-men say!

has been made Protecting the Environment & the Planet.

Scotland’s place in Europe

There is only one planet and the SNP are committed to protecting it for the future generations to come. We will establish a just transition from Oil & Gas, to renewable alternatives, while maintaining our focus on creating sustainable jobs in the North East, and across our country.

In 2016, the Scottish people voted, overwhelmingly to remain as a part of the European Union. The undemocratic Labour Party have since pushed for us to be taken out, and this will have catastrophic impacts on our trade and relations with our friends in Europe.

Investment in Young People Over the five year term, we will invest over £150 million in local projects that directly impact children and young people. We will make it our mission to ensure that young people have a safe and warm space in their community to converse and hang-out in, without the dangers of being out on the streets.

We will also invest £30 million into cleaning up our streets and tackling anti-social behaviour, including the usage of drugs.

A Scottish Government Working for Scotland In these elections, I am asking you to re-elect a Scottish Government that is working for Scotland. A SNP Government. From baby steps, to giant leaps, we are building a fairer country for everyone.

Make it Both Votes SNP on Thursday May 6.

Nicola Sturgeon, Leader

SERIOUS LEADERSHIP: Kate Forbes updates Scotland on the Coronavirus Pandemic, in her capacity as Finance Secretary.

“The SNP Government continue to deliver for the people of Scotland, so let’s make it both votes SNP to ensure for a stable recovery.”

Kate Forbes Youthful

Kate & Kez

Leadership

Stronger for Scotland A Balanced Budget

Feeding our Children

As Cabinet Secretary for Finance, my job has been to listen and to act on the economic issues that matter to the people of Scotland. As we recover from the pandemic, I will push for a budget that works for everyone and has the Scottish people at the very heart of it.

We will allocate an additional £72 million to local councils, who will complete the roll out of free school meals for Primary 1-5 pupils over the first two years. After that two years we will expand the free to school meals policy to all primary aged pupils in Scotland.

Creating Jobs

Investing in Public Transport

We will invest £50 million into creating new jobs, over the course of the parliamentary term. This includes the creation of greener, sustainable contracts. We will also seek to push for the devolution of employment law, and then use that power to make zero-hours contracts illegal in Scotland.

At a cost of £591.5 million, we will nationalise Scotland’s Railways. The current franchise agreement isn’t working and is causing heavy delays, and overall terrible passenger service.

Fostering Creativity We will use Scotland’s budget to allocate more funding towards creative work and the arts. This includes the renovation of some of Scotland’s most treasured art galleries, and public investment into Scotland’s Film and TV industries. The Scottish Government, under the SNP will also push for more creative and art related sections to be pushed into the curriculum for excellence.

Educating Scotland Scotland’s party, the SNP, have always made education a priority of our governance. We will invest £20 million into closing the attainment gap in Scotland’s places of Education.

Scotland’s Budget Our spending commitments for this election equate to £750 million, that’s only around 2% of Scotland’s overall budget.

We are committed to keep Scotland’s key public services with a strong budget that they can trust to deliver for them.

If re-elected, the SNP Government will present the Scottish people with a sensible, balanced budget that works for Scotland.

Kate Forbes, Deputy Leader

STRONGER FOR SCOTLAND Free Tuition

Free school meals for all children in P1-P3

While students in England face tuition fees up to £27,750, Scottish students receive university tuition for free, and always will under the SNP.

We’re ensuring that no child goes hungry and helping family finances – saving families around £400 per child per year. And we’re going further – expanding to P4 and P5, and then all Primary aged pupils.

Record high health funding We’ve invested over £16 billion in our health and care portfolio, with resource funding up by over 60% under the SNP

Care For All

1,000 schools built or upgraded In every part of the country, we’re ensuring that pupils and staff learn and work in well-designed, accessible and inclusive environments.

We extended free personal and nursing care to everyone who needs it, regardless of age. We have also introduced the game-changing National Care Service.

The Queensferry Crossing

The Baby Box

Bridge tolls scrapped

We’re giving every baby born in Scotland the best start in life by providing the Baby Box for free, filled with essential items needed in the first six months of a child’s life. Other countries, like Ireland, have since followed Scotland’s footsteps.

Under the SNP, the Forth and Tay crossings are free from tolls – saving individual commuters around £3,000 to date.

Free prescriptions

Businesses which have a rateable value of £35,000 or less get relief on property tax. This means many small businesses in Scotland pay no rates on their premises.

We worked hard to abolish the NHS prescription charges, and since then, other nations have followed our lead.

We’ve delivered the £1.35 billion marvel on the Forth, under budget.

Small Business Bonus

SCOTLAND AT HEART TIDAL ENERGY EXPANDED

NHS FUNDING PROTECTED INVESTMENT IN THE NORTH SEA FOR A JUST TRANSITION

A NATIONAL CARE SERVICE

NEW CARE INSPECTORATE

NEW ENERGY COMPANY INVESTING IN FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEMS

A96 UPGRADED MORE CHILDCARE HOURS

SAVED ALUMINIUM SMELTER IN LOCHABER 100,000 NEW HOMES LIVING WAGE IN THE NHS V&A DUNDEE

FREE PRESCRIPTIONS SCRAPPED BRIDGE TOLLS

SMALL POST OFFICES SAVED

BEST A&E SERVICES IN THE UK

LIVING FREE TUITION WAGE IN THE NHS INVESTMENT INTO TOWNS

SAVED AYR A&E

BORDERS RAILWAY

RE-ELECT

A SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT WORKING FOR SCOTLAND

NICOLA FOR FIRST MINISTER

A STRONG RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC The Coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed how all of us live our lives, and as the vaccination programme picks up its pace, we must consider how we are going to recover stronger than before the pandemic.

A STRONG PACKAGE OF FISCAL SUPPORT We will provide businesses with a strong fiscal support package that is aimed at: • Creating and protecting jobs • Providing support to key services

THE VACCINATION PROGRAMME

• Covering the cost of staff absences

We will continue to speed up the vaccination programme, with a goal of 85% of the general adult population fully vaccinated by the end of 2021.

• Transition from home to office working

We will open new mass vaccination centres in existing infrastructure, and during the summer, popup vaccine clinics outside of GP practises and NHS hospitals.

The SNP Government will request the support of retired doctors and nurses, the Scottish regiments of the Army to aid us in our efforts for vaccination.

We will also make it available for members of the general public to apply to be a vaccinator, and provide them with proper training for it.

EASING RESTRICTIONS We are committed to returning to the normality that we all enjoyed before the pandemic began.

Assuming that case numbers, the rate of hospitalisation and daily deaths continue to fall, we will continue to ease restrictions, and aim for all restrictions to be gone by December 1st 2021.

If case numbers, the rate of hospitalisation and daily deaths rise, we will not hesitate to introduce further restrictions to combat this.

First and foremost, we will put public health before political gain, and that’s what we’ve done throughout the pandemic.

Our fiscal support package will allow for organisations and businesses to recover from the pandemic, and ease the strain on our economy.

STRONG LEADERSHIP AT THE HEART OF THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister will continue to follow the scientific and health guidance of the National Clinical Director, the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Nursing Officer, and the SAGE group as we recover from the pandemic.

Nicola Sturgeon has a huge amount of political experience and can lead the Scottish people forwards, out of the pandemic, and towards independence.

LEARNING LESSONS FROM THE PANDEMIC We believe that as we look to the future, we also need to look at the mistakes that were made when we dealt with Coronavirus.

We will call for an independent public inquiry into the COVID pandemic, and what we can do next.

This inquiry will be composed of people from all backgrounds and sectors, and will publish a report on the recommended course of action that the Scottish Government take to recover from the pandemic.

On May 6, Re-Elect a Scottish Government that is working for Scotland.

BUILDING AN INDEPENDENT NATION As an Independent country, we would have the levers in our hands to build the best possible future for our country and the generations to come. This party is on a national mission towards building a fairer Scotland for everyone.

A REFERENDUM FOR RECOVERY We will hold a second referendum on Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom by the end of 2023.

This referendum will be vital to Scotland’s recovery from the pandemic, and it will fundamentally be the driving force behind our recovery.

FORT WILLIAM AGREEMENT The Scottish Government will request that the UK Government join us in Fort William to negotiate and agree on the timing, question, and franchise of the referendum.

The SNP Government will propose in Fort William that: • A referendum is held no sooner than 1st January 2022, and no later than 1st January 2024 • The question put to the Scottish people will be “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

• The franchise to vote is extended to everyone over 16, regardless of criminal status, immigration status or job. They must however be a full time resident of Scotland, and pay tax in Scotland if they earn over £12,500.

SCOTLAND’S PLACE IN EUROPE The SNP will propose that an independent Scotland joins the European Union, NATO, and forms a Celtic Alliance with Ireland and Wales.

THE BENEFITS OF INDEPENDENCE As an Independent country, Scotland could: • Decide our own future, • Get the Governments that we vote for, • Protect our NHS from Westminster cuts, • Control our own money and resources, • Join the European Union, • Get rid of Nuclear Weapons in the Clyde, • Be heard on the World Stage.

LEGISLATION In order to set out a clear road map for a referendum, the SNP Government will publish a draft bill to hold an independence referendum.

It must be the choice of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish people, on our future within the United Kingdom. Why should a government, that we didn’t vote for, control our future, our money, our resources, our powers and our lives?

A WHITE PAPER ON INDEPENDENCE We will publish a white paper on Scotland’s future in the United Kingdom that outlines the key benefits of independence, and how independence would make a positive impact on all of our lives.

Why should a country be ruled by another?

Why should Scotland be ignored? - Our white paper intends to set out the big questions on the Union, and the big questions on independence.

The Scottish Government will seek to publish this white paper within 6 months of reelection to office.

“With Independence, Scotland can thrive and pave the way towards a more progressive Europe.”

CONSULTATION

CITIZENS ASSEMBLY

The SNP Scottish Government have started consultations on Independence across the country.

If re-elected, the Scottish Cabinet will travel the country like never before, with cabinet meetings held in every corner of the country, and we’ll take questions from a public audience at events. We will put the Scottish people at the heart of our leadership.

We propose for virtual town halls with Scottish Government officials, and the establishment of an online forum dedicated to questioning and answering the ideas of independence.

RE-ELECT | TIMELINE TO INDEPENDENCE 2014 referendum

SNP Landslide 2015

Referendum 2024

SNP Re-elected 2016

Scotland votes Remain 2016

ScotParl requests S30 order - 2021

Referendum 2023

Fort William Agreement

Section 30 order granted

Section 30 order denied

SNP endorsed by Scottish People

General Scottish Election held

ScotParl seeks Legal roadmap

Referendum Act

Proposed to ScotParl

SCOTLAND’S ADVOCATE: SNP Westminster leader, Lauren Mayberry, has stood up for Scotland and her people at Westminster, time and time again.

“Lauren Mayberry is asking the people of Clydebank & Milngavie to elect her to represent them in Holyrood. As SNP Westminster Leader, Lauren has stood up for not just her constituents, but the whole of Scotland.”

Nicola Sturgeon MSP

Lauren Mayberry Clydebank & Milngavie As a bisexual woman, in a relationship with another woman, LGBTQI+ rights are a topic of great passion for me personally. The SNP share that passion.

Leading the way towards progressiveness Scotland has been internationally recognised as the "best country in Europe for LGBTI legal equality" multiple times before, and as part of our vision for a progressive, tolerant Scotland, we will work with LGBTQI+ organisations and individuals to ensure we are doing enough in the right areas.

Tran’s Rights are Human Rights We are committed to reform of the Gender Recognition Act, to allow transgender people to self-identify as their gender. Trans rights are human rights, and we are committed to putting that mantra into practice.

Conversion Therapy We are also committed to banning the abusive practice of conversion therapy, recognising the great psychological distress it places on victims.

Conversion Therapy has been proven to be ineffective and abusive, we will begin consultations for banning conversion therapy, from day one.

Conversion Therapy conducted in Scotland will not be tolerated, by society or by law.

LGBTQI+ Education Further, we will make Scotland the first country in the entire world to have an LGBT history and education curriculum, working with LGBT groups and teachers to ensure the best quality of lessons and the best environment for LGBT young people possible.

It is important that young people feel free to express themselves in any way that they like, and that they are learning in a safe and comfortable environment. Any homophobic bully in schools will come with a severe punishment, on a permanent record.

One Scotland We will continue our ‘One Scotland’ campaign, to build an equal and progressive Scotland for all.

Make it Both Votes SNP on Thursday, May 6.

Lauren Mayberry SNP Candidate for Clydebank & Milngavie

FOR THE FUTUTRE: Education Spokesperson Shirley-Anne Somerville meets with pupils and disusses mental health problems in Schools

A SMARTER SCOTLAND Together, we are building a smarter Scotland - from upgrading Schools to free school meals, Scotland is better with the SNP. On May 6, make it Both Votes SNP to build a smarter Scotland.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS We are proud to have introduced free school meals for primary 1-3, and now we are seeking to expand that ambitious policy.

Over the next 2 years, we will seek to expand free school meals to Primaries 4 and 5, and by the end of this parliamentary term, all primary aged children will be entitled to a free school meal.

TACKLING ATTAINMENT We will publish a national plan to tackle the attainment gap in Scottish education, and invest £2 million of additional funds into tackling the gap between the richest and poorest in our society.

We will make it our mission to tackle poverty and discrimination in our schools and in wider society for our children.

AN ONLINE WORLD We will work with local authorities to roll out free laptop devices to every school pupil in Scotland.

This has already worked in the Highland Council area, with every Primary 6&7 and all high school pupils entitled to a device.

In a modern world, all pupils should have adequate access to the internet and the SNP will work to enshrine that into law.

SCHOOL TRIPS Children are missing out on attending school trips because their families simply cannot afford them, and that’s not fair.

The SNP government will work to put an end for pupils having to pay to go on trips that happen here, in Scotland.

We do however recognise that trips out of Scotland cost schools and local authorities more money, so we will publish guidance to the local authorities on how much that should cost pupils.

CORE CURRICULUM CHARGES Some pupils are still having to pay charges in some areas for practical subjects, this is furthering the attainment gap in Scottish schools, and we will seek to abolish these charges within our first 100 days after reelection.

SUPPORTING ASN PUPILS We will implement the findings of the Morgan review, and employ an addition 200 PSA’s in Scottish Schools over the next parliamentary term.

THE IMPACT OF CORNAVIRUS We fully recognise the impact that the Coronavirus has had on school pupils, and we will introduce a comprehensive funding package that will ensure pupils catch-up, and ensure that pupils well-being is cared for.

We will allocate £5 million towards mental health professionals for schools, and to tackle suicide in young people.

We are committed to ensuring that pupils are entitled to safe and nurtured recovery from the pandemic, that focuses on them and their lives.

WHY DOES BOTH VOTES SNP MATTER SO MUCH? In 2011, the Scottish Parliament Elections produced a result that was never meant to happen, a majority government, formed of just one party - so how did they do it?

The SNP won 53 seats on the constituency ballot paper, the lilac one, but that left them short of a majority, and more political instability would have followed.

However, because of the Additional Member System in Holyrood, the SNP won an additional 16 seats on the regional ballot paper, the peach one, pushing them over the line, and back into office.

This is because the #BothVotesSNP strategy works, and the Scottish National Party can make that result happen again, but only with your support.

Highlands & Islands SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY Nicola Sturgeon for First Minister

X

Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch

FORBES, Kate

Scottish National

Party (SNP)

The 2011 Scottish Parliament Election Result

+16

X

RE-ELECT

A SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT WORKING FOR SCOTLAND