STURGEON LAUNCHES MANIFESTO WITH BID FOR REFERENDUM
NICOLA Sturgeon has launched the SNP’s manifesto and said there should be a referendum on independence in the next five years, but not while the country is still dealing with the impact of the Covid pandemic.
The party published its plans for the next parliament including free dental treatment costing £100m and a pledge not to increase the income tax rates.
It also included a National Care Service (NCS) stating that social care services should be free like health services.
She said an SNP government would deliver a 20% increase in frontline NHS spending worth £2.5 billion, and the NCS Service would be backed by a 25% increase in social care investment.
The free dental treatment would be delivered within the next five years, starting with care experienced people aged 18-26.
Sturgeon said that the UK Government cannot say no to a second referendum if there is a majority of pro-independence MSPs elected and Holyrood votes to hold a vote.
She said: “After this election, if there is a simple, democratic majority in the Scottish Parliament for an independence referendum, there will be no democratic, electoral or moral justification whatsoever for Boris Johnson or anyone else to block the right of people in Scotland to decide their own future.
“The people of Scotland should decide Scotland’s future through an independence referendum in the next term of parliament.
“It should take place only when the crisis has passed, but in time then to equip our Parliament with the full powers it needs to drive our long-term recovery.
“I believe passionately that with the powers of independence we can do so much more for Scotland. I look around Europe and I see independent countries, of similar size to us, that are among the wealthiest, fairest and happiest in the world.
“If Denmark and Norway and Ireland can do it, then with all our resources and talent, why not Scotland?”
The document contained regional manifestos including a twopage Glasgow manifesto which repeated some of the main pledges but included local specific policies.
The Glasgow manifesto included committing to £67m for a new health social care and community hub at Parkhead, a new Gaelic primary school and a new city centre primary school.
There were commitments to continue with work already underway, like investing £100m in the modernisation of the Subway and support for a Low Emission Zone in the city.
The main manifesto included doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 a week, £1bn for education to recruit 3500 extra teachers and close the attainment gap between the least and most deprived children, free breakfast and lunch for every primary school pupil and an electronic device for every child with free internet connection.
When asked about the SNP still making promises to close the attainment gap, tackle child poverty and replace the council tax after 14 years and three terms in government, Sturgeon said that progress was being made.
She said: “Voters have trusted the SNP because they see the progress we have made on these things.
“The SNP have won the trust of people of Scotland. In the world we live in not everything is perfect.
“We have made significant progress. We have got more to do.
“None of the other parties are putting themselves forward to be the government, they’re fighting to be the opposition.”
Leaders of the opposition parties focused on the inclusion of a second independence referendum in the manifesto.
Douglas Ross, Scottish Conservatives leader, said: “The SNP manifesto confirms that Scotland has a choice of two futures, referendum or recovery.
“Nicola Sturgeon has said it herself, when Scotland is still in the recovery phase, she wants another referendum.
“This is a manifesto to create a new crisis at the earliest oppor
tunity, when we’re going to be tackling the health and economic crisis for years to come.”
Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal Democrats leader, hit back at the SNP’s manifesto, saying: “We are still waiting on the SNP delivering promises they made in 2007.
“They have a one-track mind for independence that prevents them getting anything else done.”
The Scottish Greens launched their manifesto earlier this week.
The Liberal Democrats are due to publish their plans today.
Labour and the Conservatives are due to release their manifestos next week.
The Scottish Parliament election takes place on Thursday, May 6. Postal ballot papers are being sent out from this week.
Voters have trusted the SNP because they see the progress we are making