analysis

The SNP’s manifesto contains within it a guarantee for “the continuation of tuition free university education”.

That’s not the best look for a party under fire for its domestic record in our schools and, in a way, the lack of attention to detail that allowed an embarrassing typo to slip through personifies the document itself.

It is a slick production, well put together, and saying things that will be appealing to a great many people. But, to coin a cliché, the devil is indeed in the detail and there were some very important facts lacking from this series of policies.

Take for example, one of its key fiscal aims: “Balance the budget by the end of the next parliament in 2021/22 with net borrowing being used only for investment from that year onwards.”

How are they going to do that? Well, there is an increase in the top rate of income tax from 45p to 50p, a reversal of the married couple’s allowance, reversal of reductions to the bank levy and a tax on bankers’ bonuses. There are also a lot of welfare cuts being reversed.

Nicola Sturgeon said the plans will bring in £10 billion but see £80 billion going out.

An SNP spokesman confirmed there’s not a detailed costing document. The Tories were rightly hammered for being so shoddy. More time on key points and less on the presentation would have helped Nicola Sturgeon’s team here.