SNP gears up for election
by Peter Wozniak
The Scottish National party (SNP) has detailed its programme for government for the last year before Scottish elections take place in May next year.
Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland, is to announce ten bills he expects to pass before the election.
The critical measure is the Scottish government’s Budget, which will outline spending plans for the coming year.
With the UK government raking for savings in all public spending, Scotland will not be immune from the cuts set out in the comprehensive spending review due in October.
Scotland is particularly vulnerable to the effects of cuts because of its reliance on the public sector for jobs. Until the spending review it is unclear how heavily the axe will fall north of the border.
The proposed laws also include those relating to private housing regulation, the running of elections, and protecting people from forced marriages, as well as a bill scrapping the ‘double jeopardy’ law which prevents defendants being prosecuted for the same crime twice.
Noticeably absent is any mention of a referendum on independence. The SNP minority government has apparently abandoned its manifesto commitment to provide a referendum in its first term of office, in the face of united opposition to the move in the Holyrood parliament.
Mr Salmond is expected to fight the 2011 election on securing a majority in order to pass a bill allowing a referendum.
