SNP launches election ‘tartan tests’
The Scottish National Party has reiterated its claim to be the only party fighting for Scotland as it launched its general election campaign.
And it has proposed five “tartan tests” for the electorate to judge the commitment of other parties to Scotland. They are: fair pensions, extra police, no more nuclear, save the regiments and it’s Scotland’s Oil.
Launching the election campaign, party leader Alex Salmond said that whilst other parties are focussed on southern voters, the SNP would put Scotland first.
He said: “Our tests are about winning the best deal for Scotland and first to fail is this Labour government.
“If Labour care about Scotland’s pensioners, let them back a fair pensions deal. SNP plans would make older Scots better off, with our citizen’s pension paying £1450 more for single pensioners, and £1900 a year more for couples, than the current state pension.”
Placing the nuclear issue high on the agenda Mr Salmond said: “The others can’t match the SNP here in Scotland. If Scotland was their top priority, there would be no more nuclear – waste, weapons or Labour’s costly new power station.
“It matters to the SNP that the fall out from any new nuclear power station could affect any and every Scottish constituency – with new sites for radioactive storage dumps; more toxic waste transported by road and rail; cancer causing particles in our seas, along our shores and drifting through the air. Higher risks and higher costs long term.”
Deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon added that the SNP would fight for Scotland to have great access to North Sea oil revenues, saying: “With revenues over £10 billion at current oil prices and £600 billion in reserve under the North Sea, there is plenty to fuel Scottish success – but only if we stop our black gold being wasted, filling Britain’s financial black hole.”
