Countdown to polling day

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

With polling day just weeks away the three main UK parties have launched their Scottish manifestos, while the Nationalists have already declared themselves "champions" of Scotland.

Labour was first off the mark, unveiling its document at the site of the former Ravenscraig steelworks in Motherwell – described by Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy as the "dark heart" of the Tory government.

Its manifesto, like those of its opposite numbers, includes pledges in areas devolved to the Scottish Parliament, setting out policies for next year's Scottish elections.

UK pledges include creating a minimum of 20,000 Future Jobs Fund places for young people who have been out of work for six months, with those refusing a place on the scheme having their benefits cut after ten months.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said the election would be about "jobs, the economy and opportunity" with proposals to keep the national minimum wage in line with earnings.

Next was Scottish Conservative leader, Annabel Goldie, who launched her party's manifesto with an attack on the Liberal Democrats, who have seen a surge in the polls following Nick Clegg's successful turn on ITV's PM debate.

Goldie said: "Many people have no idea what their policies are, many people within the Lib Dems have no idea what their policies are."

She said the Tories were the only party to commit to protecting the health service and said Labour's tax proposals would take £20m a year from frontline NHS services.

Buoyed by Clegg's popularity, the Lib Dems set sail from Leith Docks to launch its manifesto which includes a proposal to replace the Barnett formula with a needs-based formula which it says would translate in to £240m extra in a one-year emergency budget.

Scottish leader Tavish Scott said the money would be used for a "green stimulus" package for 16,000 new jobs, grants and loans to bring 25,000 empty homes back into use and a £400 cashback scheme to upgrade households.

Meanwhile, the Nationalists, whose election campaign slogan is "Scotland needs champions", urged electors to vote SNP to avoid Westminster cuts.

SNP leader, and First Minister, Alex Salmond said a hung parliament, or "balanced parliament" as he described it, would give Scotland a stronger hand.

His party's manifesto contains pledges to protect initiatives such as free personal care, concessionary travel, the SNP government's £1.25bn investment in new schools and the Forth Replacement Crossing.

It details policies for a greater "fairness for families" by proposing that pensions and the minimum wage should rise in line with earnings.

Elsewhere, the Scottish Socialist Party said Westminster cuts will threaten 100,000 Scots jobs, the Scottish Green Party is hopeful of getting its first MP, and former Solidarity MSP Tommy Sheridan is a candidate for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.