Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, has been in office for seven years. Her Scottish National Party (SNP) has been in power continuously for nearly 15 (The Economist ). The SNP is a party that cares about progress. Instead of just talking about progress, the SNP is making progress through its ambitious policies in Government. The SNP does not place any limits on its ambitions for Scotland. The SNP’s actions include free prescriptions, free personal care services, free tuition, baby gifts, etc.
SNP’s 100 achievements
Since the SNP came into Government, every home in Scotland has benefitted from SNP’s actions and policies. From free tuition to record health funding and the Baby Box. The powers and budgets of devolution have been limited. However, the SNP has taken bold steps to build a fairer, greener and equal Scotland. Here are 100 of the top achievements of the SNP.
SNP’s priority and benefits
In the SNP’s manifesto 2022 for the local government election, the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon made a speech.
She said the immediate priority of every SNP councillor would be supporting families through the current cost of living crisis. She added that the focus would not be just on words but on the action. Supporting household budgets has been a critical priority for the SNP throughout its entire time in office.
Sturgeon added that they are now delivering twelve benefits in Scotland. Seven of these are new and unique. These benefits don’t exist anywhere else in the UK. Ms Sturgeon, for example, referred to the Scottish Child Payment, which they began rolling out last year. It gives targeted support to help lift families with kids out of poverty. Last year, councils delivered pandemic payments of £130 to low-income families. And this year, they are providing help worth £150 to almost three out of every four households in Scotland. For the rest of the benefits, see the SNP’s manifesto 2022.
SNP’s ambitions
Nicola Sturgeon says, “as long as we are in office, the SNP will continue to protect and prioritise its policies.” She added that their plan is not just about protecting the existing cost of living policies. They will use all their powers and resources to deliver as much help as possible (manifesto 2022).
The SNP’s vision for 2032 is for Scotland to be a well-being economy, thriving across economic, social and environmental dimensions. Scotland’s economy will significantly outperform the last decade, both in financial performance and tackling structural economic inequalities (gov. scot).
It says in gov. scot that the SNP’s ambition is for Scotland to become:
Fairer: Ensuring that work pays for everyone through better wages and fair employment, reducing poverty and improving life chances.
Wealthier: Driving an increase in productivity by building an internationally competitive economy founded on entrepreneurship and innovation.
Greener: Demonstrating global leadership in delivering a just transition to a net-zero, nature-positive economy and rebuilding natural capital.
NSET: A fairer, wealthier and greener Scotland
SNP’s actions aim at achieving a prosperous Scotland. As it says in SPICe Spotlight, on 1 March 2022, the Scottish Government published its new 10-year strategy for economic transformation (NSET). The process is to deliver a “well-being economy” for Scotland. The Scottish Government defines a “well-being economy” as follows: “an economy where good, secure and well-paid jobs and growing businesses have delivered a significant poverty reduction”. This vision is to be achieved through five programmes of action: Entrepreneurial People and Culture, New Market Opportunities, Productive Businesses and Regions, Skilled Workforce, and A Fairer and More Equal Society. These feed into three ambitions – for Scotland to be fairer, wealthier, and greener.
Similarly, The Herald says that the SNP finance secretary Kate Forbes launched the economic strategy in Dundee. Ms Forbes said the plan would “ensure Scotland is a fairer, wealthier and greener nation by 2032. She added that they must create the conditions to generate significant, systemic change for achieving the goals. She went on: “The next ten years are decisive. We face a choice – to lead or to lag behind comparable economies. Leadership is a choice, and success is never inevitable.”
Economic vision for Scotland’s ocean resources
Among the SNP’s actions, we can also refer to what the SNP is doing about Scotland’s ocean resources. According to THE NATIONAL, THE Scottish Government has unveiled its long-term ambitions for Scotland’s “blue economy”. It has targets for the sustainable use of the nation’s ocean resources. Scotland enjoys 617,000 square kilometres of marine area. This is seven times greater than the size of the land itself.
Moreover, Scotland has 18,743 kilometres of coastline. The “Blue Economic Vision for Scotland” sets out six critical outcomes for Scotland’s seas and waters to 2045. These aims include ensuring that Scotland’s marine ecosystems are healthy and functioning, making Scotland’s blue economy resilient to climate change and contributing to climate mitigation and adaptation’. Ensuring established and emerging maritime sectors are innovative, productive and internationally competitive; equal access to the benefits of oceans resources for communities, and making sure Scotland is an ocean literate and aware nation.
Westminster is a barrier to Scotland’s progress
The Westminster government is a barrier to SNP’s actions and ambitions. In the SNP Manifesto 2022, Nicola Sturgeon said she is proud of their actions. She added that they are equally determined to further their purpose. She said that “most of the levers and resources needed to tackle the cost of living crisis are in the hands of the Westminster government.” SNP says the party has a plan to help Scotland through this crisis and onwards to a better future. However, the UK Tory government has its head in the sand and is dragging Scotland back.
Final remark
The Tory government’s support to families is struggling with rising bills. The Tories are making things harder for many. They boasted about tax cuts while hiking National Insurance by 10%. Since they took power, the Tories have reduced living standards and family incomes. That is the consequence of Westminster’s control over Scotland (SNP). Westminster government has been harmful to Scotland, while the SNP government has provided numerous services for the Scottish people. The SNP seems to be the appropriate party to create an independent and prosperous Scotland. Scottish people have the right to be independent and make a successful Scotland.