Our priorities for Scotland

When people tell us they need help during these tough times, the SNP Scottish Government offers action while Westminster offers distraction.

The SNP Scottish Government is resolutely focused on delivering for the people of Scotland. We know people are struggling, which is why the we are focussed on the cost of living and improving people’s lives. In stark contrast, decisions taken at Westminster have made life more difficult for people, families, communities and businesses across the country. Over the next year the SNP will show the people of Scotland – through our actions and our vision – that independence is the fresh start that Scotland needs.

Eradicating child poverty is the First Minister’s top priority. 

The persistence of child poverty is testament to how absolutely Scotland has been failed by Westminster. Meanwhile, the actions taken by the SNP Scottish Government are making a real difference.  The Scottish Child Payment supports the families of over 326,000 children and has issued over £1 billion since its launch in 2021.  Now, the Scottish Government committed to lifting a further 15,000 children out of poverty in 2026 by mitigating the impact of Westminster’s two-child limit in Scotland - a policy that has been seen to be a driving force behind the Chancellor scrapping this cap in the Labour autumn budget from Spring 2026.  While the Joseph Rowntree Foundation predict child poverty will rise in other parts of the UK by 2029, they highlight that SNP policies like the Scottish Child Payment and mitigation of the two-child limit have seen Scotland “bucking the trend.”  

The SNP Government has prioritised economic growth. 

Despite Westminster economic mismanagement, regardless of which party is in charge, the SNP is working to deliver a growing and vibrant economy that works for everyone in Scotland – ensuring that people have access to well-paying jobs, strong public services, and that we have the resources to tackle child poverty. Scotland’s economy outperformed the UK as a whole in 2024, with significant growth recorded in Scotland and we are the top destination in the UK for foreign direct investment outside London – for the tenth year in a row - according to new data from EY. Nearly one in six inward investment projects in the UK last year were secured in Scotland. PwC’s Green Jobs barometer shows that Scotland has the highest proportion of green job adverts of all UK nations and regions - with the size of the green jobs market in Scotland tripling since 2021. 

Public services are an integral part of our daily lives.

The SNP Scottish Government is focussed on taking the action needed to cut waiting lists and make it easier for patients to get access to the treatment they need.   More than 105,500 appointments and procedures were delivered by health boards last year through an additional £30 million of targeted investment. Recent statistics have shown that the number of hip and knee arthroplasty operations reached an all-time high in 2024. New figures show a steep increase in the number of newly qualified paramedics joining the Scottish Ambulance Service, with 360 new recruits joining the service since 2023. Additionally, Scotland's public sector workers are the best paid in the UK with a report by the IFS has found that average pay for public sector workers is notably higher in Scotland than in the UK as a whole.  The SNP government continues to prioritise investment in our children and young people’s education with Scotland having the highest spend per pupil in the UK, the lowest teacher pupil ratio, and continued investment through the Scottish attainment challenge and pupil equity funding.

The SNP Government is dedicated to tackling the climate emergency. 

Scotland has continually shown early and sustained leadership in meeting our climate responsibilities as one of the first countries to declare a climate emergency. Under the SNP, Scotland is halfway to net zero and has already achieved the largest reduction in emissions of any nation in the UK. Scotland’s emissions halved between 1990 and 2022, while our economy has grown by 67%. The 2025-26 Budget almost tripled investment in offshore wind to £150 million, accelerating investment to support the offshore wind sector and underlining the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest up to £500 million over five years and ensure a Just Transition.

IMPACT OF WESTMINSTER

Decisions taken at Westminster have made life more difficult for people, families, communities and businesses across the country.  

The cost of living is still far too high for too many families, who are struggling with the cost of food, the increase in energy bills and the cost of everyday essentials. This has come after years of austerity, a hard Brexit that has been imposed on Scotland and utterly catastrophic economic mismanagement by successive UK Governments, both Labour and Tory. For far too many people the UK economy is broken, and it is clear Westminster doesn’t work for Scotland. It doesn’t have to be that way. Over the next year we will show the people of Scotland – through our actions and our vision – that independence is the fresh start that Scotland needs.

So in May 2026, to ensure you have a government that is working for Scotland, vote SNP.