The Party Manifestoes 2024: SNP

Politics  The PDF version of the SNP manifesto still has crop marks around the edge which suggests this is exactly the same file which was sent to the printers.  The back page has a portion of John Sweeney's shoulder against a blue background which is presumably supposed to evoke the saltire.  

It's also very short, just 32 sides of which only 22 have policy detail, the rest just blank pages and chapter headings.  The website has much more detail in relation to policy but it seems designed to cover both bases - at the UK parliament and Scottish Assembly.

For consistency the following is just based on what's in the document launched today and the overall tone is directed towards independence and Scotland which probably accounts for why its so short.  They can't ever govern in the Westminster even if they win every seat so like Plaid Cymru the focus is on what the UK Government can do for Scotland.  

They used to be better at this.  Every section says "SNP MPs will demand the UK Government" which is very People's Front of Judea of them ("We're giving Pilate two days to dismantle the entire apparatus of the Roman Imperialist State, and if he doesn't agree immediately, we execute her") but voters looking at this will see that they've reduced themselves to being a single issue party in this context.  Previous manifestos were more collegiate in terms of how having SNP MPs would help not just Scotland but the whole of the UK.  Hey ho.

The BBC

Not much directly:


This is probably referring to the fact that the Media Bill (or at least that press release) has a whole section about S4C but nothing about Gaelic broadcasting or even Scotland (although judging by Hansard the majority of it was lost during the wash-up).  I could go on again here about how Wales and Scotland both have channels promoting their culture at a granular level but England does not, but this probably isn't the time.  Justice for the Kernewek.


Global Emissions

No particular target is given for net zero.  Some of the demands are a bit weird.


The evidence is that all fossil fuels are killing the planet.  There's also a section about wanting to extend refining at Grangemouth for as long as possible - which I can see from a commerce and employment perspective but dear god man, we're killing the patient.  So much of the Scottish economy is wrapped up in oil and gas I don't know what the answer is.  Incidentally, solar energy doesn't appear even though Scotland has about as many hours of sun as the rest of the UK, and also nothing on cutting subsidies for fossil fuels (that I could see).


Libraries & Film

Nope.  The only section which talks about culture in any detail just covers broadcasting.


Creative Scotland's funding is devolved so it makes sense that that the SNP wouldn't mention these things in a Westminster manifesto.  Unlike Plaid there's no demand for Eurovision independence.


Gender Equality

Not a lot of detail here either.  

It is a bit weird that the intersex community are included but none of the rest of us in the +.  Given recent comments from some Labour MPs and what's in the manifesto, it also doesn't look like Labour will allow the gender ID law to go ahead after the election either.


Democracy

Sixteen and seventeen year olds already have the right to vote in Scotland.  On the other themes:


On voting reform:



Same as Plaid.  

I don't live in Scotland but I do think it should have independence if it's the will of the people.

The Party Manifestos 2024:
The Reform Party.

Politics  Back in when I did this exercise in 2015, I covered UKIP and have been considering whether to bother with their latest iteration, especially since I'm not a media organisation per se and don't have to follow the whims of Ofcom or whoever in relation to balance.  But I am a firm believer in knowing who your enemy is so here we are.  By the way this does not stretch to having that man's face on my blog so find right the contents with its ridiculous typo in the page numbers half way down.  These are not serious people.  This is not a professional party.  Oh god.  Here we go again ...

The BBC


Not much detail here to be honest.


Global Emissions

Considering they want to scrap it, the phrase "net zero" appears twenty-eight times in the Reform manifesto.  There's even a page about it.  Well, half a page if you don't include the dreamy sunset over an oil rig.  This is policy dictated by the Daily Mail.  Unsurprisingly, "The party’s biggest donor last year was Terence Mordaunt, a previous Tory donor, businessman and former chair of the climate change sceptic Global Warming Policy Foundation, whose companies have given £200,000 to Reform." [source: The Guardian].  Basically it's fuck the planet, give us your money.  Fucking grifters.


Solar energy in contrast is mentioned once:


They also talk about subsidies - scrapping subsidies for renewables and anything related to keeping the lights on without fossil fuels.


Libraries

Nope.

Film

Also not mentioned.  In fact there is half a page about culture, but for some reason it's about leaving the WHO, replacing the 2010 Equalities act and a "Free Speech Bill" which seems to be about nothing of the sort:

We want free speech, but only if you agree with us.  They also want to make St George's and St David's Day public holidays (yeah, fuck you St Andrew) and launching an "anti-corruption unit for Westminster" which will "investigate past scandals".  OK.  

There is no beauty here.  


Gender Equality

You can probably guess.


Lesbian, gay, queer, non-binary, asexual or intersex people are not mentioned.  Probably notable:


"My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident, and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home."


Democracy

Do you have to ask?


This doesn't take into account the people who work in numerous jobs and industries for whom it isn't convenient to get to a polling station.