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Salmond lays out vision for SNP | |
(1 day later) | |
Nationalist leader Alex Salmond said his party could hold a second referendum on independence if voters reject the idea the first time. | |
Speaking at the Scottish National Party's manifesto launch in Edinburgh, he said a referendum on independence remained a key election pledge. | |
He said priority would be given to cutting primary class sizes and keeping the NHS at the heart of communities. | |
The SNP also plans to replace the council tax with a local income tax. | |
Mr Salmond said this would give pensioners and most families the "biggest tax cut in a generation". | |
What we need is a government that will lead on the people's priorities to build a better, more successful Scotland Alex SalmondSNP leader class="" href="/1/hi/scotland/6548927.stm">Alex Salmond declares 'it's time' | |
The local tax would be set at 3p in the pound and high earners would pay more. | |
Speaking at the launch, Mr Salmond said only the top 10% of earners would pay more under their system. | |
He said: "The council tax is deeply oppressive, deeply unfair. We see that, virtually everyone in Scotland I meet knows that. | |
"It's wrong and we're going to abolish it." | |
He said the local income tax, based on earnings, would be "inherently a much, much fairer system than a charge based on property prices". | |
However, it is unclear as to whether Scotland would still get the money it currently receives from the Treasury for council tax benefits. | |
The SNP has renewed its pledge to scrap the council tax | |
The SNP leader added that the proposed new tax would only apply to earned income, so would not include savings. | |
The party also proposes to raise the police presence in communities and a 20% increase in funding for drugs treatment as well as £10m for drugs education in schools. | |
The manifesto restates the party's opposition to new nuclear power stations, pledging a £98m investment in renewable power. | |
The SNP also proposes; | |
The Nationalists would also abolish tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges and give first-time buyers a £2,000 grant to help them own their own home. | |
"What we need is a government that will lead on the people's priorities to build a better, more successful Scotland," Mr Salmond added. | |
READ THE MANIFESTO SNP manifesto programme[338 KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here | |
He said that if voters rejected the idea of independence in 2010 there could be another referendum if the people of Scotland supported the SNP in a subsequent election. | |
Mr Salmond said the manifesto represented "a programme and a case for Scotland, a can-do programme for Scotland. A programme of fresh thinking and new ideas and a programme for a real Scottish government". | |
He added that he hoped it would give the SNP the track record and credibility in government that the party needed to win an independent referendum. | |
To implement the manifesto policies, Mr Salmond said his preference would be to form a coalition government. | |
England's pal | |
But he refused to rule out the possibility of a minority SNP administration. | |
"I would go into those negotiations anticipating success, because my preference is for coalition government," Mr Salmond said. | |
"I'm not making a condition of a coalition, other parties who don't believe in independence sign up for independence. | |
"I'm only asking that they allow the Scottish people to decide the issues." | |
He also insisted England would be Scotland's "biggest pals" if it became independent. |
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