SNP Wins Overall Parliamentary Majority

Last week’s Scottish elections saw a historic victory for the SNP who won a majority of parliamentary seats, returning Alex Salmond to the position of First Minister for a second term.

This is the first time that any party has won an overall majority since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament.

The results have led to the resignation of the three Scottish leaders of the main opposition parties: Annabel Goldie (Conservatives), Ian Gray (Labour), and Tavish Scott (Liberal Democrats).

The election has produced 7 new MSPs for Glasgow with some surprise wins for the SNP in traditional Labour seats, such as Glasgow Shettleston. The following commitments, of interest to the voluntary sector, were contained in the SNP manifesto:

• Community empowerment bill
• Maintain free prescriptions and protect free eye tests.
• National strategy on housing for older people.
• Maintain free personal care for the elderly and expand entitlement to Telecare
• £14m to support carers from 2012-13.
• £10m for 4 year autism strategy.
• Take forward plan to boost adult literacy.
• 100,000 training opportunities each year, including 25,000 modern apprenticeships. (46,500 training opportunities in 2011-12, including 7,000 flexible training opportunities).
• £10m investment in 2,000 new work opportunities for young people in voluntary sector
• Scottish Futures Fund, focusing on young people and early years
• Maintain funding for Scottish Women's Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland
• Consult on issues of same-sex marriage and registration of civil partnerships 
• Free university education.
• Retention of secured tenancies at affordable rents.
• Freeze on Council Tax for 5 years and consult on new system based on ability to pay.

Scotland’s new MSPs

SNP manifesto

Tags: Glasgow News, Policy, Scottish Government