The Scottish National Party (SNP) is set to unveil its manifesto with a strong emphasis on plans for increasing investment in the National Health Service (NHS). Despite healthcare being a devolved issue in Scotland, the budget for it is determined by the UK government, leading the SNP to call for an end to Westminster cuts. SNP leader John Swinney is expected to urge the next UK government to provide at least £10bn extra a year to be invested in the NHS, bringing a much-needed boost of £1.6bn annual funding to healthcare in Scotland.
The upcoming manifesto will also include proposals for additional investment in public services, efforts to counteract the negative implications of Brexit, and support measures for families facing the ongoing cost of living crisis. Scots already benefit from better employment terms than their peers in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales; during strikes in healthcare last year, Scottish nurses, paramedics, and physiotherapists had already received a £575m deal with their unions resulting in salaries better than elsewhere in the UK.
According to the SNP manifesto, further investment in the NHS would result in around £600m, which Scotland could then invest in staff numbers, pay, and conditions. Healthcare services in Scotland have experienced significant cuts with frequent disputes over the amount of money distributed to the Scottish Government. Mr. Swinney is expected to state that the SNP is the only party promoting a left-of-center manifesto. He also attested to Labour’s commitment to further cuts.
As the pandemic continues to wage on, NHS staff has been praised as heroes, yet the Conservative UK government has treated them with complete contempt. Junior doctors have already voted to strike, a situation that their Scottish counterparts avoided last year. According to Mr. Swinney, Labour needs to explain the £3,000 pa gap between pay in Liverpool and Livingston. Jackie Baillie, deputy leader of Scottish Labour, has responded, stating that the SNP has sold the country’s future with years of chaos and decline, leading to some arguing the SNP’s vision is uninspiring
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