SNP’S ALTERNATIVE QUEEN’S SPEECH
12-POINT PLAN TO PROTECT NHS, END AUSTERITY, TACKLE CLIMATE EMERGENCY, AND ENSURE SCOTLAND'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE OUR OWN FUTURE
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has published its Alternative Queen's Speech, a twelve-point plan to protect the NHS, end austerity, tackle the climate emergency and ensure Scotland has the right to choose its own future in an independence referendum.
Patricia Gibson MP said the ambitious programme to boost the economy, protect public services, tackle poverty, deliver real action on climate change, and respect Scotland's right to choose, stands in stark contrast to the Tory Queen's Speech, which would take Scotland out of the EU and "a wrecking ball" to public services, living standards, and the economy.
SNP proposals include:
An Independence referendum - ensuring Scotland’s right to choose our own future is respected.
An NHS Protection Bill – stopping any threat to the NHS from a Tory-Trump trade deal.
A Parental Leave Expansion Bill – to increase parental leave with an additional 12 weeks ring-fenced for the father in order to encourage take-up, together with increases in statutory maternity and paternity pay.
An Equal Living Wage Bill – to increase the national minimum wage to at least the level of the real Living wage, ending age discrimination in the legal minimum wage.
A Social Security Reform Bill – to scrap the two-child cap on tax credits and rape clause, to end the benefits freeze, and halt the flawed roll out of Universal Credit.
A Women’s Pension Justice Bill – to deliver justice for the 3.8million women born in the 1950s denied their pension by consecutive UK governments.
A Climate Emergency Bill – introducing tougher legal targets, to ensure the UK government matches Scotland’s net zero emissions target by 2045, while putting oil and gas receipts into a net-zero fund for measures to tackle climate change.
A new Green Energy Deal – delivering real action on the climate emergency by building on the transition toward a greener, sustainable future.
A BBC Licence Fee Bill – to ensure the BBC licence fee remains free for over-75s.
An Electoral Franchise Expansion Bill – to extend the franchise to introduce votes at 16 in general elections, as already introduced by the SNP for Holyrood elections.
A House of Lords Abolition Bill – to abolish the unelected and undemocratic House of Lords.
A Trident Abolition Bill - rejecting the immoral replacement of nuclear weapons at a cost of over £200billion.
The SNP won a landslide victory in Scotland at the general election, winning 80% of seats on a mandate for an independence referendum. In contrast, the Tories lost more than half their seats in Scotland - and came 20-points behind the SNP in the vote.
Commenting, Patricia Gibson MP said:
"Last week, Scotland voted overwhelmingly to reject Boris Johnson and his plans for Brexit and austerity.
"Yet, Scotland now faces five more years of a UK Tory Government we didn't elect, imposing damaging policies we do not want, which would take Scotland out of the EU and take a wrecking ball to our NHS, living standards and the economy.
"The SNP Alternative Queen's Speech sets out our priorities to ensure Scotland's right to choose our own future is respected, protect our NHS, end austerity, boost our economy and deliver real action to tackle the climate emergency.
"SNP MPs will provide the strong and united opposition to the Tories that the country as we seek to build a fairer, greener, more equal and prosperous society.”
