First Minister John Swinney’s speech on the SNP’s plan for the first 100 days of the next parliament

Good morning, everyone

In ten days’, time, the people of Scotland will choose their next government.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been absolutely loving getting out and about all over the country.

I’ve never seen SNP activists working so hard.

That is because we know what is at stake on May 7th.

Everywhere I go, the message is the same.

People know Scotland is a great country and they are ambitious about our country’s future.

But right now, they are angry and they are anxious.

Angry that the cost of living is so high.

And anxious about the uncertain world that we’re living in.

They want a government that understands their concerns,

And a government that they can trust to be on their side.

Friends,

If there’s one thing more than I want people to know, it is this:

I get it.

I share your anger and your anxiety.

And that is precisely why I am standing to be your First Minister.

I want to use all my experience – and everything I’ve learned during my years of public service – to deliver the best possible future for our country.

To make daily life more affordable and ease the pressure on family budgets.

To continue the improvements in our NHS and making Scotland healthier.

To end the scandal of child poverty in Scotland

And yes, to offer Scotland the chance of the best possible future by becoming an independent country.

And I will tell you something else.

When I look at the chaos unfolding at Westminster at the moment, I feel an extra responsibility to provide trusted, reliable leadership to Scotland.

Two years ago, people trusted Labour to stand up for them and their families.

Look how that has turned out.

Labour repaid that trust with broken promises and with chaos.

In the midst of a cost of living crisis, once again Westminster is nowhere to be seen.

Whether it’s Tory chaos or Labour chaos, Westminster governments always let Scotland down.

But the SNP will always be on Scotland’s side.

And that is why you should vote SNP on May 7th

Friends,

During this campaign, the SNP have been setting out ambitious plans for the next five years.

For parents, a massive expansion in childcare

For first-time buyers, up to £10,000 in support.

For students, a guarantee we will always protect free higher education.

For people heading out to work, a guarantee we will won’t bring back peak rail fares and a will introduce new £2 bus fare cap all across Scotland.

And for anyone struggling to afford nutritious food, a price cap on a basket of essential food items.

For our health service, plans to protect, renew and invest so we can continue driving down waiting times.

And a network of GP walk-in centres across Scotland to help end the 8am rush.

That’s what you can expect from an SNP Government on Scotland’s side

That’s what you get if you vote SNP on May 7th.

Friends,

We have set out ambitious plans for the next five years.

People rightly want to know we are serious about delivering them.

So today, we are publishing a document setting out the actions we would take within the first one hundred days of forming a government.

As the 100 Days paper demonstrates, I am determined that an SNP Government will hit the ground running.

When I say I want to help families with the cost of living, I mean it.

Within 100 days our First Homes Fund, giving up to £10,000 in support to first-time buyers, will be up and running.

And within those 100 days, our aim is that the first two thousands families will have been helped.

That’s an SNP Government – hitting the ground running for Scotland.

When I say I am serious about making healthy food affordable for people, I mean it.

I want the price cap on essential items to be in place by the end of the year.

Within 100 days, we will publish the draft legislation.

Including proposals, to be developed in partnership with representatives of farmers and food producers, to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that costs are not passed on to them.

That’s an SNP Government – hitting the ground running for Scotland.

When I say I want to make bus travel more affordable for people, I mean it.

Bus fares are already capped a £2 in the Highlands and Islands

And we’re going to extend that all across Scotland.

Within the first one hundred days, we will extend the £2 bus fare cap to Glasgow, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Inverclyde.

Help for commuters.

Help for the planet.

That is an SNP Government – hitting the ground running for Scotland.

When I say I want to continue improving healthcare in Scotland, I mean it.

I announced plans for GP walk-in centres last October, and they are already popping up all over Scotland – open 7 days a week until 8pm.

Within 100, we’ll open at least five more clinics, and we’ll announce the location of 14 more.

In in our hospitals, we’ll set out additional investment to reduce waiting times and waiting lists and deliver 50,000 operations and procedures within the first 100 days.

That’s an SNP Government – hitting the ground running for Scotland.

When I say I want to continue improving education in our schools, I mean it

Within one hundred days, we’ll being consulting on legislation on phone free classrooms

And we will work with education authorities to update guidance to encourage a ban to take place from the start of the new school year in August.

That’s an SNP Government – hitting the ground running for Scotland.

Friends,

Part of the anger and anxiety that people feel right now is down to us not being in control of events.

People can see that Scotland has an incredible amount of energy wealth

And they rightly ask why, in this cost of living crisis, they are not feeling the benefit of that wealth.

The SNP share that anger.

It’s one of the many reasons we are determined to give the people of Scotland the chance of a fresh start for Scotland with independence.

Every day Scotland remains under Westminster control is a day of missed opportunity.

A day we continue to lag behind the neighbouring countries all around Scotland that are doing better than the UK.

The people of Scotland must have the chance to become an independent country as soon as is practical.

So I can confirm today that on the first sitting day after the appointment of the new government, we will bring forward a vote of the Scottish Parliament to approve the development of a Section 30 to give Scotland the power to hold an independence referendum.

The parliament chosen by the people of Scotland, will have the chance to represent the democratic will of the people of Scotland.

Within the first hundred days, we will publish the draft Referendum Bill.

We propose that the question, as in 2014, is: ‘Should Scotland be an independent country? Yes or No.’

Friends,

Don’t let anyone tell you nothing is at stake in this election.

Scotland has the chance of a brighter future with independence.

And we will give the people that choice.

That’s what you get when you vote SNP on May 7th.

Friends, there is of course a flip side to this.

And this is what happens if you don’t vote SNP.

During this campaign, the SNP is the only party setting out a serious programme for government.

Every other party has spent campaign talking about themselves.

Talking about each other

And talking about the SNP.

But they never talk about you – the people of Scotland.

In this election, they’re asking you to vote for an opposition to stop things happening.

I’m asking you to vote for a SNP government to get things done for you. 

That’s what at stake on May 7th.

The SNP want to lower your bills

Other parties want to stop us

The SNP want to roll out GP walk-in clinics across Scotland.

Other parties want to stop us

The SNP want you to have the right to decide on your future.

The other parties want to stop us.

The best way to ensure we can deliver for you is by electing a majority SNP Government.

That will lock out Nigel Farage and ensure his Scottish cronies don’t have any influence in the Scottish Parliament.

And it will unlock the path to people choosing a fresh start with independence.

For these, and many other reasons, I am asking you to give both votes to the SNP on May 7th.

Friends

This election is hugely important.

Life is tough for many people in Scotland right now

But I know that we have what it takes to get through these challenges together.

A better Scotland is possible

But we have to make it happen

It is in your hands

So on May 7th

Vote for the best possible future for Scotland.

Vote for experienced, trusted leadership

Vote for a government always on Scotland’s side

On May 7th, make it both votes SNP.