Half-price energy, broadband & mobile bills with SNP’s social tariff

First Minister and SNP Leader John Swinney has confirmed that SNP MPs will put forward plans for a social tariff to drive down energy, broadband and mobile bills for the most hard pressed consumers – delivering discounted bills for people who are on a low income, disabled or elderly.

Campaigning in Stornoway, Mr Swinney said that the SNP manifesto will take the centre-left values of the majority of people in Scotland and apply them to the challenges of the modern day – extending the social safety net to cover key issues such as energy.

The social tariff would be funded from a combination of general taxation and by top slicing the profits of energy companies.

The SNP believes that there are certain things that every citizen should have access to as a right. These include healthcare free at the point of need, a social security safety net, pensions for older people, and free education including free university tuition.

Now, it is time that to recognise that these rights need to go further, to reflect the realities of the modern world.

And energy is the perfect example. The whole country has been hammered by high fuel bills.

The Westminster government has the powers over fuel bills that we need to see real action – so the SNP’s manifesto proposes plans to extend the safety net to fuel.

That can be done through the introduction of a social tariff for energy bills, so people on a low income, disabled or elderly, they should get discounted fuel bills.

Campaigners have backed a half-price tariff which is a good start to achieve this aim. And the SNP also believes the costs should be met from a combination of general taxation and top slicing the profits of energy companies making massive amounts of money at the expense of ordinary people.

That simple measure would make a massive impact in places like the Western Isles and across Scotland, but this principle should apply to more than just energy.

Connectivity – fast broadband and good mobile phone connections – are also critical to modern life. In fact, in rural Scotland and the islands, it is now critical to the whole future of their economies.

As more and more people work from home, at least part of the week, people often literally cannot do their job without a good internet connection.

That’s why, to help people get jobs, keep jobs and keep more of their hard-earned cash, the SNP believes there should be a social tariff for broadband and mobile charges too.

Such a social tariff policy is one that takes the traditional left-of-centre politics of our country whilst applying it to the challenges Scotland faces now, in the modern world.

Every SNP MP elected on the 4th of July will be an advocate for a social tariff to half the price of energy, broadband & mobile bills.