golach
20-May-11, 19:18
Here are 10 broken promises by A Salmond & Co promised last time in government, can we trust them now?
1. “reduce class sizes in Primary 1, 2 and 3 to eighteen pupils or less” – SNP
Manifesto, page 52
Promise broken. This pledge has been dumped and by December 2010, over 78% of
children were in the same size class or larger.
2. “match the current [Labour’s] school building programme brick for brick” –
SNP Manifesto, page 53
Promise broken. The SNP have tried to claim credit for opening schools that were
commissioned, paid for and started by the last Labour government. They number of
schools they have commissioned falls significantly below the 250 set out in Labour’s
school building programme – and none are yet open.
3. “The SNP believes there should be an end to the automatic release of
offenders. We support the recent legislation in this area and in government
will drive forward this important area” – SNP Manifesto, page 63
Promise broken. Kenny MacAskill stated in PQ answer on 14
th January: “the draft
budget does not contain specific funds to finance the implementation of section 18 of
the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010”.
4. “scrap the Council Tax” – SNP Manifesto, page 6
Promise broken.
5. “introduce a Local Income Tax set at 3p. This will apply at both the basic and
higher income tax rate and will not be levied on savings income. Second
homes will continue to be liable to local tax and will make the same level of
contribution as present, with payments made through business rates.” – SNP
Manifesto, page 20
Promise broken and withdrawn after extensive criticism.
6. “replace the expensive and discredited Student Loans system with meanstested
student grants” – SNP Manifesto, page 54
Promise broken.
7. “Maintain teacher numbers in the face of falling school rolls to cut class
sizes” – SNP Manifesto, p52
The number of teachers has fallen by nearly 3,000 since 2007 – and the number of
classroom assistants fell too
8. “increase the provision of free nursery education for 3 and 4 year olds by 50
per cent. That means increasing the entitlement from 400 hours a year to
600 hours a year” – SNP Manifesto, SNP Manifesto, page 51
Local authorities had not met the 600 hours target by 2010.
9. “aim to decouple ownership and usage of cars. We will persuade and not
punish car users to use other modes. We will take three specific measures
each of which will bring about a modal shift” – SNP Manifesto, page 26
The Scottish Government website tells us that “The percentage of adults travelling by
car has been consistently around 67%. Following a decrease in 2008 to 66%, the
latest figures show a slight increase - with 67% of adults travelling to work by car or
van in 2009. This has resulted in a borderline arrow change to ‘position worsening’.”
10. “Remove the burden of debt repayments owed to the Student Loans
company by Scottish domiciled and resident graduates” – SNP Manifesto,
page 54
Promise broken. Graduates still paying student loans.
1. “reduce class sizes in Primary 1, 2 and 3 to eighteen pupils or less” – SNP
Manifesto, page 52
Promise broken. This pledge has been dumped and by December 2010, over 78% of
children were in the same size class or larger.
2. “match the current [Labour’s] school building programme brick for brick” –
SNP Manifesto, page 53
Promise broken. The SNP have tried to claim credit for opening schools that were
commissioned, paid for and started by the last Labour government. They number of
schools they have commissioned falls significantly below the 250 set out in Labour’s
school building programme – and none are yet open.
3. “The SNP believes there should be an end to the automatic release of
offenders. We support the recent legislation in this area and in government
will drive forward this important area” – SNP Manifesto, page 63
Promise broken. Kenny MacAskill stated in PQ answer on 14
th January: “the draft
budget does not contain specific funds to finance the implementation of section 18 of
the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010”.
4. “scrap the Council Tax” – SNP Manifesto, page 6
Promise broken.
5. “introduce a Local Income Tax set at 3p. This will apply at both the basic and
higher income tax rate and will not be levied on savings income. Second
homes will continue to be liable to local tax and will make the same level of
contribution as present, with payments made through business rates.” – SNP
Manifesto, page 20
Promise broken and withdrawn after extensive criticism.
6. “replace the expensive and discredited Student Loans system with meanstested
student grants” – SNP Manifesto, page 54
Promise broken.
7. “Maintain teacher numbers in the face of falling school rolls to cut class
sizes” – SNP Manifesto, p52
The number of teachers has fallen by nearly 3,000 since 2007 – and the number of
classroom assistants fell too
8. “increase the provision of free nursery education for 3 and 4 year olds by 50
per cent. That means increasing the entitlement from 400 hours a year to
600 hours a year” – SNP Manifesto, SNP Manifesto, page 51
Local authorities had not met the 600 hours target by 2010.
9. “aim to decouple ownership and usage of cars. We will persuade and not
punish car users to use other modes. We will take three specific measures
each of which will bring about a modal shift” – SNP Manifesto, page 26
The Scottish Government website tells us that “The percentage of adults travelling by
car has been consistently around 67%. Following a decrease in 2008 to 66%, the
latest figures show a slight increase - with 67% of adults travelling to work by car or
van in 2009. This has resulted in a borderline arrow change to ‘position worsening’.”
10. “Remove the burden of debt repayments owed to the Student Loans
company by Scottish domiciled and resident graduates” – SNP Manifesto,
page 54
Promise broken. Graduates still paying student loans.