The leader of the Independent Social Democrats, Saunders16, today launched the manifesto of the Scottish Social Democrats, his grouping’s new Scottish devolved branch.



In a statement made at half nine on Tuesday Evening, the leader of the new group introduced the new grouping to the public. He noted his party’s success in the recent Oxfordshire and Berkshire by-election, where his party narrowly won out against the incumbent ContrabannedtheMC, a founding member of the People’s Movement. He explained this meant “there is still an appetite for the centre-left values that are under threat by the coalition government”.



The leader launched an attack on the Scottish Government, calling out the Greens on being complacent in their role and taking “their power for granted”, and on Duncs11, the Scottish leader for the Classical Liberals, critisizing him for “enabling” the government.



The Front Page of the Manifesto

The manifesto, “More Unity, More Equality, More Success”, has been released in the run up to the Devolved Elections, which are due to take place on 13th June.



Economically speaking, the manifesto attacks the right-wing economics of the Classical Liberals and Conservatives, and supports a “fairer” and “simpler” income tax, with lower rates and wider tax brackets on all levels. The party wishes the replace council tax and non-domestic rates with a land value tax, which is something the Classical Liberal Party has passed through the Scottish Parliament.



The SSD aim to “stand up for scottish interests”, pushing for further devolution and “keeping the option open” for indyref2, citing Brexit and the Welfare Referedum as its main reasons for this nationalistic stance, but also recognises the “uncertainty and division” that a referendum would bring.



In public services, the SSD take a mixed view, both interested in free school meals and to stop the nationalisation of private hospitals. Saunders16 also wants Scotland to catch up with England in terms of the mental health reforms he introduced during the Liberal Government.



The party is seemingly committed to the enviornment, wishing to ban fracking in Scotland, to devolve a carbon tax so it can be at least £50 a tonne and to work across the Parliament to ensure Scotland meets environmental targets.

Finally, the SSD takes a liberal view in regards to social issues, attacking many recent government policies such as raising the voting age and the controversial Policing Bill, both introduced in a mass-submission of bills by ggeogg, Minister without Portfolio. The party opposes the existence of minimum sentences and favours rehabilitative methods over sentencing.



The Scottish Social Democrats will be running in June’s Scottish Elections

All in all, this is the sort of manifesto that was expected from the Social Democrats. It takes a centrist view on most matters, however struggles to entirely differentiate itself and make itself stand out, looking to become Scotland’s third way, as many parties have done before it.



Sir Duncs11, Leader of the Scottish delegation to Holyrood responded to a question from a Daily Telegraph reporter about the manifesto by saying:



I’m used to our economic policies being attacked. I disagree, but such is politics. What I will not be so polite about is the accusation of “enabling” the Greens in Government. My delegation have been a strong opposition throughout the term, holding them firmly to account. We’ve also passed numerous pieces of vital legislation, some of which as SSD policy, so their accusation we only talk about the union doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny. Duncs11

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZhOeb0PPD6Q7PY1w7etEZeg4eqT7cLJW/view

Meta: This article was not written by model-pjr, the MP.