The 2015 Manifestos - Local Government,

Devolution and Parliament

April 2015

Dods Monitoring

Contents - Local government, devolution and

Parliament

Introduction

Plaid Cymru

Labour

Green Party

Conservative

Liberal Democrat

UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Scottish National Party (SNP)

Introduction

Devolution, both across the UK borders as well as down to a regional and council level, is a core theme of

the parties’ manifestos as they seek to convince voters of their willingness to secede increasing powers

away from Whitehall.

All three main parties (Con, Labour and Lib Dem) make commitments around transfer of funding to city

and county regions. Under the Conservatives, cities that choose to have an elected mayor will gain pow-

ers over economic development, transport and social care, whilst Labour propose that councils would

gain control over local transport systems, skills, employment, housing and business support.

The latter also propose a new English Regional Cabinet Committee.

Miliband has also put forward their proposed English Devolution Act that would see the transfer of

£30bn of funding to city and county regions, which would retain 100 per cent of additional business rates

raised in their areas. The Conservatives have pledged that councils in Cambridgeshire, Greater Manches-

ter and Cheshire East would keep 100 per cent of local growth in rates.

The Liberal Democrats also echo similar pledges, with commitments to ensure more economic decision-

making is transferred to local areas, particularly in housing, infrastructure, skills, employment and

transport. On the latter, this would include the ability to introduce network-wide ticketing such as in Lon-

don.

Under the Liberal Democrats, councils would be able to borrow money to build affordable housing and

have full control of the right to buy.

For their devolved parliamentary colleagues, Labour would implement the Smith Commission Agreement,

giving more powers over tax, welfare and jobs to Scotland, while Wales would receive a fairer funding

settlement.

The Conservative have pledged to pursue their English votes for English laws commitment, seeing MPs

having a veto over matters only affecting England, while more powers would be devolved to governments

in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland – which would again benefit from implementation of the Smith

Commission Agreement. The Green Party propose that the Welsh Assembly becomes a parliament with

powers equal to the Scottish government and they have also suggested an assembly for Cornwall is intro-

duced.

Among its commitments, UKIP have said it would review the statutory duties central government places

on local government aims to reduce the burden on councils whilst the Barnett Formula would be replaced

with a system that results in substantial reductions in funding for Scotland.

By Hannah French UK Client Manager

Plaid Cymru Click here to read the full manifesto.

Devolved Governments The party wants to see the full transfer to the Welsh Government of the powers recommended in both reports by the Commission on Devolution in Wales as quickly as possible. Its proposed reserved powers model would set out which powers were devolved or remained reserved to Westminster. (p7) Plaid Cymru will push for a written constitution for Wales which will be guided by its citizens. (p7) The British-Irish Council should develop further to improve relationships and co-operation between the countries of these islands, with a roving EU-type presidency between them and formal structures for better co-operation on shared assets and developing the Common Travel Area. (p7) Plaid Cymru are calling for the following powers to become Welsh government responsibilities immedi-ately: Policing; Criminal Justice and the courts; Sentencing, Legal Aid, Crown; Prosecution Service and judi-

ciary; Prison service and probation service; Public Sector pay and conditions; Elements of Social Pro-tection; Additional Planning Powers; Broadcasting; Natural Resources and Energy; All licensing and oversight powers for the exploitation of natural resources; The Crown Estate; Water, including sew-erage; Ports and harbours; Maritime Coastguard Agency; Wales and Border rail franchise; Network Rail operations in Wales; Speed limits and drink drive limits; Bus and taxi regulation (p7)

Plaid want to increase the number of Assembly Members and decreasing the number of Members of Par-

liament and will increase resources to electoral registration officers. (p43)

Parliament The party will encourage engagement by lowering the voting age to 16 and introducing compulsory citi-

zenship classes in schools and colleges. (p43)

In principle, the party support English Votes for English Laws. However, Welsh MPs must be able to vote

upon any issue which affects the people of Wales or the Welsh Government’s finances. (p43)

They want to see an elected House of Lords, elected by Single Transferable Vote. (p43)

On lobbying, Plaid Cymru will remove part two of the Lobbying Act and will ensure that the lobbying sys-

tem is genuinely transparent with appropriate access to all. (p43)

Public services and finances The party will create a Welsh Civil Service, with a Welsh Civil Service training system, based on interna-

tional best practice. (p43)

Labour Click here to read the full manifesto.

Local Government

Labour will devolve powers to city and county regions to encourage locally led economic growth. (p62)

Responsibility for health care, schools, policing, skills, transport and housing will be devolved where possible and wanted, with an emphasis on “a model of citizenship based on participation and shared re-sponsibility” encouraged. (p62) Local authorities will be encouraged to become more innovative in their delivery of public services. (p62) Labour will legislate for an English Devolution Act, devolving £30bn back to city and county regions along with delivering new powers over “economic development, skills, employment, housing, and business support” and local transport authorities. (p64) Labour will deliver a fairer funding mechanism for local authorities. An English Regional Cabinet Com-mittee and local Public Accounts Committee will be established to work closely with local authorities as well as scrutinising the use of public funds, respectively. (p64) The general public will be given a “stronger voice in shaping the future” of their communities and public services, particularly in the NHS. (p65) Housing powers to Councils

The party will give local authorities powers to reduce the number of empty homes, including higher

council tax on long term empty properties. (p46)

The party will introduce greater transparency in the land market and give local authorities new ‘use it or

lose it’ powers to encourage developers to build. (p46)

Labour will give local authorities the power to give first call to first time buyers on new homes in areas of

housing growth. (p46)

Public services and finances

Labour will “further develop digital government” and encourage more collaboration amongst govern-ment services. They will also make “digital government more inclusive, transparent and accounta-ble.” (p62) Parliament

Labour will reduce the voting age to 16 years old and the party will further support the National Citizens Service and ‘Step up to Service’ campaign by encouraging volunteering amongst young people. (p63)

Green Party

Click here to read the full manifesto.

Local Government The Green Party calls for a Constitutional Convention, and supports greater devolution and tax-raising

powers for local authorities. (p60)

“Introduce referendums on local government decisions if called for by 20 per cent of the local elec-

torate.”

Permit local government to increase council tax without the use of local referendums. (p59)

Devolved Governments Labour will deliver the Smith Agreement in full whilst legislating for a Home Rule Bill to deliver further powers to Holyrood over welfare, jobs and tax and maintain the Barnett formula. (p65) Labour will put Welsh devolution on the same statutory basis as Scottish devolution, with a clear princi-ple that powers are devolved unless specifically reserved, and that a Welsh legislature is a permanent fea-ture of constitutional arrangements. (p66) Labour will take forward proposals from the Silk Commission to extend the power the people of Wales have over their elections, transport and energy. (p66) Labour will introduce an all-Wales Policing Plan and establish a fair funding settlement for Wales, with the guarantee of a funding floor. (p66) A Labour Government will engage proactively with the Northern Ireland Executive to support continued political progress, and will ensure the economic pact between the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive is focused on stimulating jobs and growth. The party will continue to work with the Irish Gov-ernment to secure peace in Northern Ireland. (p66) The House of Lords would be replaced with an elected Senate of the Nations and Regions. (p64) Labour will cap individual donations to political parties. (p63) The party will ensure that the transition to the individual electoral registration system “does not leave millions unregistered. (p63) Labour will repeal the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administra-tion Act and MPs will be banned from holding paid directorships and consultancies and set up a Consti-tutional Convention to reform the governance of the UK as well as the role of English MPs. (p64)

Establish an independent commission to consider the retention of revenue raised by local

councils and how this should be distributed. (p59)

Central government funding would be made available to pay for all statutory local services,

local government would be allowed to set their own business rates to pay for discretionary activities

whilst Local councils would be given the ability to introduce new local levies, fines and charges which

they would be able to keep part or all of the revenue collected. (p59)

The New Homes Bonus would be removed and reallocated to the Revenue Support Grant. (p59)

PFI schemes would not be entered into and local councils will be allowed to borrow in order to fund lo-

cal capital investments. (p59)

Responsibility for education will be returned to local authorities and they will increase local govern-

ment funding by £10bn. (p59)

Parliament The party commit to repeal the Lobbying Act 2014 and supports state funding of political parties. (p62)

Support a written constitution and will reform the voting system by introducing the Additional Member

System and establish a directly elected House of Lords using a PR system and limiting Members to one

ten year term. (p58)

Reduce the voting age to 16 years old and introduce state funding of political parties (p58)

The party will ensure all lobbying is fully registered and disclosed and repeal the Transparency of Lobby-

ing, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014. (p58)

The Green Party will seek to a 50:50 gender balance in parliament by 2025. They would introduce the

recalling of MPs should it receive the support 20 per cent of the local electorate. (p58)

Devolved Governments Establish an Assembly for Cornwall and the party will increase powers at all levels in Wales. (p60)

Public services and finances The party will legislate for a Public Service Users Bill to renationalise certain sectors of the economy. (p57)

Conservative Click here to read the full manifesto. Devolved Government The Conservatives will revise parliamentary procedure to ensure matters effecting only England or England and Wales have the support of English and Welsh MPs, including on issues such as Income Tax, and will deliver the Smith Commission in full. (p70) The Barnett Formula will be retained and seek agreement with the Scottish Government on how to adjust the block grant following the devolution of tax powers. (p70) Devolve Corporation Tax powers to Northern Ireland once the commitments on finance, efficiencies and welfare reform have been fulfilled. (p71) The Conservatives will deliver the recommendations made in the second Silk Report and devolve control of the Welsh Assembly itself to Wales – voting age, elections, electoral system and Assembly name. (p70) The party will increase the financial accountability of the Welsh Assembly to the people of Wales. (p71) The Conservatives will continue to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). (p71) The party will continue to work towards delivering the Stormont House Agreement in full. (p71) Local Government The Conservatives will devolve far-reaching powers over economic development, transport and social care to large cities which choose to have elected mayors. (p13) The party will legislate to deliver the historic deal for Greater Manchester, which will devolve powers and budgets and lead to the creation of a directly elected Mayor for Greater Manchester. (p13) The party will pilot allowing local councils to retain 100 per cent of growth in business rates, so they reap the benefit of decisions that boost growth locally. (p13) The party will rebalance the economy, build a Northern Powerhouse and back elected metro mayors. (p7) The party will pilot allowing local councils to retain 100 per cent of growth in business rates, so they reap the benefit of decisions that boost growth locally. (p13) The party will devolve further powers over skills spending and planning to the Mayor of London. (p13) The Conservatives will deliver more bespoke Growth Deals with local councils, where locally supported, and back Local Enterprise Partnerships to promote jobs and growth. (p13)

The Conservatives will continue to support keeping Council Tax low and require councils to

hold local referendums should they wish to increase it beyond 2 per cent. (p53)

The party will encourage councils to work together in initiatives such as Troubled Families

Programme and Better Care Fund to integrate and better deliver public services. (p53)

The party will encourage councils “to help manage public land and buildings, and will give them at least a

10 per cent stake in public sector land sales in their area.” (p53)

The Conservatives will review how ring-fencing and Whitehall burdens can be reduced. (p53)

The party will provide financial incentives will be provided to encourage councils to promote economic

growth such as retention of more of the revenue raised through business rates. (p53)

The party will support Business Improvement Districts to bring about greater collaboration on local issues.

(p53)

The party will support local communities in tackling aggressive parking enforcement and excessive park-

ing charges, and take steps to tackle rogue and unfair practices by private parking operators.” (p53)

Parliament The party will not prioritise introducing an elected element into the House of Lords. (p49) Votes for life will be introduced by the party, scrapping the rule that bars British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from voting. (p49) The party will reduce the number of MPs to 600. (p49) The party will implement the boundary reforms that Parliament has already approved and make them apply automatically once the Boundary Commission reports in 2018. (p49) The Conservatives will introduce English votes for English laws, and keep First Past the Post for elections to the House of Commons. (p49)

Public service and finance The party will continue to reduce government spending by one per cent each year in real

terms for the first two full financial years of the next Parliament, the same rate as over the last five years.

(p8)

The party commit to move into surplus in 2018-19, with the Government taking in more than it is spend-

ing for the first time in 18 years. (p9)

The party will scale-up social impact bonds and payment-by-results in the future, focusing on youth un-

employment, mental health and homelessness. (p45)

Unneeded government property will continue to be sold off and services co-located wherever possible.

(p49)

The Conservatives commit to moving more services online and ensuring digital assistance is always availa-

ble for those who are not online. (p49)

The party will find £13bn from departmental savings. (p8)

Liberal Democrat

Click here to read the full manifesto.

Devolved Governments The party will deliver Home Rule for Scotland by implementing the Smith Commission proposals in full in

the first session of the next Parliament. (p134)

The Liberal Democrats will implement the remaining Silk Part 1 proposals on financial powers for Wales.

(p134)

The party will implement the Silk Part 2 proposals by: transferring powers from the UK Parliament to the

National Assembly over S4C, sewerage, transport, teachers’ pay, youth justice, policing and in the longer

term other justice powers; devolve funding of Network Rail in relation to the Wales network; strengthen

the capacity of the National Assembly to scrutinise legislation and hold the Welsh Government to ac-

count; and allow the Welsh Government to set its own bank holidays. (p134)

The party will provide for a Welsh Parliament, preventing Westminster from being able to override

Wales on devolved matters, and devolving the power to amend electoral arrangements for the Assembly

and local elections in Wales with a two thirds majority. (p134)

The party will give the Children’s Commissioner for Wales the power to examine issues that affect chil-

dren in Wales but are not within the control of the Welsh Government. (p134)

The party will keep under review the prospect of further devolution of fiscal powers to the Northern

Ireland Assembly. (p135)

The party commits to promote a strong mechanism for working constructively with civic society in

Northern Ireland. (p135)

The party will support changes to the powers and internal mechanisms of the Northern Ireland Assem-

bly that reinforce the development of normal, democratic principles and enhances the creation of a

shared future beyond sectarianism and division. (p135)

The party will work with the political parties in Northern Ireland to tackle the cost of division and ensur-

ing all Government policies in Northern Ireland support the aim of a genuine Shared Future for all.

(p135)

The party will retain the Barnett formula. (p136)

Parliament

The Liberal Democrats will cap donations to political parties at £10,000 per person each

year, and introduce wider reforms to party funding along the lines of the 2011 report of

the Committee on Standards in Public Life. (p131)

The party will introduce votes at age 16 for elections and referendums across the UK, and make it easier

to register to vote in schools and colleges. (p132)

The Liberal Democrats will reform the House of Lords with a ‘proper democratic mandate’, starting from

the proposals in the 2012 Bill. (p132)

The party will reform the voting systems for elections to local government and Westminster to ensure

more proportional representation. (p132)

The party commit to introduce the Single Transferable Vote for local government elections in England

and for electing MPs across the UK, and reduce the number of MPs. (p132)

The party will cancel the boundary review due to report in 2018. (p132)

The party will explore options to strengthen and simplify the voting rights of UK citizens living abroad.

(p132)

The party will work with the broadcasters to formalise the process for Leaders' Debates in General Elec-

tions, helping ensure they happen and setting a clear threshold for those eligible to participate. (p132)

The party will strengthen and expand the lobbying register and prohibit MPs from accepting paid lobby-

ing work, and consider the work of the independent reviewer into the impact of third party spending

regulations. (p132)

The party will require political parties to include the cost of staffing in their national expense limits in

the same way as third parties now do. (p132)

The party will strengthen the role of MPs in amending the Budget and scrutinising government spending

proposals. (p132)

The party will establish a review to pave the way for MP job-sharing arrangements. (p132)

The Liberal Democrats will implement a House Business committee to ensure that Parliament and not

the executive decides the Parliamentary timetable, ending the ‘talking out’ of private members’ business.

(p132)

The party commits to a full review of Parliamentary procedures, which should formally recognise indi-

vidual political parties not just Government and Opposition. (p132)

Public service and finances

The party’s objective is to eradicate the structural current budget deficit by 2017/18 and

have debt falling as a percentage of national income. (p17)

The party will limit reductions in departmental spending to less than half the rate agreed for 2015/16.

(p18)

The Liberal Democrats will also follow a fiscal rule that over the economic cycle they will balance the

overall budget, no longer borrowing to pay for everyday expenditure. However, the party will ensure

that provided the debt rule is met, the government will be able to borrow for capital spending that en-

hances economic growth or financial stability. (p19)

The party will use central government public procurement policy as a tool of local growth and communi-

ty development and will continue work to open up public procurement to small and medium-sized com-

panies and to the voluntary sector. (p26)

They will develop platforms on which government can provide feedback on its suppliers to help quality

providers to grow and will extend Freedom of Information laws to cover private companies delivering

public services. (p26)

The party will improve consumer protections in public services, with a review of complaints handling processes, exploring the options of mirroring the private sector ‘super-complaint’ system in the public sector and reforms to the current system of ombudsmen. (p51) The party will continue and expand the What Works Network to promote evidence-based policy mak-ing, establish an incubator for social enterprises developing innovative solutions to policy problems and expand the use of public competitions to encourage innovation in public services. (p51) The party will require the highest standards of data protection by public service providers, including requiring that where data is used for research purposes it must be anonymised wherever possible, and impose a moratorium on the creation of new government databases without Parliamentary authority. (p51) The party commit to spreading mutual structures and employee participation through the public sector.

(p138)

The party commits to maintaining and developing the Government Digital Service, and the principle of

Digital by Default in public services, pressing ahead with plans to extend this to local government. (p36)

Local Government The party will introduce a ‘community trigger’ mechanism to enable the public to require a review of the provision of a particular service being delivered consistently poorly. (p51) The party will work with Local Authorities to bring services together at a local level to provide a better service to citizens, and support users in pooling their personal budgets into mutual support arrange-ments. (p51) The party will increase the number of Neighbourhood, Community and Parish Councils and promote

tenant management in social housing. (p138)

The Liberal Democrats will build on the Regional Growth Fund and continue it throughout the next Par-

liament. (p26)

The party will devolve more economic decision-making to local areas, building on the success of City

Deals and Growth Deals, prioritising the transfer of transport, housing and infrastructure funding, skills

training and back-to-work support. (p26)

The party will reduce the powers of ministers to interfere in democratically elected local government.

(p136)

The party will establish a government process to deliver greater devolution of financial responsibility to

English Local Authorities, and any new devolved bodies in England, building on the work of the Inde-

pendent Commission on Local Government Finance. (p136)

Local Government and Housing/Planning

A £100 discount in Council Tax will be offered for 10 years for properties that are insulated. (p95)

The Homes and Communities Agency, along with local authorities, will be required to develop unwanted

public sector land for homes. (p96)

Local authorities will be required to formulate a 15 year plan on addressing local housing need, working

with neighbouring authorities where appropriate. (p96)

A Community Right of Appeal will be introduced when authorities grant decisions which go against al-

ready established local plans. Developers will not be permitted to appeal “against planning decisions

that are in line with the local plan.” (p97)

The party will “not allow planning appeals solely on the basis of challenges to the 15-year master

plan.” (p96)

The Liberal Democrats will put an emphasis on responding to housing demand and on particular types

of properties, as well as requiring local authorities to focus on ensuring properties suitable for the elderly

are available in their areas. (p97)

Local Government and Housing/Planning Local authorities will be required to establish a register for local people interested in self-builds

and for plans to be set out on how to meet this demand. (p97)

They commit that local authorities will be able to apply conditions on any new developments to prevent

ghost homes. (p97)

They commit that local authorities will be allowed to charge up to 200 per cent of Council Tax on second

homes. (p97)

Local authorities will be permitted to borrow to build affordable homes and will have full control over

Right to Buy. (p99)

The party will protect high streets and consumers by granting new powers to Local Authorities to re-

duce the proliferation of betting shops and substantially reducing the maximum stakes for Fixed Odds

Betting Terminals. (p50)

The party will strengthen community rights to run local public services, and protect community assets

like pubs by bringing forward a Community Right to Buy. (p139)

UKIP Click here to read the full manifesto. Parliament UKIP will implement the recommendations of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula within the time frame anticipated by the House of Lords Select Committee: ‘a transitional period of between three and five years, preferably no more than seven.’ (p8) UKIP will reduce the size of the House of Commons and ensure parliamentary constituencies across the coun-try are of equal size. (p9) The party will prevent MPs claiming expenses that are not incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of their duties. (p9) UKIP pledge that if twenty per cent of an MP’s constituents demand it, within a period of eight weeks, a Recall

ballot will be triggered, and will extend this Right of Recall to all elected politicians, e.g. councillors. (p57)

UKIP will introduce an Open Primaries Bill to enable any political parties that wish to do so to widen their se-

lection process to include every local voter. (p57)

UKIP will introduce confirmation hearings to require Commons Select Committees to vote to approve the ap-

pointment of any new minister, senior civil servant or senior diplomat as well as senior appointments to

quangos and inspection bodies, before they get the job. (p57)

The party will campaign for a new, proportional voting system that delivers a Parliament truly reflective of the

number of votes cast, while retaining a constituency link. (p57)

UKIP will restrict the entitlement to vote in British general elections to British citizens and, potentially, coun-

tries which have reciprocal voting rights for British citizens, such as Ireland. (p57)

The party will scrap the failing Electoral Commission and Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

(IPSA) and merge their functions into a new Political Standards Authority under new independent leadership

and a cross-party board of governance with voting lay members. (p57)

The party will scrap the existing postal vote register completely and start again from scratch. (p57)

The party will control public spending and reduce taxes over time by giving the relevant Commons Select

Committee the power to veto items of spending, but not increase them. (p57)

Public services and finances UKIP MPs in the next parliament will make sure the Treasury sticks to its latest plan. (p8) UKIP will abolish government departments when their essential powers and functions can be merged into other departments. Such departments will include the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the De-partment for International Development, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (p9)

The party will reduce the number of secretaries of state, ministers and parliamentary undersecretaries-of-state and, accordingly, the size of government. (p9) The party will seek to provide greater value for money by limiting councillors’ allowanc-es; golden handshakes; excessive salaries for council employees; council advertising; and “abolishing non-essential jobs and red tape”. (p59) UKIP will reduce the £7.2m cost of paid advisers and bring more transparency to their appointment. (p9) The party will abolish quangos they deem unnecessary such as the Cabinet Office’s ‘Big Society’ programme (£49m), the National Citizen Service (£62m), DfID’s International Citizen Service Volunteers (£110m) and De-fra’s Waste Resource Action Programme (£15.5m). (p9) The party will clamp down on “so-called ‘fake charities’” or state-funded political activism. (p9)

The party will end tax-payer funded “overseas junketing” and non-essential ‘fact-finding’ missions. (p9)

Local Government UKIP will “keep Council Tax as low as possible” (p59) They will reinstate weekly bin collections. (p59) UKIP will introduce binding local referendums to give communities “the final say on major planning deci-sions.” (p59) UKIP will encourage a more collaborative approach to local government and oppose the cabinet system in place. (p59) UKIP will also seek to reduce the burden on local councils by conducting a full re-view of “the many statutory duties national government” has placed on local gov-ernment. (p59) The party will cut departmental running costs where they do not deliver value for money. (p9)

Devolved Governments The party will reduce spending by £5.5bn by replacing the Barnett Formula. (p8)

Local Government and Housing/Planning

UKIP “will place a statutory duty on local authorities” to bring empty homes back into use

and permit them to charge 50 per cent more in Council Tax when homes are empty for two

years or more. (p33)

Local authorities will be allowed to retain the “New Homes Bonus beyond six years on brownfield sites.” (p33)

Local authorities will be encouraged to prioritise people with “strong local connections” when allocating

properties. (p34)

UKIP will “free local authorities from government-imposed minimum housing numbers.” (p35)

The party will encourage local authorities to require a proportion of self-build plots to be provided in all large

developments. (p35)

UKIP will allow large-scale developments to be overturned by a binding local referendum triggered by the sig-

natures of 5 per cent of electors within a planning authority area, collected within three months. (p35)

The party will “reduce the cost and bureaucracy of planning applications” by merging Planning and Building

Control departments in local authorities. (p35)

Traveller sites without the necessary permission will be illegal. (p59)

UKIP will bestow Seaside Town Status to areas in need of regeneration which will give local authorities the

power to:

· Access low-interest government loans to buy up and renovate poor housing stock and convert.

· Turn empty commercial properties into residential accommodation.

· Issue Compulsory Purchase Order powers for poor quality multi-occupancy accommodation.

· Allow local authorities to introduce minimum standards for properties in receipt of housing benefit.

· Restructure local housing markets so they are not excessively driven by profits from housing benefit income.

· Refuse housing benefit payments to landlords in breach of planning legislation. (p51)

Scottish National Party

Click here to read the full manifesto.

The party would prioritise the devolution of powers over employment policy, including the minimum

wage, welfare, business taxes, national insurance and equality policy. (p37)

The party commit to maintain the freeze on council tax and will look at alternatives for the 'unfair' coun-

cil tax system. (p29)

The SNP will ensure progress of the Community Empowerment Bill. (p31)

The SNP will seek ways of extending the community asset transfer provisions of the legislation to in-

clude property in Scotland owned by UK government departures. (p31)

The party commits to continue to take forward the partnership with Scotland’s island communities as

part of the “Our Islands, Our Future” project, with the clear intention to devolve new powers and re-

sponsibilities to Scotland’s three main island groups. (p32)

The SNP will seek the creation of a £300m Scottish Cities Fund, and similar Northern Cities and Welsh

Cities funds, to ensure adequate resources are available to support the growth of major urban centres in

the north and west of the UK. (p12)

The SNP give a commitment to ensure coastal communities benefit from the net income of the Crown

Estate’s seabed leasing revenues. (p13)

The SNP will introduce an “effective power of recall” for Members of Parliament and also support the

introduction of Single Transferable Vote. (p22)

The SNP will work to introduce votes for 16 and 17 year olds in UK General Elections and European elec-

tions. (p22)

The party will also vote for the abolition of the House of Lords and will also vote for the replacement of

the first past the post voting system with proportional representation. (p10)

The SNP will demand that the proposals of the Smith Commission are delivered quickly and in full. (p10)

The party will seek agreement that the Scottish Parliament should move to full financial responsibility.

(p11)

If there is an anti-Conservative majority, the party will vote in a motion of confidence against a Con-

servative government getting off the ground. (p11)

The Scottish Parliament should have the ability to directly represent its interests on devolved matters in

the EU and internationally. (p36)

The SNP want the opportunity to establish its own constitutional framework, including human rights,

equalities and the place of local government. (p36)

This briefing document has been compiled by political consultants on the Dods Monitoring team. For further information about the content of this briefing please contact UK Client Manager

on Hannah.French@dods.co.uk or 0207 593 5696

All photos © Press Association.