RENT controls, a National Care Service and investment in publicly owned renewable energy are key priorities in a “People’s Manifesto” launched by the SNP Common Weal Group (CWG) ahead of this year’s Scottish Parliament elections.
The group has worked with grassroots activists, elected members and Holyrood candidates from across the country to identify what policies matter most to them and is calling on the SNP to include them in their manifesto for the elections.
The policies included in the manifesto aim to “put people before profit, strengthen Scotland’s public services and meet the essential social and economic needs of communities across the country”.
It includes policies backed by SNP members at the party’s annual conference such as rent controls and drugs policy reform and a commitment to establish a National Care Service, as recommended by the Scottish Government’s review of adult care services published last week.
CWG convener Craig Berry said May’s election was “crucial” for Scotland.
“It is our opportunity to deliver independence,” he said. “As we begin the recovery from Covid-19, we must start building the better future we all want for our nation. The CWG manifesto sets out our ambitions to end poverty, tackle the climate crisis, and create a people-centred economy.”
According to the CWG, the SNP’s 2021 election manifesto should include a commitment to put “public transport into public hands” by ending Abellio’s “profiteering” of Scotland’s rail and committing to a public alternative as well as supporting the creation of publicly owned and run bus services across Scotland’s urban and rural communities to ensure bus links are affordable, frequent and accessible.
Their manifesto also calls for the establishment of a publicly owned energy company which would develop renewable energy capacity and make sure all the manufacturing takes place in Scotland.
A Scottish national infrastructure company should also be set up, according to the manifesto, which would be a centre of excellence to design and manage public infrastructure projects financed by the National Investment Bank to end public-private partnerships and “private profiteering” from public needs.
On housing reform, CWG calls for rent controls to end “runaway rents and landlords’ exploitation of tenants”. This could be done by implementing a system of points-based rent controls on both private and social lets where rent is determined by a living rent commission on the basis of a home’s quality.
Tenants’ rights should be strengthened by ending Covid-era and winter evictions, increasing accountability and penalties for non-compliant landlords who don’t adhere to the law and ensuring their properties are maintained and habitable and by promoting membership of tenants’ unions.
The manifesto also calls for a house building programme to be established and the end of homelessness through setting up a National Housebuilding Company to embark on a mass green home building project, focussing on council and housing association builds.
On health and well-being, the manifesto recommends a national care service which would result in a free, public option of care. Associations should also be set up to support the transfer of existing care homes from for-profit bodies to public and third sector control.
The right to food should also be enshrined within Scots law so public agencies, such as local authorities, are required to take action if people do not have sufficient food of an acceptable quality.
On drug reform the manifesto states there should be investment in Scotland’s residential rehabilitation infrastructure. Social environments which build on addictive behaviour should also be improved and the boundaries of devolution should be pushed by taking a public health approach to drugs.
It also calls for the replacement of the “outdated” council tax with a system which gives local authorities greater power over local taxation and ensures those who can afford it, pay what they are due.
A public banking option should also be established to provide all the banking services a private retail bank would offer and where profits will be reinvested back into communities instead of being extracted by shareholders, according to the manifesto.
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