ONLY A STRONG SNP CAN STAND UP FOR SCOTLAND

TEN TIMES WE’VE STOPPED THE TORIES

Over the past ten years, the SNP has repeatedly stopped Labour and the Tories at Westminster from inflicting harmful policies on families across the country – showing why now, more than ever, it is vital to have strong SNP voices standing up for Scotland.

The SNP’s strong record of standing up for Scotland over ten years in government and as the real opposition at Westminster has forced u-turns on damaging Tory policies and blocked Westminster Tory attempts to cut Scotland’s budget by £7 billion.

The SNP in Government has taken action to protect Scotland from the full force of Tory policy.

1.      We stopped the Tories at Westminster cutting Scotland’s budget by £7 billion – and won new tax and social security powers.

2.      We effectively ended the Bedroom Tax in Scotland – and have spent nearly £400m since 2013 mitigating Tory cuts to household incomes.

3.      We kept and expanded the Education Maintenance Allowance – scrapped by the Tories in England – to support even more school pupils and college students from low income families.

4.      We have protected education based on ability to learn not ability to pay, saving students in Scotland up to £27,000 compared to the cost of studying in England.

5.      We abolished prescription charges helping low income households, while patients in England are forced to pay £8.60 per item.

6.         We forced the UK Government to ditch cuts to Tax Credits that would have cost low income households with children in Scotland around £3,000 per year.

7.         We have safeguarded the rights of 2,800 of the most severely disabled by establishing the Scottish Independent Living Fund when the Westminster Tories closed the UK wide fund in 2015.

8.         We’ve kept nursing bursaries and free tuition for nurses while the Tories have scrapped both in England.

9.        We’re locking out ATOS-style private profiteering in the Scottish Social Security System – rejecting the failed Tory model.

10.     We helped forced the Tories to u-turn and accept unaccompanied child refugees – and are now pressing them to keep their promise.

Commenting, Nicola Sturgeon said:

“The SNP has been, and will continue to be, Scotland’s bulwark against the dangers of an unopposed Tory government. Now more than ever, we need strong SNP voices to stop the the Tories dragging Scotland backwards.

“When the Tories tried to cut Scotland’s budget by £7 billion, it was SNP MPs and a strong SNP government that stopped them.

“When the Tories wanted to cut Tax Credits – hitting low income households by around £3,000 a year – the SNP helped to stop them.

“When the Tories inflicted the hated Bedroom Tax on the disabled, the SNP stood in their way.

“In Scotland it is only the strong voice of SNP MPs at Westminster combined with an effective SNP government that has protected Scotland from the full force of the Tories at Westminster.

“In government, around the country and at Westminster it is only the SNP that always puts Scotland’s interests first.

“Now more than ever, it is vital to have strong SNP voices standing up for Scotland.

“Only then can we protect Scotland from the dangers of an unopposed Tory government at Westminster and continue to make Scotland the best country it can be.”