Swinney issues election challenge

Swinney issues election challenge

BBC News Online Scotland asked each of the main party leaders to set out their key pledges.

This is what Scottish National Party leader John Swinney said.

---

The SNP is determined to deliver a government that will be driven by the need to make this country more prosperous and just.

I want government to be returned to the people.

To give the people the same independence and freedom that we seek for our country.

I want in short, government - not to suit the politicians - but government to suit the people.

Fight against crime

It will be smaller government. There are too many ministers, too many ministerial cars, too many ministerial salaries and I will cut the number of ministers by a quarter.

It will be democratic government. I will dismantle the quango state and deliver local authorities elected by proportional representation.

In health we will give our nurses the pay rise they deserve to attract staff and drive down waiting times. We will set up a national beds review to ensure we have enough beds for our patients.

In education we will give our children the best start in life by cutting class sizes to 18 for primaries one two and three.

Back door or front door, there will be no tuition fees under the SNP

In the fight against crime we will recruit an extra 1,000 police officers and introduce parental compensation orders to make our streets safe once again.

And we will end the profiteering at the expense of pupils and patients once and for all. In the public services people come before profit.

Under the SNP there will be no more PFI.

The SNP will form a government that will fight for the people of Scotland. Not lie down to Westminster.

We will fight for Scottish Hepatitis C sufferers - infected by the NHS with contaminated blood. I'll be fighting to get them the compensation they are morally entitled to.

I'll be fighting for Scotland's students - to stop top-up fees coming north of the border.

I will restore the principle of free access to higher education in Scotland and abolish the graduate endowment.

Back door or front door, there will be no tuition fees under the SNP.

Stand still or move on

And I'll be fighting for Scotland's fishing communities - the victims of an appalling deal delivered by London - signed and sealed by the Scottish Executive.

I want to give the people of Scotland the opportunity to move on.

The opportunity of independence brought about by a democratic referendum.

The choice will be to move on or to stand still - the choice and the opportunity to make this country all that this country can be.

There is a clear choice at this election. We can settle for four more years of the same. We can stand still or we can move on.