« More on renewable energy | Main | Impeach Blair website / technical problems »
August 27, 2004
Salmond/Sturgeon Manifesto
"This manifesto is a clear indication of the kind of Party we wish to lead and the Scotland we seek to build".
Fair enough. This is an impressive document which covers many important aspects of policy. On the positive side, there is an unambiguous emphasis on a social democratic ethos ('the common weal'), and some recognition that Scottish institutions like a Scottish Broadcasting Corporation will have to be created to sustain a confident, focused Scottish identity that is no longer bedazzled by London.
Some criticisms:
1. The internet is not mentioned once in the manifesto, not even in relation to infrastructure development. Of all possible major infrastructure projects, making broadband available throughout the whole of Scotland would be the cheapest and have the most impact. Fast trains may improve productivity, discourage car use etc. but they won't change the way people think. The internet will do that.
2. Item 24: "Offer more support for Scottish artists, writer, and musicians to ensure that our identity thrives in the modern world." This hardly amounts to a policy. Of all the political parties in Scotland, the SNP has the most to gain from a flourishing arts scene, and the most to lose by imitating the philistinism of the Labour Party. The party should be considering what kind of political support is necessary to create advantageous conditions for the arts.
3. The environment is mentioned a few times, e.g. "high environmental standards are both necessary and easier to facilitate in a prosperous economy" etc., but there is no clearly-stated overall environmental policy embracing the land, transport, energy, tourism etc. Is the SNP going to leave the environment to the Greens? If so why?
The manifesto is at:
www.salmond-sturgeon.com/
Posted by Simon Holledge at August 27, 2004 01:52 AM