The SNP will introduce a legal cap on the price of essential supermarket groceries to help consumers with the cost of living, First Minister John Swinney announced. According to the SNP manifesto, the price cap will apply to everyday items such as bread, milk, cheese, eggs, rice and chicken in large supermarkets. The SNP manifesto states that the price of between 20 and 50 items would be limited, and supermarkets would be required to cap the cost of at least one variation of the listed items, but not all brands. Swinney described the proposal as both a cost-of-living and public health measure, similar to the minimum unit price of alcohol, according to the SNP manifesto.
The food price cap is part of a broader cost-of-living package that also includes a £2 cap for single bus fares and extra funded childcare, Swinney said. Cost-of-living concerns have been intensified by the war in Ukraine, which has led to increases in the price of food and fuel, according to BBC News.
Swinney urged voters to deliver a majority for his party to fuel a push for a second independence referendum. He described the 7 May election as a referendum on independence, bringing down energy bills and allowing Scotland to rejoin the EU. The SNP's top priorities include improving access to GPs, cutting NHS waiting lists, eradicating child poverty, taking action on the climate crisis, and introducing a cost-of-living package, Swinney said.
The SNP will simplify the income tax system, Swinney said. Under the SNP, the Scottish government has created a distinct income tax system with six bands, according to BBC News. Swinney said his party would ensure that a majority of Scots paid less income tax than they would elsewhere in the UK. The SNP pledges not to increase income tax rates in the next five years or introduce new tax bands, according to the party's manifesto.
The SNP manifesto urges the UK government not to block the proposal under the Internal Market Act. It remains unclear how exactly the shopping price cap would be enforced, which specific items would be included, and what the timeline for implementation is.