Last election: SNP to publish SNP manifesto this morning

Welcome back to the Politics Center.

Today is an important day in the Scottish elections – this morning the SNP launches its election manifesto.

The nationalist party is keen to turn around its fortunes after being engulfed in scandal and controversy over the past few years.

John Swinney, who is not running for a seat in Westminster, will today set out plans calling for an increase in NHS funding across the UK by around £10 billion to bring about a £1.6 billion increase in Scotland.

Swinney is the party’s third leader in just over 14 months, after Nicola Sturgeon stepped down and was replaced by Humza Yousaf.

Since leaving office, Ms Sturgeon has been arrested as part of a police investigation into the SNP’s finances.

While still in office, she unsuccessfully challenged the British government in the courts regarding Scotland’s ability to unilaterally call a referendum and its provisions on relaxing gender reform requirements.

Yousaf stood down earlier this year after breaking up the party’s Holyrood coalition with the Green Party.

In Westminster, the latest Ipsos poll shows the SNP winning 15 seats – with a likely range of 13 to 23 – as they fend off Labor gains.

That’s noticeably down from the 48 they won in 2019.

Ahead of the launch, Swinney said: “The SNP manifesto will set out a different approach in line with Scotland’s centre-left values - with an end to Westminster cuts and major new investment in our health service.”

Stewart HosieSNP campaign director, will be speaking to Sky News just after 8am.

This morning there will also be:

Secretary for Work and Pensions Mel Stride at 7.15;
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves at 7:30.