John Swinney’s Electoral Politics in Brief

• Return to the single market
• Restoring the free movement of EU citizens
• Rejoining the EU as an independent state

The Scottish National Party wants to “reverse the damage caused by Brexit and return to the single market, restoring freedom of movement for EU citizens.”

However, the document appears to acknowledge that the UK will not return to the EU, emphasising instead “the vision of an independent Scotland in the EU”.

The manifesto said Brexit had been a “disaster” for Scotland and had wiped billions of dollars out of the Scottish economy.

However, no details were provided on how Scotland would meet membership requirements even if it became independent.

Scottish civil servants have estimated that it could take almost a decade for the Scottish state to become a member of the UK from the time it leaves the UK, which would be a lengthy and extremely complex process.

There is also no mention of how trade barriers with the rest of the UK (Scotland’s largest market) would be created or how unavoidable border checks would be bypassed.

• Return of free movement from the EU
• Powers to issue work permits to foreigners
• Introduction of post-study and family visas
• A more friendly regime for asylum seekers

Scotland’s working-age population is expected to decline over the coming decades, creating a demographic time bomb as fewer people have to pay for services for a growing number of older retirees.

The Scottish National Party advocates a much more liberal immigration policy than the UK Government, including the restoration of free movement for people from the EU.

It also wants Holyrood to have the power to issue work permits to foreigners, based on the specific needs of the Scottish economy. It will introduce new work visas, five-year post-study visas and family visas with much lower barriers than those currently in place in the UK.

The Scottish National Party has called for a much more favourable system for asylum seekers, with its government arguing that an independent Scotland would allow them to work and claim benefits.