The Scottish Progressive Party has been re-established to provide a much needed alternative to the existing parties.

Scottish Progressives will provide a fresh approach free from the destructive party point scoring which dominates our government.

We are a party of economic and social freedom and we believe that the best way to secure Scotland's future is by giving our entrepreneurs, business people and professionals the incentive, the means and the space to deliver the best possible outcomes for all concerned.

We are a party firmly based on the Scottish tradition of free thinking and progressive reform. A tradition that has been lost by politicians who neither understand nor care about the values and ideas that gave rise to the Scottish Enlightenment and our proud history in education, military leadership, trade, industry and scientific innovation.

We are a party of real independence, putting individual freedom and responsibility before government interference and regulation.

THE ECONOMY

The financial crisis is not just a product of American sub-prime lending or naughty banks.  Scotland had been heading down a blind alley for a number of years and a crash was inevitable.

Our economy now resembles that of an impoverished Soviet state before the collapse of the Berlin wall.  The public sector accounts for up to 75% of economic activity and vast sums of money are squandered on useless projects.  However, we have the potential to become world class.  We have the resources, we have the knowledge and we have the people.  All we lack is principled and visionary leadership.  We can turn this crisis to our advantage by using it as a catalyst to get rid of the things which are holding us back.  It is time to return government spending to affordable levels and reduce the tax burden. Scottish Progressives believe that our future lies in a dynamic, low tax economy.

Scottish Progressives would:

• Abolish income tax for those on the minimum wage

• Make business taxes and rates internationally attractive
• Return public expenditure to affordable levels
• Axe all public projects which do not deliver value for money

EDUCATION

Our world famous education system has been downgraded by years of political interference, social engineering and red tape. The best schools and the best results are now to be found in the private sector which is also now under attack by the State. Not content with making those who use private education pay twice, government is now threatening to strip charitable status from fee paying schools.  Class war at its most distasteful.  The Scottish Progressives believe that top quality education should be available to all and not restricted to those able to pay.

Scottish Progressives would:

• Give parents vouchers to access the schools of their choice and drive up quality
• Rate all Scottish schools by international standards

HEALTHCARE

The National Health Service in Scotland is well past its sell by date, it is failing its patients and it is rapidly becoming a health risk in itself.  It is reported that some 450 Scots die needlessly each year from Hospital Acquired Infections and many more lose their lives due to delays and a shortage of facilities.  As with education, the Scottish Progressives believe that it is the duty of government to ensure that proper healthcare is available in equal measure to all who need it.  The most effective way to achieve this is to provide everyone with their own medical insurance so that the healthcare providers work for the patient and not for the government.

Scottish Progressives would:

• Introduce fully funded medical insurance to remove the dead hand of government from the health service
• Require health awareness classes in all primary and secondary schools

TRANSPORT

Our small nation is being throttled by a transport system which is not fit for purpose. In addition to daily gridlock in our cities, some 350 Scots lose their lives each year on worn out roads which suffer from dangerous junctions, bad corners and blind summits. Only some ten percent of fuel duties and road taxes are spent on our roads but no-one can be held responsible for their dangerous state. However, with the end of fossil fuel in sight, we must restructure our way of life to reduce the constant need to travel.

Scottish Progressives would:

• Use tax incentives to promote local enterprise areas which would be as self sufficient as possible
• Bring all existing roads up to modern standards and make the authorities liable for any safety shortfalls
• Introduce a network of cycle tracks and walking paths alongside all main roads and redundant rail lines

INDEPENDENCE

The issue of independence casts its shadow over almost every debate in our parliament. The Nationalists seek to blame Westminster for all our problems and the opposition parties spend too much time running down their own country.  The Nationalists also fail to address the EU question; do they seek full fiscal independence or are we simply to become another region of the EU with even less powers than we have now?

Scottish Progressives believe:

That the most pressing priorities for Government in Scotland today are to face up to the financial crisis, reform the provision of education and healthcare, reduce the need to travel and make our transport infrastructure safer and less congested.

• That decisions which affect local life should be made at a local level
• That the issue of independence is for another day