What was the point of the SNPs 2007 Election Manifesto

Every political party in the run up to each election put a lot of work into their election manifesto, it is their selection of "pledges" for the election campaign so that voters can make their clear and informed choice when they go into the polling station and make their mark on the ballot paper.

I know from the European election earlier this year and the work already going into our general election manifesto that this is a major piece of work for the staff of political parties.

Thinking through the ideas, ensuring the costings are correct and that each idea is affordable and deliverable and for democratic parties then selling them to their members.

So what were the SNP thinking back in 2007? I have to be honest, I have never known a party break so many of it's election pledges;

This is the list of their election promises that they have failed to deliver or just dumped;

• Reducing class sizes


• Teacher numbers


• Abolition of council tax/replacement with Local Income Tax


• £2000 first-time homebuyers grant


• Kinship care allowance


• Dumping student debt (and replace student loans system)


• Matching brick for brick the school building programme from the previous Lib Dem/Labour government


• Nursery teacher access


• Dualling A9 (and endless other transport commitments from STPR)


• Recruiting more doctors


• PPP/PFI alternative (Scottish Futures Trust not a funding mechanism)


• Lighter business regulation


• Support for renewables

This is pathetic, basically Alex Salmond and the SNP made all of these promises just to get elected and once they had formed their minority administration they have dumped their promises one by one instead concentrating on trying to deliver Alex Salmond's one sole obsession of independence.

Yet, this is the one promise that (a) cannot be delivered because 75% of Scottish people do not want it and (b) is a complete waste of £12million when we have a major recession on and that money could be better used instead of the SNP forcing a poll next year where they will be seriously humiliated.

The other major thing the SNP tried to do, was to try and sell off 25% of Scotland's forests including the most profitable parts of the forestry industry but following a major campaign launched by the Scottish Liberal Democrats and many environmental groups the SNPs minister at the time, Mike Russell was forced into a u-turn and then was sacked.

Can you really trust the SNP and Alex Salmond?

They have broken 13 of their election promises from the 2007 election, tried to sell off a quarter of Scotland's forests but are determined to waste £12million on independence.