Overview
- The SNP manifesto, unveiled Thursday in Glasgow, proposes using public health powers to set maximum prices on up to 50 essentials such as bread, milk, eggs and rice.
- After Thursday's launch, John Swinney said Friday he is not seeking a fight with Westminster and described plans for early legislation with a built‑in end date once prices stabilize.
- A senior UK Government source called the plan undeliverable and warned of millions in legal costs, pointing to the UK Internal Market Act that allows ministers to halt rules that disrupt UK‑wide trade.
- Legal scholars said the Scotland Act limits Holyrood’s ability to regulate the sale and pricing of goods, while the alcohol minimum unit pricing precedent shows similar measures can take years in court.
- Economists cautioned caps set below current prices could trigger shortages or trimmed product ranges in Scotland, retailers branded the idea a 1970s throwback, and the IFS said other pledges like a £2 bus fare cap lack clear funding and may require tax rises or spending cuts.