The launch of the Scottish National Party’s manifesto vowed to protect the NHS and “stop further austerity” — but was light on how it plans to improve the nation’s housing.  

SNP leader John Swinney’s speech in Edinburgh, which introduced the governing party’s programme, did not mention ‘housing’ once — seemingly reflecting its interest in this area over the coming five years.    

The party’s 32-page manifesto says its MPS in Westminster will push to:  

• Reintroduce a simplified Help to Buy ISA scheme to help first-time buyers  
• Lobby for an annual uplift of Local Housing Allowance, while ensuring rental costs are taken into account  
• Campaign for devolved Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance powers, which will among other areas allow it to “expand the delivery of social housing and to help fund and encourage investment in housebuilding”  

The party added it would be able to “tackle” the nation’s “housing emergency” if a £1.3bn cut to the Scottish government’s capital budget was returned by the UK government. It would campaign to restore this cut to Scotland’s capital budget.  

Industry reaction  

Propertymark chief executive Nathan Emerson says: “Propertymark is keen to hear about ambitions to construct more social homes, which would diversify the provision of housing availability in Scotland.   

“However, there must be an extreme focus on reversing Scotland’s current housing emergency, which was, in part, triggered by rent controls and tax hikes on the private rental sector.    

Propertymark also today said the introduction of plans for long-term rent controls for the private sector through the Housing (Scotland) Bill in March would cause “confusion” in the private rented market.  

The measure will place a duty on local councils to carry out assessments on the state of private accommodation in their area at least once every five years — and allows ministers to impose rent controls.