Nicola Sturgeon launches SNP council election manifesto

The SNP's council election manifesto has been launched by party leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Speaking at an event in Greenock, Ms Sturgeon said it would be the immediate priority of SNP councillors to support families through the cost of living crisis.

The party has pledged a "pandemic level response" to help ease the burden of rising bills.

The election will be held across all 32 of Scotland's council areas on 5 May.

The vote comes amid a cost-of-living crunch that is hitting people across the UK, with soaring energy and fuel bills, rising prices in shops and changes to National Insurance payments.

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SNP election pledges include improving energy efficiency in homes and other buildings in an effort to cut bills, as well as:

• Protecting council tax reduction schemes

• A new "parental transition fund" to tackle the financial barriers facing parents entering the labour market

• More walking and cycling routes

• Funding to maintain pavements, pathways and routes used by cyclists and pedestrians

• Publishing plans to reduce kilometres travelled by car by 20% by 2030.

Ms Sturgeon, the country's first minister, praised what she described as the compassionate effort across Scottish communities to help families affected by rising costs.

She also drew comparisons with community action throughout the pandemic as she claimed that only her party had a plan to combat tough times.

The SNP has formed the Scottish government since 2007, and finished as the largest party in the last council election in 2017.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Council elections are always important, but this one is particularly crucial.

"When I think about the last couple of years - of how we all pulled together in the face of huge uncertainty - I know that, by working together and with the right leadership, we can get through the challenges we are facing today and build a better tomorrow.

"What we need over the coming period is nothing less than a pandemic-level 'Team Scotland' response to these challenges."

Counting will be done electronically the day after the election, with results expected from the 32 dedicated count centres across the country by the end of the day.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of people registered for postal votes, with 22.5% of the total electorate signed up for them as of December 2021.

This represents a 38.3% increase on the previous year, with the National Records of Scotland saying the jump was "most likely driven by the Covid pandemic".