Vote 2010: policy guide - Scotland
Updated on 06 April 2010
Critics sometimes dismiss Scotland's role in general elections as a sideshow that has little hope of influencing the formation of the next UK government, writes Emma Thelwell.
With just 59 seats in Westminster and a devolved assembly in Edinburgh, Scottish politicians have been urged to look beyond this election to the election of the Scottish Parliament next year.
Scotland's First Minister, SNP leader Alex Salmond, insists he has never been more convinced of the need for independence. And with the economy dominating the general election, Salmond drew laughter from MPs in Westminster last month when he suggested that the abolition of the Scotland Office would see £10m pour into the government's coffers.
However, just as the election in Westminster comes down to the economy, political analysts say the only real contest in Scotland will centre around who can protect Scotland's interests in the face of the worst budget cuts since Thatcher's days.
John Curtice, politics professor at Strathclyde University, says the electorate is being offered a real choice on how and when the public deficit will be cut - and these choices matter to Scotland every bit as much as they do to the rest of the UK.
There is still much to play for.
L A B O U R
The signs are good for Labour - particularly when it comes to the Westminster vote. The Scottish electorate regard the Holyrood and Westminster elections as wholly separate, and largely as a choice between Labour or Conservative.
Despite Labour's budget plan to cut spending in Scotland by £400m, the prime minister has increased his popularity over David Cameron - up 3 per cent to 12 per cent in the last month.
More than 60 per cent of Scottish voters believe a Labour government in Westminster would be the best outcome for Scotland, according to Ipsos MORI's research.
Labour promises to create a million new skilled UK jobs, help first-time buyers, boost tax credits for families amid fairer taxes for all, install blanket broadband access, a high-speed rail network, and boost green infrastructure. It also vows to extend training and education schemes, and crack down on violent crime.
YouGov research shows 37 per cent of Scots intend to vote Labour in the general election. The SNP follow with 24 per cent, the Tories with 18 per cent, and finally the Lib Dems with 14 per cent.
C O N S E R V A T I V E
The Conservative party has promised to protect Scottish spending during its first year in government, should it win. The Tories have also pledged to boost enterprise and cut taxes, bring in tax rewards for married couples, support young families, fight back against crime and protect the NHS budget.
With just one seat - occupied by David Mundell in Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale - the Tories are optimistic that they can make gains. The party has seen a 5 per cent rise in support since 2005, and is drawing the battle lines for 10 more Scottish seats, including Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh South, and Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.
If the Conservatives were to triumph over the SNP in Westminster, it would come as a huge blow to the SNP - which has roots in the claim that a UK Conservative government has no mandate in Scotland.
L I B E R A L D E M O C R A T
The Lib Dems have more Scottish seats in Westminster than the SNP and Conservatives combined, and have ramped up their campaigns against Labour in Edinburgh South, Edinburgh North and Leith, Aberdeen South and Glasgow North.
As with Labour, the Lib Dem campaign centres around taxes, with a plan to raise the income tax threshold to £10,000 - which would slash most people's taxes by £700.
The party is proposing an emergency Budget in June that will boost infrastructure and help create 16,000 new jobs. It also promises extra cash for schools and a reform of the House of Lords to tackle corruption.
The Lib Dems are also gunning for the Conservative's only Scottish seat, where the former Liberal leader David Steel's daughter - Catriona Bhatia - is the candidate.
S N P
Alex Salmond has said that the general election is "redolent with real opportunity for Scotland".
With a hung parliament looking increasingly likely, an opportunistic Salmond has ruled out joining any formal coalition with Labour or the Tories.
Instead he plans to play parties off each other, in a bid to protect spending in Scotland and push demands.
But there are currently just seven SNP MPs in Westminster, a significantly smaller presence than Labour or the Liberal Democrats - who hold 38 and 12 seats respectively.
The Scotsman has deemed Salmond's target of securing 20 seats in the Commons "now unrealistic" following a dip in the polls. Allegations of "cash for access" lunches and accusations of failing to deliver on central election pledges have knocked SNP support down to its lowest level since Salmond became first minister in 2007, according to a recent poll by The Scottish Sun.
