What is the SNP?

The SNP, or Scottish National Party, is a centre-left party that campaigns for Scotland to become an independent country. It has led the Scottish Government since 2007. After the May 2026 Holyrood election it won 58 of 129 seats and formed a minority government. It has nine MPs at Westminster.

The SNP was founded in 1934. It won its first Westminster seat in 1945 and grew through the 1970s. After the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999, it became the main opposition and then won power in 2007. It won an outright majority in 2011, which led to the 2014 independence referendum. Scotland voted No by 55% to 45%.

The party dominated Scottish politics for a decade, winning 56 of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster in 2015. It fell to nine seats in 2024, as Labour gained ground in Scotland. In May 2026 it remained the largest party at Holyrood but short of a majority. The party has also faced internal turmoil and a police investigation into its finances in recent years.

On policy, the SNP generally supports public services, higher taxes on top earners and EU membership. It also wants nuclear weapons removed from Scotland. It argues that independence would let Scotland make its own choices. Opponents argue independence would be costly and disruptive, and that the party should focus on public services. Its support for independence remains its defining aim.

Led by John Swinney, the SNP runs a minority Scottish Government after winning 58 of 129 seats in May 2026, short of the majority it sought. Platform: independence and EU membership, food price and bus fare caps, and more NHS operations.

Key pledges

• Seek a second independence referendum, arguing an SNP majority would be a mandate for one
  Seek a new referendum on Scottish independence, arguing an SNP majority at Holyrood gives a mandate for one.
• Rejoin the EU as an independent country
  An independent Scotland would apply to join the EU.
• No rise in Scottish income tax bands or rates, so most Scots pay less than elsewhere in the UK
  Scottish income tax rates and bands stay as they are. Scotland has more bands than England, so low earners pay a little less and higher earners more.
• New council tax bands for homes worth over £1m and £2m from 2028
  Add new council tax bands for homes worth over £1m and over £2m in Scotland from 2028.
• A tax on private jets
  Bring in an extra tax on flights by private jet.
• Cap the prices of essential foods such as bread, milk and eggs
  Set maximum prices for essential foods such as bread, milk and eggs.
• A £2 cap on bus fares across Scotland
  A single bus fare anywhere in Scotland would cost no more than £2.
• £200m a year for extra operations, and more walk-in GP services to end the 8am rush
  Spend £200m a year on extra operations and open more walk-in GP services so people do not have to phone at 8am.
• Raise the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week for the families most in need
  Raise the Scottish Child Payment, paid to low-income families, to £40 a week per child for those most in need.
• Equity loans of up to £10,000 towards a first-time buyer's deposit
  First-time buyers could get an equity loan of up to £10,000 towards their deposit, repaid when the home is sold.
• Ban smartphones in classrooms
  Mobile phones would be banned in classrooms in Scottish schools.
• Ask for energy powers to be transferred from Westminster to Holyrood
  Ask Westminster to transfer powers over energy to the Scottish Parliament.
• Net zero by 2045 and a ScotWind wealth fund
  Keep Scotland's target of net zero emissions by 2045 and create a wealth fund from ScotWind offshore wind leasing money.
• Scrap the Trident nuclear deterrent (2024 Westminster manifesto)
  Get rid of Trident, the UK's submarine-based nuclear weapons, based at Faslane on the Clyde.