Swinney denies SNP grocery cap is a ‘potty-gimmick.’23 hours agoAngus CochraneSenior Political Journalist, BBC ScotlandPA MediaFirst minister John Swinney has defended the plan to force supermarkets to cap prices of some groceries after criticism from business groups. According to the SNP manifesto, supermarkets will be required to limit the price of items such as milk and eggs, cheese, and rice in order to help Scots cope with the rising cost of living. The Scottish Retail Consortium called it a “potty-gimmick”.Swinney denied this accusation, and said that his party had come up with “bold” solutions to help people cope with rising prices. The SNP manifesto promises to expand funded childcare, and to introduce a PS2 cap for single bus fares. The first minister said that only his party has a “tangible plan” to help struggling Scots. SNP pledges to cap supermarket food prices. The document states that the price of 20-50 “essential” grocery items will be limited in large stores. Retailers will be required to cap at least one variation on the listed items such as a particular brand of bread. However, they won’t have to cap all of their bread brands. The SNP leader said: “I am acutely aware of the gravity of cost of living crisis people are facing on a daily basis, and I have solutions for that in my manifesto.” The Scottish Grocers’ Federation said that the proposals could “distort” the market by changing consumer behavior. A UK government source warned that the SNP’s proposals were “incoherent” and “undeliverable”, and could face legal challenges. Swinney said on BBC Radio Scotland that the government would consult industry groups and UK Ministers to find “an agreed way forward”. The first minister insisted that he was “unrelentingly focussed” on bringing the cost of living down. Labour ministers, however, have refused to acknowledge a referendum and have not explained how an SNP-led government could democratically secure the vote. Swinney told BBC that there were “fundamental issues of democracy” at stake. He said: “If in 2014, the UK government accepted the result of an election of a majority SNP in 2011, then that should be enough on this occasion.” He added: “If the UK government accepted in 2014 the result of the election of a majority SNP government in 2011, then that should be good enough on this occasion.” Phillips warned, however, that while independence may lead to greater economic growth in the long term it will likely increase financial pressures. He said that Scots receive more public spending than the rest of the UK. He cited Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland figures. The SNP’s Scottish Election Manifesto in a glanceThe SNP’s manifesto promises analysedScotlandJohn SwinneyScottish parliament election 2026SNP
