Where the parties stand on the economy
- Con
- Lab
- Lib
- Ukip
- Green
- SNP
- Eliminate the deficit by 2018 and achieve an absolute surplus – of both day-to-day spending and capital investment – by 2019.
- Increase the tax-free personal allowance to £12,500 and legislate so that those on the minimum wage don't pay tax.
- Commit to no increases in VAT, national insurance or income tax.
- Promise to “cut the deficit every year” and achieve a surplus on the current budget as soon as possible in the next parliament.
- Raise minimum wage to more than £8 an hour by 2019 and ban almost all zero-hours contracts.
- Every policy in the manifesto will be paid for without requiring any additional borrowing.
- Deal with the deficit by 2017-18 through a combination of spending cuts and tax rises.
- Raise £1bn from extra corporation tax on the banking sector.
- Permit borrowing to invest in important infrastructure projects.
- Leave the EU, which the party says would save about £8bn a year from the annual foreign aid budget.
- Introduce a 35p income tax rate between £42,285 and £55,000, whereupon the 40p rate becomes payable.
- Abolish inheritance tax and increase personal allowance to the level of full-time minimum wage earnings.
- Increase the minimum wage to reach a living wage of £10 an hour by 2020.
- Introduce a wealth tax on the top 1%, tax the banks and close tax loopholes.
- Introduce a Robin Hood tax (a financial transaction tax) and controls on bank lending.
- Continue to freeze council tax for Scottish families.
- Provide support for 125,000 modern apprenticeships and ensure that every unemployed 16-19-year-old in Scotland is offered a learning or training opportunity.
- Ensure £450m of support for Scotland’s small businesses.