RISE 2016 election manifesto summary
Independence & Democracy
- A second independence referendum in the next Parliament
- A community led convention to reform local democracy
- A consultative referendum on the British monarchy
- Elected RISE officials will only accept a workers wage
Tax
- Increase the top rate of tax to 60%
- A special tax avoidance team to target those avoiding, evading or manipulating the tax system
- Introduce a Scottish Service Tax, replacing Council Tax with an income-based tax.
- Work to implement a Scottish Land Value Tax
- A whisky tax of £1 per bottle that would raise up to £1 billion annually.
Economy
- Spend 3% of GDP on creating 100,000 jobs
- Enforce tough sanctions on employers who refuse to pay women equally or meet the National Minimum Wage.
- Raise the minimum wage to £10 per hour
- Introduce a minimum income of £20,000 per year and a pay cap of £100,000 per year.
- Establish a legal right to union representation.
- End zero-hours contracts.
Welfare
- A national review of food banks and pursue measures to combat food poverty
- Create an Economic Justice Fund for anybody appealing a benefits assessment or sanction
- Work towards a Scottish Universal Basic Income that could be achieved with independence
- Introduce a Living Income for Carers of £200 per week
- Bring all care services back into the public sector
Equality
- Protect funding for Violence against Women groups and develop an anti-misogyny education programme
- Sanction employers that break gender pay laws
- Ensure women no longer require two doctors to sign off on an abortion
- Promote LGBTI+ education in schools
- End ban on MSM blood donations
- Remove the need for psychiatric diagnosis in legal gender identification
Youth
- Ensure all over 16s are entitled to the full National Minimum Wage
- Give students more control over their schools, colleges and universities
- Support strict rent controls to enable students to live in decent, affordable housing
Justice
- Break-up Police Scotland into local forces
- Repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act.
- Reform defamation law for the 21st century
Education
- Increase teacher numbers year on year
- Establish a universal, play-based Kindergarten stage for all children aged between 3 and 7 before formal schooling
- Remove charitable status from schools and universities
- Remove the requirement for unelected religious representatives on education committees in local government
Transport & Housing
- Bring all forms of public transportation back into public ownership and work towards it being free at the point of use
- Build 100,000 new social homes during the next Parliament
- Require social housing to meet requirements of sustainability and access
Environment & Energy
- Aim to bring all energy resources under public ownership
- Legislate for a ban on all fracking
- Introduce a cap on the amount of land any individual or entity can own
- Outlaw ownership of land in tax havens
- Give communities the right to initiate Compulsory Purchase Orders
Civil Liberties
- Introduce a Digital Bill of Rights to protect the security and privacy of the online public
- Extend the Freedom of Information Act to private organisations receiving public money
- Enshrine internet access as a basic right
- Establish a publicly owned ISP to ensure affordable/free broadband access across the country
Foreign Policy
- Ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to food, transport and language courses.
- Support withdrawal from NATO.
- Support an open border policy.
Culture
- Allow artists to claim state benefits rather than being forced to accept low paid service jobs
- Introduce artists in residence at all primary and secondary schools
- Increase funding for Creative Scotland
Health
- Cancel all PFI and PPP contracts in the NHS
- Ensure free parking services and improved transport to and from all NHS services
- Invest more money in mental health treatment
- Expand free healthy school meals and introduce free toothbrushes and toothpaste for all school pupils.