A RE-ELECTED SNP government will "put the people of Scotland in the driving seat" – according to Keith Brown.

The party's candidate for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, he said the SNP will "lead a revolution in education" and "transform our NHS".

He said: "The SNP has achieved a huge amount since taking office in 2007 and Scotland is a better country today as a result.

"Nevertheless, there is so much more still to achieve and the SNP will never stand still in seeking to make Scotland an even better nation.

"Our manifesto is a document brimming with ideas and policies to move the country forward and use new powers to create a fairer, more equal society – it is the most ambitious programme for government that we have ever published ahead of a Scottish election.

"The job of the government and First Minister elected on May 5 will be to stand up for Scotland at every turn, make our public services fit for the future, grow our economy and create opportunity for every child regardless of their background.

"Our manifesto is bold, ambitious and reforming. It sets out a clear plan for government and a clear path to a better future. It is, above all else, a manifesto for the next generation.”

Mr Brown said a re-elected SNP government will:

-Lead a revolution in education to give all our children and young people the best chance of success in life. That means free childcare doubled, driving up standards in our schools, closing the attainment gap between the poorest and richest children and a cast-iron guarantee of no tuition fees.

-Transform our NHS with nearly £2 billion of extra investment, keeping health care in public hands, free at the point of need; with guaranteed increased investment every year of the next Scottish Parliament, action to tackle cancer and support mental health and healthcare delivered closer to home. 

-Deliver more and better paid jobs by supporting businesses to innovate, export and grow; expanded support for small businesses; 30,000 modern apprenticeships a year by 2020-21, and to intensify our work to deliver fair work and fair pay. 

-Invest in infrastructure, such as new roads, schools, hospitals and bridges; over the last five years we delivered 30,133 affordable homes. In this parliament we will build 50,000 more.

-Use new social security powers with dignity and respect to provide increased support for carers, abolish the Bedroom Tax, and support for vulnerable people. 

-Take a fair approach to taxation, meaning that the better-off will pay more tax than under the Tories while people on low incomes, including 500,000 pensioners, will be protected from tax hikes. Alongside our Council Tax reforms, we’ll raise an additional £2 billion to invest in public services like our NHS and schools.

-Put the people of Scotland in the driving seat, determining the services they rely on, empowering schools and communities, protecting rights and setting out our future path.

-Stand up for Scotland – it’s what we do. When the Tories in Westminster tried to cut Scotland’s budget by £7 billion in exchange for new powers that were promised before the referendum, we saw them off. When our steel and shipbuilding industries faced closure, we rescued them. We will never shy away from an opportunity to make Scotland even stronger.