Wednesday Election Update: The main Scottish election stories making the headlines

Published on Wednesday 6 April 2011 09:09

George Galloway alleges phone hacking, X-Men actor moves backing from Labour to SNP and nationalists rally behind armed forces.

Galloway told phone was hacked

Scottish Parliament hopeful George Galloway has told how police told him that his phone had been hacked five times by a private investigator working for the News of the World in a recent meeting with the Metropolitan Police.

The former Respect MP is standing as part of the Coalition Against Cuts.

(Herald)

SNP backed by another celebrity

Labour supporter and X-Men actor Brian Cox, who voiced the party's election broadcasts in 2007, has announced that he is backing the SNP at the upcoming Holyrood election.

Scottish actor Alan Cumming announced last week that he would also be backing Alex Salmond. (Sun)

Nationalists set to go to war over armed forces

The SNP are to make cuts to regiments in Scotland and the country's RAF bases a key election battleground.(Scotsman)

• Tavish Scott strikes a pose at the launch of the Scottish Liberal Democrats manifesto at the Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen. Picture: Jane Barlow

Lib Dems in 100,000 jobs pledge

The Scottish Liberal Democrats yesterday launched their manifesto which promises a 1.5 billion scheme to create 100,000 jobs.

The money would be freed up by the selling off debt from the publicly-owned Scottish Water.

Plans include a network of regional banks that would provide money to small businesses. (Scotsman)

Schools funding to be key in Labour manifesto launch

Scottish Labour is set to announce a scheme in its manifesto that wil allow headteachers to apply for grants of 100,000 directly for vocational training.

It is understood that a fund of 100m would be made available and that schools would be able to apply directly for the funds therefore circumventing local authorities. (Scotsman)

Anti-knife crime campaigner launches campaign

Former Justice of the Peace, Caroline Johnstone, who quit her post to stand against knife crime following the fatal stabbing of Reamonn Gormley, launched her campaign yesterday on an anti-knife crime ticket.

She will stand as an independent candidate in Rutherglen.

Labour's manifesto launch to put jobs at its centre

Scottish Labour are set to release a manifesto which will promise to end youth employment by 2015.

Key to the promise is a plan to offer a skilled apprenticeship to every qualified school leaver. (Record)

• Frank Boyle

IN BRIEF

• The Conservatives have pledged to replace police boards with elected commissioners

• The Tories also say crime maps and statistics for each local area in Scotland should be published every month

• The SNP say they will continue to fund 10,000 hours of respite care if they are returned to power

• Iain Gray has defended his mandatory sentences policy on knife crime despite claims that it would cost millions of pounds to implement

• The Scottish Liberal Democrats have demanded in their manifesto that gay issues be taught in schools

AND FINALLY...

The Daily Record has worked out that the Lib Dems' Crime Reduction Action Plan when abbreviated spells C.R.A.P.

An Tory insider apparently told the paper that it summed up the party's policies.

• Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Tavish Scott will be taking part in a live webchat on scotsman.com on Monday, April 11 at 12pm.

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