John Swinney has pledged to introduce price caps on essential items such as bread and milk if his party wins the election, despite warnings that Holyrood may lack the legal authority to do so. Launching the SNP manifesto in Glasgow, the First Minister told activists that the policy would use public health powers to set maximum prices for a basket of everyday foods, including cheese, eggs, rice, and chicken.
“Things have got so tough it is now impacting upon our nation’s nutrition,” Swinney said. “If re-elected, your SNP government will use our public health powers to set a maximum price for essential food items. Reducing the price of the weekly shop. Putting more money in people’s pockets.” He insisted the measure would not control all prices but would oblige larger supermarkets to offer an affordable range.
However, the proposal was met with fierce criticism from retailers. The Scottish Retail Consortium branded it a “1970s gimmick”, with deputy head Ewan MacDonald-Russell arguing that elevated food prices stem from supply chain costs and government-imposed statutory charges. “Rather than recreating 1970s-style price controls and potty gimmicks, public policy should get serious and focus on cutting retailers’ costs,” he said.
Legal experts also cast doubt on the feasibility of the policy. Scott Wortley, a lecturer in commercial law at the University of Edinburgh, noted that the Scotland Act prohibits Holyrood from passing laws on pricing that would impact the UK Internal Market. “In addition, the Scotland Act prohibits Holyrood regulating the sale and supply of goods to consumers,” he said, though he acknowledged that a public health justification might allow an exception.
Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesman Jamie Greene dismissed the plan as a desperate distraction. “Clearly the SNP are plucking policies out of a hat in a desperate attempt to distract from their two decades of failure in government,” he said. “Price caps have been shown repeatedly to distort markets, cause shortages, and create inefficiencies.”
