Polls predict a gravity-defying fifth term at Holyrood for the Scottish National party – albeit on a much reduced vote share – but the advent of Reform UK has radically altered the dynamics of the election campaign. The manifesto pledges set out below reveal how established parties are responding, however, a lack of engagement with an estimated £5bn hole in Scottish government finances by the end of the decade has prompted economists at the independent Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) to accuse all parties of “ a collective bout of fiscal denial ”.

1. SNP

The SNP’s most eye-catching pledge – to cap supermarket prices for essential goods such as bread and milk – was instantly dismissed as a “potty gimmick” by retailers, and many constitutional academics doubt whether the Scottish parliament has the powers to implement it.

The manifesto also included a £100m first-homes fund to give up to £10,000 towards a deposit for first-time buyers, plans to cap all bus fares at £2, and the expansion of subsidised…