“The SNP made a commitment to introduce a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill in 2021.” — Helen McDade. Our verdict: Unverified.
Helen McDade made the claim during a debate at the Scottish Parliament, as reported by the Scottish Daily Express on 29 October 2026.
Our verdict
Unverified
We could not confirm or refute the claim that the SNP committed to a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill in 2021. Several organisations repeat the claim, but none of the sources we found provides a direct quote or citation from the 2021 SNP manifesto or the 2021 Programme for Government.
Know something that settles it? Send us evidenceWhat we found
We rated this claim unverifiable. The claim was made by Helen McDade and reported by the Scottish Daily Express. We looked for the original commitment in the SNP's 2021 manifesto and in the 2021 Programme for Government. The only primary source we could retrieve was a partial copy of the SNP's 2021 manifesto, and the section we saw did not mention the Bill. The full manifesto was not available to us, so we could not check the rest of it. The 2021 Programme for Government was not available to us at all. Several other sources repeat the claim. The Herald says the commitment appeared in both the 2021 manifesto and the Programme for Government. The National Autistic Society, Scottish Autism and the Scottish Liberal Democrats also state that a commitment was made. However, none of these sources provides a direct quote or a precise citation from the 2021 documents. Because the claim rests on secondary reports rather than the original text, we could not confirm it. We also could not refute it, since the full 2021 documents were not available to us. If you have a copy of the SNP's 2021 manifesto or the 2021 Programme for Government, or a direct quote from either, please send it to us.
The evidence
4 of 6 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
- Background
The Scottish Daily Express reports that Helen McDade publicly stated the SNP made a commitment to the LDAN Bill in 2021. This is the source of the claim, not evidence that the commitment existed. [1]
- Background
The Herald says the SNP included a commitment to an LDAN Bill in its 2021 manifesto and the subsequent Programme for Government. This supports the claim, but the article does not quote or cite the original documents. [2]
- Supports the claim
The National Autistic Society and other organisations state that the Scottish Government committed in 2021 to introducing a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill. This supports the claim, but no direct quote or citation is given. [3]
- Supports the claim
Scottish Autism's 2026 manifesto says there was great hope after the 2021 election for delivery of a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill, implying a prior commitment. This supports the claim indirectly, without citing the 2021 documents. [4]
- Supports the claim
The Scottish Liberal Democrats say the LDAN Bill was an SNP manifesto commitment and was included in the 2021-22 Programme for Government. This supports the claim, but again no direct quote or citation is provided. [5]
- Supports the claim
The Herald reports that an LDAN Bill was developed by the Scottish Government and later abandoned, with an outline published in March. This confirms the Bill existed and that there was a prior commitment to develop it, but it does not confirm the specific 2021 origin. [6]
What we could not confirm
- Whether the SNP's 2021 manifesto contained a specific commitment to an LDAN Bill. We could only see part of the manifesto, and the section we saw did not mention the Bill.
- Whether the 2021 Programme for Government contained a specific commitment to an LDAN Bill. We could not obtain the text of this document.
- Whether any direct quote or citation from the 2021 manifesto or Programme for Government confirms the commitment. None of the sources we found provided one.
How we checked
We looked for the original 2021 SNP manifesto and the 2021 Programme for Government, and we reviewed news reports and statements from organisations that repeated the claim. We could only retrieve part of the manifesto and could not obtain the Programme for Government, so we could not confirm the specific commitment from a primary source. We reviewed 6 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk · John Swinney humiliated as SNP defeated at Holyrood as broken promise haunts him · October 29, 2026
- [2]heraldscotland.com · SNP pressed for detailed plans after dropping disability law
- [3]autism.org.uk · Joint Statement on Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill · September 11, 2026
- [4]scottishautism.org · Scottish Autism’s Manifesto for Change | 2026 Scottish Parliament Election · January 1, 2026
- [5]scotlibdems.org.uk · Parliament backs Scottish Lib Dem call to bring back disabilities law
- [6]heraldscotland.com · 'They asked for our trauma. Then they scrapped the Bill'
Help us check this claim
We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute this claim. If you know of an official record, dataset, transcript or report that settles it, send us the link. We review every submission and update this fact check when the evidence changes the picture.
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