A think tank has warned that SNP policies would condemn an independent Scotland to worse austerity than under Tory UK.

The non-partisan Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's general election manifesto would mean more cuts - or higher taxes.

The IFS, which has a reputation for impartial and cold analysis, has already dismissed spending plans by both Labour and the Conservatives as "not credible".

Writing in The Scotsman, IFS associate director David Phillips said the SNP has not provided detail costings for its manifesto.

Mr Phillips wrote: "In contrast to not only Labour, but also the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives, the manifesto omits putting a cost to these measures. Nor does it set out plans for overall tax, spending and borrowing, which the other parties do and the SNP's own manifestos did in 2015 and 2017.

He added:  "It may also reflect the fact that the SNP's manifesto isn't really about a plan of action for five years of governing the UK. Rather it is about starting the process of leaving the UK in the next year. It's about contrasting a neardecade of austerity and years of divisive debate over Brexit in the UK, with a positive-sounding vision of independence."

The IFS criticised the SNP for "costly" commitments for free TV licences and WASPI women - those whose pension age has been equalised with men. The think tank stressed these measures would not reduce inequality becauses pensioners are better off than the rest of the population.

READ MORE: Donald Trump: US wouldn't want NHS

Mr Phillips concludes: "Pursuing the types of policies suggested in the SNP manifesto in an independent Scotland would mean either those cuts would have to be even bigger, or other taxes would have to be increased to pay for the proposed net giveaways."

Kirsty Blackman, the SNP's deputy Westminster leader and economy spokesperson, defended the manifesto.

She told The Scotsman: "In the next parliament we could potentially hold the balance of power. While we would never put the Tories into government, we have laid out clearly what our demands would be to any other party expecting our support. If Scotland had the powers of any normal country, we wouldn't need to wait for Westminster to bring in a real Living Wage or fairer parental leave - we could do it ourselves."