John Swinney’s Programme for Government has been slammed as “a list of empty platitudes by an SNP Government that is out of ideas and out of money”.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross says the First Minister’s statement is full of warm words but woefully short on firm commitments to tackle the issues facing the country.
He pointed out the SNP had watered down their previous commitment to “eradicate” the poverty-related attainment gap in education, and replaced it with the aim of merely “reducing” it.
They have also broken their pledge to introduce universal free school meals for primary six and seven pupils, by instead means-testing it.
Douglas Ross also criticised Mr Swinney for failing to even mention Scotland’s drugs and alcohol deaths crisis, which has spiralled out of control on the SNP’s watch.
The Scottish Conservative leader added that the proposal to toughen up the ministerial code was “an admission by John Swinney that he shamefully mishandled the Michael Matheson scandal”.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “After 17 years of SNP incompetence, Scotland’s finances and public services are in an almighty mess.
“The result of that could be seen in John Swinney’s speech, which amounted to a list of empty platitudes by an SNP government that is out of ideas and out of money.
“The Programme for Government is desperately short of firm commitments because their own mismanagement – in the form of wasteful public spending and a high-tax, low-growth economy – has forced the SNP to impose savage spending cuts to fill a huge financial black hole.
“So we got warm words about improving the NHS, the day after the finance secretary announced a £116m cut in the health budget.
“It’s a measure of SNP failure that – eight years after they vowed to eradicate it – John Swinney is now promising only to reduce the attainment gap.
“They have also shamefully let down children by ditching their pledge to roll out universal free school meals for primary six and seven pupils.
“It’s appalling that despite presiding over a drugs and alcohol deaths crisis, the SNP leader didn’t even mention this national emergency, let alone outline a plan to tackle it.
“The proposal to beef up the ministerial code – one of precious few concrete proposals from this clapped-out SNP government – is welcome and overdue. But it’s also an admission by John Swinney that he shamefully mishandled the Michael Matheson scandal.”
Notes to editors
The SNP are claiming to increase health boards’ baseline funding despite cutting the health budget by more than £100 million yesterday. The PfG states the Scottish Government will be: ‘Increasing Boards’ baselined funding and targeting further additional funding to reduce the longest waits’. This is despite £115.8 million from the health budget being cut in Shona Robison’s statement yesterday. (Programme for Government 2024-25, 4 September 2024; Scottish Government, 3 September 2024, link).
The SNP have watered down their commitment to eliminate the attainment gap, pledging only to reduce it instead. Swinney said: “We will support schools to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap across every local authority each year between now and 2026.” However, the SNP’s 2016 Programme for Government stated that: ‘We intend to make significant progress within the lifetime of this Parliament and substantially eliminate the [attainment] gap over the course of the next decade’. (Programme for Government 2024-25, 4 September 2024; Programme for Government 2016-17, 6 September 2016, link).
The SNP have abandoned their pledge to roll out universal free school meals for P6 and P7 pupils – making it means-tested instead. The PfG states: ‘Work towards further expanding free school meals to those in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in Primary 6 and Primary 7, and provide £21.75 million for free school meal alternatives in all school holidays for eligible families.’ This rolls back on their previous commitment in the 2021-22 Programme for Government which stated they would: ‘Provide free school lunches for all primary school children, including provision in the school holidays for those who need it most.’ (Programme for Government 2021-22, 7 September 2021, link; Programme for Government 2024-25, 4 September 2024).
There is no mention of drugs or alcohol in John Swinney’s speech despite deaths being on the rise. John Swinney did not mention drugs or alcohol in his Programme for Government speech. This is despite 1,172 deaths occurring in 2023, 121 more than in 2022, and the death rate being much higher in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe. Alcohol deaths are also at their highest level since 2008 in Scotland (National Records of Scotland, 20 August 2024, link; Programme for Government 2024-25, 4 September 2024; National Records of Scotland, 29 August 2023, link).
John Swinney is proposing that the Independent Adviser on the Ministerial Code can initiate investigations independently. Swinney said: ‘That is why I intend to make changes to strengthen the Scottish Ministerial Code. Investigations into alleged breaches of the Code will no longer happen only at the instruction of the First Minster. Independent Advisers will be able to launch their own investigations whenever they feel it is warranted. And where there has been a breach, they will be able to advise me on appropriate sanctions. These changes will significantly strengthen the role of the independent advisers, whose terms of reference will also be published.’ (Programme for Government 2024-25, 4 September 2024).