The countdown is on, with only a year to go until Scottish voters cast their ballots in the 2026 Holyrood election. This is why SNP First Minister John Swinney has decided to bring forward his Programme for Government – usually held in September – to today, allowing him a full twelve months to deliver on his latest set of commitments before his party’s popularity is put to the test in next year’s poll.
Having taken on the top job only a year ago, Swinney has had limited time to turn his vision for Scotland, organised across four clearly-defined priorities, into a reality. The First Minister acknowledged at the beginning of his speech today that voters want to see the quality of their lives improve – yet after almost 18 years in power, during which public services have become more strained and the cost of living crisis has worsened, it is becoming harder for SNP politicians to prove that they have the capacity to deliver.
John Swinney’s Programme for Government wasn’t especially radical, but it’s not clear that it needed to be
Swinney’s speech touched on the priorities he has championed since he became First Minister last April: economic growth, fairer distribution of wealth, green industrialisation and improved public services.
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