Tricks show is fooling no one

THE Scottish Government make a virtue out of being different but on the last day of parliament before Easter, they resorted to the same old tricks of any government.

Having obsessed about the constitution for weeks, which is a convenient distraction each time failures in education or health come along, ministers rushed to the chamber to get the bad news out of the way in one afternoon.

Nicola Sturgeon was forced to apologise to survivors of horrific mesh implant surgery after complaints by campaigners that an independent report into the risks was a “whitewash”.

A new 10-year mental health strategy was unveiled, months late and unsupported by council leaders, while Economy Secretary Keith Brown slipped out a U-turn on proposals to scrap skills agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The SNP gave an update on fracking but are still no clearer on where they stand on it.

So focused has the First Minister become on Brexit grievance that she complained about a Westminster power grab while being given the powers of a king to exercise executive authority during the Brexit process.

It has been a frustrating month for them. The impossible has happened – a Tory Government refused IndyRef2 and the needle on the independence meter has not perceptibly shifted.

That leaves SNP ministers angry and out of step, not with the Tories but with the Scottish people who do not share their priorities.

Maybe they should start sharing the priorities of the majority of voters and start governing.