Put hand up & say sorry for taking eye off the big issues
JOHN Swinney will face the in-tray from hell when he becomes first minister and enters Bute House.
One in seven Scots is on an NHS waiting list and many are raiding their savings to go private.
Public sector unions could bring local services to a halt in the summer due to a dispute with councils over pay.
Local authorities are declaring housing emergencies and all these problems are aggravated by sluggish economic growth. Swinney should put his hand up and say sorry to voters for SNP Government mismanagement.
He should admit his party has failed to prioritise the issues of importance to everyday Scots.
His predecessors spoke about the cost of living crisis but they rarely followed through on the rhetoric.
Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf got sidetracked by gender law reform, the deposit return scheme and other low priority issues.
An apology could be a watershed moment for the Scottish Government and provide Swinney with the momentum he needs.
The FM-elect also faces a tougher job than any of his SNP predecessors.
Yousaf had a majority, but decided to bin it when he ripped up the Bute House Agreement.
Swinney will have no majority for anything and will need cooperation from opposition parties to push through a reset agenda.
If he is willing to reach out to political rivals, they should respond positively.
The main reason for his party’s reliance on the Greens was the determination of the pro-UK parties to block the SNP on everything.
Not only does this approach fail voters but it undermines devolution by giving the impression of constant chaos at Holyrood.
Cutting waiting lists and growing the economy should be cross-party issues and not become hostages of petty politics.
Swinney must also look at resetting relations with a future Labour government at Westminster.
The current Tory administration is a right wing freak show that has abandoned any pretence of decency.
A Starmer government would be different and Swinney should be fleshing out possible areas of cooperation.
His comments about securing extra immigration powers were interesting, but so too was his praise for the last Labour-led Scottish Executive on the Fresh Talent Initiative.
Labour and the SNP will never agree on independence and there is little prospect of this rift healing. But Swinney and Starmer governments could work together in the national interest and boost flagging support for devolution.