The SNP is hiking taxes while shrinking the economy at the same time. That is the worst of all worlds and it is devastating for local government.
I remain optimistic. Not naïve, but optimistic because I know how hard people inside the building work every day, and because I have seen how much good the institution can do when its systems, it’s culture, and its people pull in the same direction.
Scotland made “The Promise” to our care-experienced children and young people. They deserve more than legislative headlines. They deserve real services, delivered on the ground, backed by funding and accountability.
The SNP/Green Bute House Agreement focused on attention-grabbing ideas like rent controls instead of real, lasting solutions. While these policies sound good, they have caused real problems in practice.
We must show we care just as much about the health of the nation and giving every child the best start as we do about safeguarding the Union.
We must support the backbone of the system—our educators. We should be committed to high standards, ongoing training, and a renewed focus on child development.
Labour’s difficulties point to a wider truth: trust is not restored by tone, presentation or moral claims. It is restored by conduct, particularly when that conduct is inconvenient or politically costly.