Swinney says reform is at the heart of his programme for government

John Swinney has declared that reform will be central to his government's agenda, stating it's "time to embrace change." The First Minister is poised to unveil his annual plans, which are anticipated to include significant overhauls of public services.

Swinney has already appointed a new cabinet minister to spearhead public service reform. His upcoming announcement is also expected to detail policies aimed at boosting the economy, eliminating child poverty, achieving net-zero emissions, and combating violence against women and girls. Opposition parties, however, are calling for more decisive action on the NHS and the cost of living crisis.

Swinney affirmed his commitment to fostering stronger economic growth in Scotland, which he believes will help address challenges related to child poverty and public service investment. He also pledged to present measures to parliament to confront "the epidemic of violence against women and girls."

The First Minister is scheduled to present his program for government to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament at 3:00 PM. He stated, "The government came into office with a commitment to deliver a 100-day programme, and the government is going to do exactly that. And that's the first stage of me repaying the trust that the people of Scotland have put in my government, which is to deliver what I said to the public I would deliver."

Swinney emphasized the necessity for the government to re-evaluate its approach to public service delivery. "We made clear before the election that was going to be necessary," he noted. "I want to make sure that the programme for government reflects the ambitions I set out in my election manifesto, which was all about making sure that we tackle the cost of living challenges that people face in Scotland, that we deliver improvements in our public services."

The First Minister reiterated that the government "always lives within its means." He asserted, "Over the lifetime of the SNP government, we have balanced the budget on every occasion, and we will continue to do so. But it also means that we've got to embrace change and change the way in which we deliver our public services." He also highlighted "significant improvements" within the NHS.

Swinney underscored the government's prioritization of eradicating child poverty, citing initiatives like the Scottish child payment and expanded whole family support. He explained, "We work with families to help them out of poverty in addressing issues around housing or employability or, in some cases, addiction issues or childcare issues. We're working alongside families to help those families get out of poverty and to make sure that children have the best chances of a start in life. It will be reinforced by the programme for government to make sure that the eradication of child poverty is written through all of the policy commitments of government to meet the expectations of the public in Scotland."

Expressing his dismay, the First Minister said he was "appalled" by the surge in cases of violence against women and girls over the summer. "This has been a long-running issue within Scottish society," he acknowledged. "The government has taken many measures to tackle this, but I think events over the summer have said to me that I've got to exercise the strongest possible personal leadership as first minister to make sure that we tackle these issues." He stressed that such violence would not be tolerated "in any way, shape or form in our society" and that "making sure that we change the behaviour of men and boys in our society will be central to that programme."

Among the government's proposals to address the cost of living is a plan to cap prices on certain food and drink items in large supermarkets. However, twenty-three organizations, including groups representing retail, food and drink production, manufacturing, and distribution businesses in Scotland, have jointly written to Swinney, urging him to abandon this plan.

In response, Swinney stated, "Many members of the public are struggling with the price of their shopping and I want to try to do something practical to address that and that's about bringing forward a proposal for an affordable price cap on a limited number of items within our supermarkets. We've got to consult about this and make sure the legislation can have the effect that we want it to have and that's exactly what the government is going to do."