Our latest briefing looks at the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government for the coming year. We focus on some of the commitments in relation to the Jimmy Reid Foundation’s work in these areas.
While we welcome measures to tackle poverty, we highlight the limited commitments on Fair Work, land reform, education and local government, particularly libraries.
We conclude that government programmes tend to be aspirational rather than focus on delivery. It is a political statement rather than a business plan. Overall, the Scottish Government has been more radical with policies that don’t have a hefty price tag, reflecting the state of public finances. We agree with STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer, who welcomed parts of the package but added: “We cannot pretend this was the radical, redistributive prospectus Scotland desperately needs.”