The First Minister has his head in the sand. Just this morning, the Auditor General said that

“the Scottish Government is not providing effective leadership on reform”

and that it is

“reacting to events rather than making fundamental changes”.

He also warned that the Government is keeping the public in the dark about the scale of the crisis in our public services. Despite that, just two weeks ago, John Swinney said that there was no need for a change in direction.

After 17 years of SNP Government, every institution is weaker. Our national health service is in crisis, with one in six Scots on a waiting list. Our education system is in crisis, with standards falling. Our housing system is in crisis, with 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation. Our justice system is in crisis, with victims being failed. The need for reform and a new direction has never been clearer. Why is it that John Swinney and the SNP offer only more excuses, a focus on inputs, more incompetence, more waste, and managed decline?