In ancient Rome, the philosopher Seneca the Younger declared that a ‘hated government does not long survive’. The continued existence of the SNP administration in Edinburgh for nearly 20 years disproves that maxim. If John Swinney regains office, the Nationalists will have been in power for nearly a quarter of a century by the end of the next parliament. Just 27 per cent of Scots approve of its record – yet the polls suggest the SNP is on course for its fifth successive Holyrood victory.
A Legacy of Broken Promises
Any objective analysis of the SNP’s record since defeating Labour in the 2007 election shows it has failed to deliver on its many promises. Nicola Sturgeon’s flagship pledge to close the poverty-related pupil attainment gap was supposedly her defining mission. If John Swinney regains office, the Nationalists will have been in power for nearly a quarter of a century by the end of the next parliament. But it ended in failure – though Ms Sturgeon stayed in her job despite saying her ‘neck was on the line’. The postcode lottery in state education endures while classroom standards are in terminal decline, accelerated by a badly botched curricular overhaul and a surge in violence against teachers.
Other planned reforms on social care – one of the most pressing issues facing an ageing population – and a commitment to improving the lives of care-experienced children were either binned or sidelined. Ms Sturgeon’s face was emblazoned on the front cover of the SNP’s 2021 manifesto but her name does not appear in the one for 2026 – a former titan all but airbrushed from the party’s history. That is hardly surprising, given that in 2023 she was arrested but not charged as part of Operation Branchform, the Police Scotland investigation of the SNP’s finances. Now no longer an MSP, Ms Sturgeon handed over the baton to Humza Yousaf, whose calamitous reign led to the end of the SNP’s ill-conceived partnership with the eco-Marxist Greens – a marriage made in hell which might be revived following today’s vote.
Swinney’s Reinvention Falls Short
Now Mr Swinney, once Ms Sturgeon’s loyal deputy, is presenting himself as a fresh start for Scotland, despite being closely involved in or directly responsible for a series of SNP failures and scandals stretching over many years. As an act of reinvention, it simply does not stand up to scrutiny. He was a champion of the doomed Named Person scheme – the Orwellian initiative which aimed to appoint a state guardian to all children, including unborn babies. In his former role as Education Secretary, he authorised the use of an algorithm which at a stroke downgraded the results of thousands of pupils after exams were ditched during the Covid pandemic. He was later forced into executing the sharpest of U-turns.
A Zealot for Independence
Mr Swinney may portray himself as a mild-mannered politician with the demeanour of a chartered accountant, but he is a constitutional zealot. On day one of a new SNP administration, a Referendum Bill would be published in a bid to force a second vote on breaking up Britain. An SNP majority would condemn the country to another five gruelling years of agitation for a re-run of the 2014 vote on tearing Scotland out of the United Kingdom.
Economic and Social Failures Mount
Meanwhile, the problems continue to pile up in the real world, where a £5billion black hole is looming in the nation’s finances. The benefits bill is soaring towards £9billion a year, and a long list of increasingly unaffordable policies including ‘free’ prescriptions and ‘free’ university tuition has reinforced fears that the SNP is taking us on the road to economic ruin. Those fears will only be compounded if the avowedly anti-growth Greens are welcomed back into the heart of government after the election – pushing reckless and stratospherically expensive net zero reforms. Gender radicalism will also be forced back onto the agenda, while infrastructure upgrades will be put on hold or dropped.
In transport, the Nationalists trumpeted the successful building of a bridge over the Firth of Forth but will somehow take 20 years to upgrade the road between Perth and Inverness. The Romans built Hadrian’s Wall in half the time. Time and again, the SNP has shown itself incapable of competent governance, with devastating consequences – including spiralling drug deaths, the ongoing CalMac ferries saga, and the betrayal of oil workers. Despite posing as a cheerleader for the NHS, the Nationalists have presided over a meltdown which saw more than 830,000 on waiting lists at the start of 2026. And a Glasgow superhospital once feted by Ms Sturgeon as ‘world-class’ remains at the centre of a tap water contamination scandal linked to patient deaths, amid claims of a cover-up.
Justice and Taxation Woes
On justice, the SNP’s approach has been cavalier, once again prioritising the needs of criminals over those of their victims. Hundreds of criminals including violent thugs have been freed early from crowded jails, while the unfinished replacement for Barlinnie prison in Glasgow has seen its projected costs rise to nearly £1billion. The cross-Border tax gap, which means Scots are hammered with the UK’s highest taxes, is forcing skilled professionals of all ages to leave the country. But there is no sign that Mr Swinney is prepared to row back on this lunacy, ensuring that the exodus will continue – fuelled by the threat of crippling wealth taxes.
An Enervated Party Mired in Sleaze
This is a government whose sheer ineptitude is legendary – and if re-elected, there can be little doubt that the SNP will add to its litany of failure. It is an enervated party mired in sleaze which can offer only expensive gimmicks, such as a plan to give ‘free’ schoolbags to pupils, costing an eye-watering £30million, or widely derided policies such as price controls for essential food in supermarkets.
The Choice Ahead
Our readers will make up their own minds about which party to back today – though many may be tempted to stay away from the polling booths. Polls show about a third of Scots have taken little, if any interest, in this deeply uninspiring campaign. And yet there is a real danger that the country is sleepwalking into another constitutional quagmire. If the SNP secures a majority – a feat it has not accomplished since Alex Salmond’s outright victory back in 2011 – it will press forward with ceaseless demands for a second referendum (indeed, it will also do so if it loses). Sir Keir Starmer, assuming he remains Prime Minister, is frankly far too weak to withstand them – and there is every chance he would be worn down by a Nationalist war of attrition. Staying away from the ballot box will merely increase the likelihood of this nightmarish prospect becoming an unpalatable reality.
On the peach ballot paper, for the list vote, there is only one option for anyone who cares about the future of the UK. The Scottish Tories remain the only party that can be trusted to fight tooth and nail for the Union. But many Scots will hold their noses and vote strategically, using the Mail’s comprehensive tactical voting guides to back the party most likely to prevail against the SNP. The choice couldn’t be starker: rebuilding Scotland after nearly two decades of mismanagement and neglect – or five more wasted years of failure and decline.
