Swinney Faces Tough Challenges in Reviving Scotland's Struggling Public Services

John Swinney He can pat himself on the back for stabilising the SNP, yet his performance in government is not something to boast about.

The First Minister , who has held the position for just over a year, still faces considerable tasks ahead in improving our underperforming public services.

In yesterday’s Programme for Government Mr Swinney outlined what he hopes to do in the coming 12 months leading up to the next Holyrood election .

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And he has put the NHS at the heart of his plans. He is right to do so as the Health Service is on its knees.

Patients navigating the world of GPs and hospital appointments might anticipate hold-ups and irritation at each step.

And individuals are having to wait for far too long. operations - sometimes even cancer treatment.

Other public services are also in crisis. The cost of public transport continues to rise, if you live in a part of the country where services are actually semi-reliable.

Drivers face bumping along potholed-filled roads while pedestrians trip over cracks in the pavements.

The SNP Government can point to years of Tory-imposed austerity at Westminster for making life a lot harder.

However, there is now an entire generation of young Scots who cannot recall a time before Nationalists weren't in control at Holyrood.

The party Has been afforded ample opportunity to undertake extensive overhauls necessary for enhancing public services in the long run.

However, as the long-discarded proposals to abolish the obsolete council tax system demonstrate, the SNP frequently shies away from such challenges. difficult decisions .

Swinney is lucky with his current political adversaries – for the time being, anyway – and he does. remains on course to secure victory in next year's Holyrood election.

However, he must understand that complacency is not acceptable here. Scottish Government A year away from the Holyrood election, it needs to get stuck into work rather than stepping back and merely awaiting poll day.

Trump tariff folly

Donald Trump’s A shotgun strategy for leading the globe's mightiest country persists in generating disorder.

This time he’s taken aim at the movies in his apparent efforts to destroy anything good in the world.

His threat to place a 100pc tariff on any non-US made films is intended to appeal to his MAGA voters. But this knuckle-headed plan will provide little benefit to the US film industry.

It will, however, deliver a death blow to film-makers around the globe - who could struggle to get finance for films if they can’t be economically screened in the US.

Scots star Brian Cox, never one to mince words, has described the move as an “absolute disaster” .

While film and TV experts say it could deliver a “knockout blow” to Scotland’s growing film industry .

But what might swing US voters Opposing the proposal is the significant limitation it would impose on their viewing options.

UK-generated successes such as Trainspotting, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and evenPaddingtonmight not have graced the big screen if these tariffs had been in place.

Lets hope Trump puts an end to this foolish scheme shortly.