Swinney to announce government policy plans early

First Minister John Swinney is bringing forward an annual announcement on his policy and legislative goals.

The SNP leader said moving the programme for government to 6 May would "enable a full year to delivery" before the Holyrood elections in spring 2026.

The agenda is ordinarily published after summer recess, with last year's announcement made in September.

Opposition MSPs accused the Scottish government of economic incompetence.

Speaking at Bute House, Swinney said the programme for government would take action ahead of the "undoubted economic challenges" facing the country.

He cited Brexit, the pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US trade tariffs as sources of financial turmoil and said there was a risk of recession.

The first minister said he wanted his programme for government to offer "meaningful solutions" to people's problems.

He said the government would seek to address "that underlying feeling of anxiety that affects so many people at this time".

Swinney said the legislative programme would help tackle child poverty, bring down NHS waiting lists and make it easier to get a GP appointment.

Swinney also said the Grangemouth oil refinery should be nationalised by the UK govenrment if similar action is taken at British Steel.

Labour ministers have said the situation at Grangemouth is different to the steelmaking plant at Scunthorpe, after emergency legislation was passed at the weekend to keep the site open.

Swinney said he had spoken to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other devolved leaders on Friday about US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The SNP leader said while the call had been constructive, the UK government should do "much more to protect Scotland's economic interests".

He also called for the UK government to remove the "economic straitjacket" of its self-imposed fiscal rules, forge closer ties with the EU and reverse an increase in employers' national insurance contributions.

He added: "If British Steel is to be nationalised to protect it, then so too should Grangemouth."

Swinney went on to say the "time is right" for independence, arguing it would give ministers the economic powers to help it cope better with global financial shocks.

Scottish Conservative finance spokesperson Craig Hoy said: "Tearing Scotland out of the UK would be an act of economic self-harm at any time, but doing so now, when the world economy is facing extreme pressure, would be utterly reckless."

Scottish Labour finance spokesperson Michael Marra criticised the first minister's call for the chancellor Rachel Reeves to change her fiscal rules, accusing the SNP administration of financial incompetence.

He added: "An end to any kind of fiscal rule promises economic chaos and vast interest rate rises hitting growth and hammering mortgage rates."

The Scottish Greens called for climate action to be key to the next programme for government.

Party co-leader Lorna Slater said: "With bills soaring and stretching households and families to their limits, it is vital that we move away from fossil fuels and support people in making green choices."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the SNP had been "promising jam tomorrow" for 18 years and, on Grangemouth, said the government was "more interested in chasing headlines" than in building a proper industrial strategy.

The Grangemouth refinery is the UK's oldest, dating back to 1924.

It is being closed down by owner Petroineos - a joint venture between Ineos and PetroChina - with the loss of 400 of the 2,000 jobs which are based at the huge industrial complex.

Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill said the UK government was providing more than £200m to protect the future of Grangemouth, saying the circumstances there cannot be compared to the steel industry.

Without emergency action for British Steel, she told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland, there was a risk of the Scunthorpe blast furnaces going out forever.

The Labour minister claimed the previous Conservative UK administration and the Scottish government had "no industrial strategy to speak of".

She added: "In the end, they're having a conversation about Grangemouth today because they're manufacturing a grievance.

"We, by contrast, have taken serious action from the minute we got in (office) in July."