First Minister in waiting John Swinney needs to prove he can deliver effective government – Scotsman comment

Swinney certainly tried to sound like a breath of fresh, not stale, air. Some of his remarks – about creating a “vibrant economy” and focussing on “the delivery of services on which the public depend” – could have been written by Forbes, who the former Deputy First Minister said would play a “significant part” in his administration.

Independence was mentioned but it was almost as if The Scotsman’s repeated pleas for sensible, serious government – and for Swinney to bring Forbes into his Cabinet – had been heard.

However, it should be remembered that Swinney’s reputation for competence and as a safe pair of hands has been gained relative to his underperforming SNP colleagues. He’s also the minister who pushed the controversial “named person” scheme, designed to give every child in the country an identified civil servant to look after their interests but dubbed a “snooper’s charter” and then scrapped after the Supreme Court ruled it breached human rights law.

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And, like Nicola Sturgeon, “Honest John” Swinney also deleted WhatsApp messages sought by the Covid Inquiry, and he and an official were criticised for a "lack of candour” that called “into question their integrity” by the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry.

The first test of his political skills will be whether he can cut a deal with the Scottish Greens without being held hostage to their wackier demands. With an ailing economy, NHS crisis, education in disarray and more, Yousaf 2.0 simply won't cut it.

However, that said, we wish him well. Scotland is a troubled nation in desperate need of effective government. We’re not convinced Swinney is the one to deliver it, but we very much hope he proves us wrong.