John Swinney grapples with delivery of SNP's flagship '100-days' commitments
The SNP government is still yet to meet around one fifth of its flagship pledges the party vowed to complete within 100 days of forming John Swinney’s new-look administration.
John Swinney returned to power at May’s election with 52 key pledges his SNP government vowed to achieve in the first 100 days of taking office. But with flagship vows still not yet brought forward and controversy engulfing other commitments, the First Minister is under pressure to ensure his administration is able to deliver on its promises - something that has previously plagued his predecessors.
At least nine key commitments, around one fifth of the total pledges, including vows on flagship plans to cap the price of essential foods and establish a Scottish visa, are yet to be completed within the first 100 days of Mr Swinney’s government taking office.
Speaking in Glasgow during the election campaign in April, Mr Swinney told SNP activists that “we have set out ambitious plans for the next five years”, adding that “people rightly want to know we are serious about delivering them”.
The SNP leader said that he was also “setting out the actions we would take within the first one hundred days of forming a government”.
He added: “As the 100 days paper demonstrates, I am determined that an SNP government will hit the ground running.”
Mr Swinney’s first Cabinet meeting after tweaking his frontbench team took place on May 22. The Scottish government has claimed, in an FOI response, that “the period of measuring the specific pledges set out within the first 100 days programme runs from May 25 to September 2”.
Essential food price cap
Arguably the most eye-catching pledge in the SNP’s 100 days set of commitments was a vow to “publish draft legislation” that would “ensure affordable prices for food essentials in our supermarket”.
The document said the commitment would include “proposals, to be developed in partnership with representatives of farmers and food producers, to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that costs are not passed on to them”.
Under the proposals, large supermarkets would be compelled to limit the cost of up to 50 essential items such as milk, eggs, cheese and rice.
The SNP also vowed to “invite the UK government to confirm the UK Internal Market Act will not be used to block our plans to lower food shopping bills”.
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Although seen as the SNP’s most talked about policy proposal, the legislation has not yet been drafted. Several concerns have been raised about the policy itself.
The Scottish Retail Consortium branded the plans a “gimmick”, while concerns were raised that any legislation would require the UK government to issue an exemption to the controversial Internal Market Act.
Farmers have also raised fears over the plans.
Lisa Hislop, NFUS policy manager, has argued that a price cap “could displace Scottish produce, damage confidence in domestic production, increase reliance on imports, offshore both food production and associated emissions, and weaken Scotland’s food security”.
First Homes Fund
Another key SNP manifesto pledge was the revival of the so-called first homes fund that was intended to help renters buy a home.
The first 100 days document vows to be “offering up to £10,000 of support”, adding that “over 2,000” are “anticipated to be helped within the first 100 days”.
The fund officially opened in June with a caveated acknowledgement that up to 2,000 households could be supported by the scheme in the first 100 days.
But the plans have received a scathing reaction from housing charities.
Under the policy, the Scottish Government will hold an equity share in the property in the form of a security.
Assistant director of Shelter Scotland, Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, warned that “at a time when thousands of children are waking up in temporary accommodation, it is disappointing that the new government has used its first major intervention on the housing emergency to revive a scheme that fails to address the root causes of homelessness”.
He added: “Instead, the government should use its first 100 days to set out a radical approach to deliver new social homes, uphold people’s rights, and tackle the racism and bias in our housing system - not repeating policies that do nothing to help the 10,480 children trapped in temporary accommodation.”
GP walk-in centres
The SNP’s walk-in clinics were first announced at the party’s conference in Aberdeen last October - with plans to expand the facilities accelerated.
The party’s first 100 days document committed to “opening at least an additional five GP walk-in centres and setting out the locations of a further 14 centres”.
Since the commitment was made, four additional GP walk-in centres in Aberdeen, Dunoon, Invergordon and Cardonald have been opened. The location of the further 14 facilities is yet to be announced.
The GP walk-in centres have been beset with criticism.
The six GP walk-in centres that were fully operational in June delivered approximately 70 patient contacts per day compared to GPs and their teams across Scotland providing around 136,000 patient contacts every weekday. Concerns have also been raised that those using some of the clinics need to be registered as a patient at the locations.
Island resilience fund
A big row has broken out over the SNP’s promise of an island resilience fund for communities impacted by disruption to ferry services.
Ministers have rejected calls for the fund to be expanded to mainland communities also impacted by the disruption. But the 100 days commitment explicitly set out a vow to “implement the £10m islands resilience fund”.
But last week it emerged that only £3m of the fund will be delivered this financial year with Scottish Labour MPS for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Donald MacKinnon, claiming the “U-turn adds insult to injury” for island communities.
The Scottish government said it remained “committed to delivering the full £10 million islands resilience fund”, but added that “further phases are to be developed and delivered over the course of this parliament”.
Scottish visa proposals
The SNP manifesto argued that “Scotland needs an immigration policy suited to our specific circumstances and needs”, adding that “the inhumane Westminster model fails Scotland and harms our communities and future prosperity”.
The flagship 100 days commitments include a vow to “submit Scottish visa proposals to the UK government to reflect the necessity to immigration to help grow our economy and improve the delivery of key public services”.
But the Scottish government has confirmed to Scotland on Sunday that this has not yet been completed. Immigration and visas are reserved to Westminster.
Hospital flow plan
Mr Swinney and his government has argued that progress is being made on improving NHS waiting times and some select figures back up that claim. However, increased delayed discharges has caused long A&E waits in recent months.
In its first 100 days document, the SNP vowed to “develop a new national plan for hospital flow to ease pressures in A&E and address delays in discharge”.
But the Scottish government has confirmed that the key blueprint has not yet been published.
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Angela Constance acknowledged “significant challenges and significant pressures on our accident and emergency services”, adding that the government “remains laser focused on addressing that.”
She stressed that the hospital flow plan will ensure more people can leave hospital as soon as it is “safe to do so”.
Justice commissioner
The SNP pledged to begin recruitment for Scotland’s first victims and witnesses commissioner” within the first 100 days of forming the new government.
The position, established under the Scottish government’s flagship Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, would allow the voices, experiences, and views of those affected by crime to be heard and to influence decision making.
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The Scottish government has confirmed it was completed its part in the recruitment, with the appointment process now to be taken forward independently by the cross-party Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, with a cross-party panel overseeing recruitment. A new commissioner is expected to be appointed in early 2027.
Scottish Labour acting leader, Jackie Baillie, said: “The ink is barely dry on the SNP’s manifesto and it is already being torn to pieces.
“For decades now the SNP has been breaking promises and missing targets – it needs to change.”
She added: “Time is running out for the SNP to deliver on its 100 days commitments, and already our NHS is going backwards and funding for islanders has been cut.
“The SNP must show it is serious about delivering this time round and get to work on the priorities of the people of Scotland – from improving our NHS to making life more affordable.”
Scottish Conservative MSP, Murdo Fraser, said: "The complete lack of progress on promises made by the SNP during the election period is typical of how they have failed Scotland for two decades.
“John Swinney’s pledges were clearly made to chase votes and grab headlines, but he never had any intention of following through on them.
“The Scottish Conservatives will continue to be the strongest opposition to the SNP at Holyrood and stand up for Scots who are sick of broken promises and the nationalists squandering their money.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said: “No matter how many 100 days the SNP are given, they can't ever seem to get it right.
“It looks like John Swinney will be marking this latest milestone with a backlog of broken promises.”
He added: “For too long, the SNP have announced lots of glitzy things that either don’t materialise or are completely unworkable from the start. It has come at an extremely high cost for our NHS, our schools, our economy and our high streets.
“Scotland deserves voices in parliament that will finally put solutions above soundbites, and that is exactly what my party is ready to provide.”
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