Nicola Sturgeon accused of overseeing litany of broken promises ahead of Programme for Government

Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of overseeing a litany of broken promises.

The Scottish Conservatives said the First Minister’s administration had failed to deliver on at least 26 policy pledges from last year’s Programme for Government (PfG).

This sets out the Government’s legislative programme for the coming parliamentary year, with the next PfG due on Tuesday.

Picture: Andy Buchanan

The Tories said the “most glaring failures” included unfulfilled pledges to protect police funding, provide free school meals for all primary school pupils and fully embed medication-assisted treatment standards to tackle Scotland’s drug deaths epidemic.

Party chairman and MSP Craig Hoy said: “The Scottish public will be wary of trusting anything that comes out Nicola Sturgeon’s mouth next Tuesday because of her abject failure to deliver on last year’s Programme for Government.

“This extensive list of broken promises – many of them on key SNP commitments – is a shocking catalogue of failure.

“But it’s hardly surprising. After all, this Nationalist government is so obsessed with pushing for another divisive independence referendum that it neglects the day-to-day business of running the country it is meant to be governing competently.

“The U-turn on the Nationalist coalition’s pledge to protect police funding has had very serious implications at a time when violent crime is rising.

“Equally, the failure to deliver their much-vaunted pledge to provide free school meals for all primary pupils is very significant at a time when household budgets are under extreme pressure from the global cost-of-living crisis.

“The huge surge in drug-related deaths since she became First Minister ought to shame Nicola Sturgeon. Yet her Government is lamentably dragging its heels on its pledge to fully embed MAT standards across Scotland.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Many of the Programme for Government 2021/22 commitments have been met already, including the publication of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation and doubling the Scottish Child Payment.

“Households and businesses across the country are facing a serious cost crisis, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the UK Government’s approach to Brexit.

"As we look to the next PfG, outlining ambitions for 2022/23, the Scottish Government’s priorities continue to be responding to the cost crisis, building a fairer, greener country and securing a prosperous recovery from the pandemic.”