Scottish government
Health, education, tax and more - Has the SNP delivered on its promises at Holyrood?
Author / Creator: Phil Sim
Media type: Web page
Date published:
The BBC examined how well the Scottish National Party (SNP) has delivered on its 2021 election
promises as the Scottish Parliament prepares for May elections. The SNP exceeded some targets,
such as increasing health spending by 28% instead of the promised 20%, but failed to deliver
others. Major setbacks included abandoning plans for a National Care Service and breaking a
promise to freeze income tax rates by raising them twice. The party also struggled with educ
Two narratives of Scotland’s policy performance
Author / Creator: Richard Parry
Media type: Article
Date published: 2026
We face two competing pre-election narratives on Scotland’s present position.
Enough campaigning. Is the next Scottish government prepared to govern?
Author / Creator: James Mitchell
Media type: Opinion
Date published: 2025
Scotland is ‘sleepwalking into a crisis’.
Fixing Broken Government
Author / Creator: Jim Gallagher
Media type: Report
Date published: 2025
Whoever forms the next Scottish Government after the 2026 Scottish Parliament election needs to get a grip on how to govern effectively.
Fixing Broken Government
Author / Creator: Jim Gallagher
Date published: 2025
“Something is seriously wrong with … government in Scotland."
Scotland's habit of inquiry
Author / Creator: Megan Davidson
Media type: Article
Date published: 2025
Scotland’s dependence on public inquiries and the political culture that keeps creating them.
SCOTLAND’S COMMISSIONER LANDSCAPE CONSULTATION
Author / Creator: Craig Dalzell
Media type: consultation response
Date published: 2024
Over-reliance on Commissioners to fill the policy gaps could result in a loss of democratic accountability.
The SNP’s slow route to building independence
Author / Creator: Richard Parry
Media type: Article
Date published:
The Scottish Government under Humza Yousaf’s brief and unsuccessful leadership maintained some momentum on independence by issuing nine further instalments of their series ‘Building a New Scotland’ between June 2023 and March 2024.
First Ministers and political leadership: Part 2
Author / Creator: Gerry Hassan
Media type: Article
Date published: 2023
Scottish politics, the parliament, the nature of government and the role of First Minister changed when the SNP inched past the Labour Party in May 2007 and formed its first ever administration.
First Ministers and political leadership: Part 1
Author / Creator: Gerry Hassan
Media type: Article
Date published: 2023
A review of the first 25 years of Scottish Government first ministers.
A Better Relationship: A Fresh Agenda For Scotland’s New First Minister
Author / Creator: Jamie Gollings
Media type: Opinion
Date published: 2023
A devolutionist view of Issues for the First Minister
Here’s how Humza Yousaf can deliver a fairer, greener Scotland
Author / Creator: Adam Ramsay
Media type: Opinion
Date published: 2023
"After 16 years in power, the SNP is stagnating. With these 16 policies, the new first minister can change that"
Is it time tae think again about Flower of Scotland?
Author / Creator: Martin Roche
Media type: Blog
Date published: 2023
Scottish Rugby’s Jim Telfer wants a new anthem for Scotland
What new institutions of economic policy would an independent Scotland need?
Author / Creator: Gemma Tetlow
Date published: 2022
Building trust in a post-independence Scottish government’s commitments to sound economic policy and sustainable public finances requires strong, operationally independent institutions
Public procurement - views and experiences: research
Author / Creator: Blake Stevenson Ltd
Media type: Research Report
Date published: 2022
The process of bidding for Scottish public sector contracts is difficult. Organisations referred to challenges with a lack of time or capacity to bid, the complexity of the bidding process and difficulties in meeting the requirements of the contracts.
Time to shake up Scotland
Author / Creator: John McLaren
Media type: Article
Date published:
There is a lack of critical scrutiny of key policy areas in the Scottish Government's control.
The ‘Scottish Approach’ to Policymaking
Author / Creator: Paul Cairney
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
The Scottish government approach to policymaking is distinctive in the way it uses evidence to inform policy and policymaking.
Interest Groups and Policy Communities
Author / Creator: Iain MacLeod
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
the so-called ‘new politics’ that devolution was meant to espouse has instead continued the dominance of traditionally privileged groups.
The Leadership and Management of Public Services Reform in Scotland
Author / Creator: John Connolly
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
Reform of public services in Scotland have been undermined by a focus on constitutional matters and an empowerment agenda.
The Civil Service and Government Structures
Author / Creator: Richard Parry
Media type: Book
Date published: 2020
The civil service in Scotland is part of the UK civil service and acts with those norms in mind.