John Swinney's openness about ScotRail's problems must usher in whole new approach
At the very least, Education Secretary Mairi McAllan should have been ‘pretty frustrated’ by Scotland’s poor performance in the latest Pisa educational league tables
As we report today, John Swinney is “pretty frustrated” about the problems being experienced by passengers of state-owned ScotRail as they try to buy tickets through a new app. What’s more, he regards the situation as “really not acceptable”. We are sure that passengers who have ended up paying over the odds for tickets or otherwise found themselves in difficulty will be even more irate.
It is perhaps a little too much to expect the First Minister or his Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn to be computer programmers capable of spotting a flaw in the coding, if that is indeed what caused the problem, or that they would have the time to get down to that degree of detail.
However, as ever, they are ultimately in charge and the buck stops with them. The important thing is that they recognise there is a problem and therefore will, we hope, do something to rectify the situation and ensure there is no repeat.
Be candid about Scotland’s problems
Running a country is a difficult job and there will always be problems that crop up unexpectedly. A good government will be open about them, take criticism on the chin, and then set about the issue with as much vigour as is required.
Unfortunately, SNP ministers have not always been entirely candid about Scotland’s problems. Why wasn’t Education Secretary Mairi McAllan, at the very least, “pretty frustrated” and determined to make changes following Scotland’s latest poor results in the international Pisa tests of reading, mathematics and science?
Why isn’t Health Secretary Angela Constance outraged, horrified and ashamed by the state of the NHS – the long waiting lists for treatment, the scandal of bed blocking, and the associated social care crisis?
After nearly 20 years in office, the SNP have become overly defensive about their failings in a way that may actually be perpetuating them. Perhaps they fear changing course would be an admission of failure that would invite blame. But when a government defends failed policies just because they are their own, we really are in trouble.
Swinney’s still relatively new government represents a chance to make a break with the past. We urge him to take it.
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