Yesterday was Humza Yousaf’s first Programme for Government speech but it was eerily familiar to what we’ve heard before.
Those of us on the Scottish Conservative benches experienced deja vu.
For 16 years, an SNP First Minister has delivered a Programme for Government speech full of lofty rhetoric, erratic pledges that won’t be met, and heaps of self-serving talk of independence.
Humza Yousaf’s speech was no break with tradition. It was more of the same old story we’ve heard from the SNP.
The words he spoke could easily have been written for Nicola Sturgeon. There was almost nothing new about the policy pledges he made. All he did was re-promise to do the things that his predecessor already claimed the government was going to do, but never did.
That’s what a Programme for Government speech has become under the SNP: a laundry list of soon-to-be-broken promises.
Every year we had to hear Nicola Sturgeon spout her statement, then completely fail to live up to expectations. Humza Yousaf looks set to do the same.
For his first Programme for Government speech, he recycled dozens of previous SNP policies. It was as if Nicola Sturgeon had never really left at all.
Humza Yousaf's statement was sorely lacking in positive new ideas to take the country forward, especially on the economic front.
He talked up plans to improve childcare - but the delivery of previous SNP promises in that area has been shambolic. The 1140 hours policy was delayed and so badly botched that many private nurseries shut down altogether.
He heralded plans to increase the number of primary pupils on free school meals, a policy first outlined by Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross three years ago which the SNP have stalled on delivering.
He announced a pay rise for care workers which would have been good news if he hadn’t already announced it way back in April.
He spoke of being pro-growth, despite a recent poll which found just 1 in 10 businesses believe the Scottish Government understands the business landscape.
Worst of all, he heavily hinted that tax rises for Scottish families are on the way, without getting into any of the detail about what might be coming.
Just about the only parts of Humza Yousaf’s speech that I can welcome were the brief personal moments where he spoke of the need to tackle racism and misogyny. I hope he turns those words into action.
Overall, this was a Programme for Government speech that was forgettable instead of formidable. It was humdrum, not exciting. And while the country desperately needed it to be visionary, it was tedious.
This SNP Government seems completely out of ideas and out-of-touch with what the country needs.
Humza Yousaf had a chance to reset. But all he delivered was a rehash of the same old tired SNP lines.
