An Early Programme for Government

It may only be April, but in two weeks’ time, First Minister John Swinney will be presenting the 2025–26 Programme for Government.

The annual set-piece event normally takes place in September, after the summer recess, but is being brought forward by four months.

During a press conference to make the announcement, Mr Swinney said he wants to ensure the country is as prepared as possible at “a time of great uncertainty”.

Citing “economic headwinds” created by the Trump administration in the United States, the First Minister said the Scottish Government had to help “weather the storm”. Mr Swinney will set out the plans in a speech in Holyrood on 6 May.

What is likely to be included?

Judging by Mr Swinney’s comments, there may be a focus on supporting businesses that could be impacted by the imposition of tariffs on goods coming into the United States, such as those in the food and drink sector.

Otherwise, the legislative programme should stick broadly to the four key themes that the SNP leader set out when he took the reins last May. These are eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency and ensuring high quality and sustainable public services.

And while the focus is undoubtedly on a Scottish response to global challenges, there is also an element of domestic politics at play.

The next Holyrood election is in May 2026, giving Mr Swinney exactly 12 months from the Programme for Government announcement to demonstrate successful delivery in key areas before voters go to the polls.

Indeed, in his remarks at Bute House, the First Minister spoke about “enabling a full year of delivery” before election day.

Climate action?

When it comes to climate policy, the government has some catching up to do. In April last year, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Mairi McAllan MSP announced a package of measures on transport, agriculture and land use after the government ditched its 2030 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75%.

However, a recent analysis of those commitments by Friends of the Earth and WWF Scotland found that there has been a “litany of broken promises” and Ministers have failed to deliver on at least eight of 19 pledges.

This included commitments on trialling methane reducing feed additives in livestock, a consultation on options for a carbon land tax, and the recruitment three new areas for Regional Land Use Partnerships.

There were some elements in that list that have been delivered, however, including the decision on the funding split for direct payments for agricultural support between Tiers 1 and 2 (70–30%) and the introduction of the new Whole Farm Plan requirement on basic payments (starting this year).

In the First Minister’s speech on 6 May, we may hear further details on the announcement made in February for a new £20m capital grant fund to “drive efficiency or support nature or climate friendly farming”.

Further progress towards peatland restoration and woodland creation targets would also be welcome.

A new Organic Action Plan?

You can go all the way back to the SNP manifesto for the 2021 election, and the subsequent Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens, for a commitment to produce a new Organic Action Plan.

This was originally linked to the 2021 Programme for Government target to double organic land within this parliamentary term.

Supporting farmers to switch to organic can help deliver on multiple policy objectives, including the headline themes from the Agriculture and Rural Communities Act 2024 on high quality food production, improved animal welfare, climate mitigation and adaptation and on-farm nature restoration.

Credit where it is due, the government has been doing exactly that. Incentives for organic conversion through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) and suspension of area caps have helped to significantly increase the area of land managed organically, bucking the trend in other parts of the UK.

Figures provided by the Scottish Government for the Soil Association Organic Market Report 2025 suggested that close to 50,000 hectares of land has been brought into conversion since 2021. That success underlines the importance of using an Organic Action Plan to help address some of the market and supply chain challenges facing the organic sector – to ensure those converting to organic don’t drop out in future years.

A clear commitment from the First Minister in this year’s Programme for Government would be very welcome.