First Minister John Swinney outlines significant spending commitments on social care, healthcare, and urban regeneration ahead of May 2026 Holyrood vote.
Edinburgh – The Scottish National Party (SNP) has unveiled a comprehensive spending package exceeding £500 million aimed at significantly enhancing childcare provision across Scotland, should the party secure re-election in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections in May 2026. First Minister John Swinney, speaking at the SNP’s spring conference in Edinburgh on Saturday, 14 March 2026, detailed plans to expand funded childcare from nine months of age through to the end of primary school, available 52 weeks a year.
The proposed childcare overhaul, described by Swinney as a response to the “calls from parents across the country” who are “struggling to juggle work and childcare,” is set to be “backed by over half-a-billion pounds of new investment.” Swinney stated that the initiative would “deliver a brand-new childcare system that fits around families rather than expecting families to fit around the system.” He further elaborated on the financial benefits for families, noting, “Our new approach will mean families benefit from between £1,400 up to over £11,000, dependent on need. Every single family in Scotland will get help.”
This ambitious proposal builds upon Scotland’s existing commitment, established in 2021, to provide 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare annually for all three and four-year-olds, as well as eligible two-year-olds. Currently, this equates to roughly 30 hours per week during term time or approximately 22 hours if spread throughout the year. However, the cost of childcare remains a considerable burden for many Scottish families. A full-time nursery place for a child under two averages nearly £240 per week, and even with existing funded hours, families often pay around £97 weekly for supplementary care. Research indicates that 65% of Scottish parents are forced to reduce their working hours or leave employment entirely due to prohibitive childcare costs or lack of availability. Furthermore, childcare costs in Scotland saw a nearly 7% increase for part-time nursery places for under-twos in the past year.
Beyond childcare, the First Minister announced a significant expansion of GP walk-in clinics. The Scottish Government is currently progressing plans to establish 16 such centres, aimed at alleviating the morning rush for appointments. Swinney pledged to double this commitment, stating, “If re-elected, the SNP will deliver 30 GP walk-in clinics across the country. We will double our original pledge. Reaching more villages, towns and communities the length and breadth of Scotland.” These clinics, designed to bridge the gap between traditional GP practices and urgent care, are intended to provide on-the-day assessment and treatment for urgent, non-emergency health issues, operating from 12 pm to 8 pm, seven days a week.
The pledge comes as Scotland’s primary healthcare system faces significant challenges. The number of fully qualified GPs in Scotland has seen a decline for the second consecutive year, dropping to 4,438 by March 2024 from 4,514 in 2022. Concurrently, the patient population has surged, with over 450,000 more individuals registered with GP practices in 2024 compared to 2012, while the total number of practices has decreased by nearly 11%. This imbalance has led to heavy workloads, with almost half of surveyed GPs deeming their practices “precarious or not sustainable” and a quarter describing their workload as “unmanageable.”
Swinney also addressed the recent devastating fire on Union Street in Glasgow, which occurred just last week (Sunday, 8 March 2026), impacting over 71 businesses and causing significant disruption to the city centre. He committed Scottish Government funds to cover the estimated £1 million cost of clearing the fire site, asserting, “That is £1m that should not come from the public services that Glaswegians rely upon. This SNP government will therefore underwrite the cost of clearing the site, meaning not a penny of the city’s public services budget will be lost.” Additionally, a £10 million recovery fund was announced to support Glasgow City Council, local businesses, and agencies in their efforts to “rebuild and renew that vital part of the city.” Swinney affirmed, “Let me be clear today – we will stand by our biggest city in its hour of need. The SNP will do everything in our power to make Glasgow flourish.”
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Further election pledges include offering £10,000 loans to assist first-time buyers with their deposits. The First Minister also reiterated the SNP’s long-term objective of Scottish independence, stating that an independent Scotland would “use the powers of statehood to ban from Scotland any foreign military engaged in illegal conflicts.”
These expansive policy commitments arrive amidst warnings from spending watchdogs regarding the long-term financial sustainability of social policies. The Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts a growing funding gap for devolved social security payments, projected to reach £1.3 billion by 2026-27, primarily due to policy divergence from the UK Government. Audit Scotland has also highlighted that NHS Scotland faces a financially unsustainable position, with several health boards relying on significant loans from the Scottish Government.
