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<\/p>\nThe First Minister and other Scottish party leaders faced an audience of fed-up voters in Paisley who declared they were considering not turning out on May 7.<\/p>\n
20:37, 12 Apr 2026Updated 21:07, 12 Apr 2026<\/p>\n
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John Swinney was pressed on the SNP Government’s record on the NHS during the BBC debate in Paisley<\/p>\n
John Swinney was put on the spot over the SNP’s record on the NHS<\/a> and energy during the first live TV debate of the Holyrood election campaign tonight.<\/p>\n The First Minister and other Scottish party leaders faced a BBC audience of fed-up voters in Paisley – with several declaring they were considering not bothering to turn out on May 7<\/a>.<\/p>\n One audience member told the panel of six: “One question was why should we vote? What I’ve heard tonight is why we shouldn’t vote, as all we are hearing is squabbling.<\/p>\n “The reality is the SNP Government has driven us towards a two-tier health system. In the last three weeks, I’ve known of someone who was 83rd on the list to see a doctor in A&E<\/a>, and waited 10 hours to be seen.<\/p>\n “I know someone who has waited over two-and-a-half years to get an audiology test<\/a> and driven towards paying \u00a31,800 to buy from a high street store. Within four days they had their hearing aids.”<\/p>\n Swinney responded: “What I accept is there are people who have waited too long for treatment. And some of that is a product of the impact and disruption of the covid pandemic.<\/p>\n “When I became First Minister, I pledged to bring long waits down – and that’s exactly what’s happening.”<\/p>\n Debate host Stephen Jardine then pointed out the SNP Government has just missed its own target<\/a> to rid the country of year-long waits by March 2026.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Scottish independence referendum won’t happen ‘even if SNP wins majority’, says Wes Streeting<\/a>READ MORE: Anas Sarwar pledges to end rough sleeping in five years if he becomes First Minister<\/a><\/p>\n Swinney continued: “For nine months in a row, we have seen a reduction in long waits for inpatient and outpatients as well.”<\/p>\n Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told the First Minister to “take some responsibility for once” on issues within the NHS.<\/p>\n He asked Swinney if he knew how many people are on a two-year waiting list. Sarwar said: “How many people in Scotland are waiting more than two years? Five thousand.<\/p>\n “In in England, 10 times the size, it\u2019s 300. You\u2019ve been in power for 20 years, take some responsibility for once. Why should they give you one more minute when that\u2019s your record?”<\/p>\n The SNP leader had earlier been eager to talk about the soaring cost of energy – insisting it was a “key issue” of this election – and blasted the UK Government’s failure to so far meet a 2024 election pledge to reduce household bills by \u00a3300.<\/p>\n The First Minister told the audience: “Anas Sarwar promised to deliver change in 2024 and fuel bills have gone up, so you cannot take a word seriously of what Anas Sarwar says.”<\/p>\n But one audience member later asked: “Mr Swinney, you say you’re going to cut energy costs. But a couple of SNP conferences ago, did you not say you were going to create a not-for-profit energy company? What’s happened to that?”<\/p>\n The First Minister responded: “I would love to be in a position to do that.”<\/p>\n He added: “What I want to make sure is that Scotland’s energy wealth is available to the people of Scotland to reduce bills.”<\/p>\n Greens co-leader Ross Greer later branded ex-Tory peer Malcolm Offord a “chancer” after he defected to become Reform UK leader in Scotland<\/p>\n In a clash over immigration, Greer said: \u201cHe is an absolute chancer.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a failed Tory minister who gave the Tory Party \u00a3200,000 and then they gave him a seat in the House of Lords and ministerial office \u2013 I\u2019m sure that was totally coincidental.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was part of that failed Tory government, the former leader of Reform in Wales is currently doing a 10-year jail sentence for taking Russian bribes, they are not the answer to any of the challenges in Scotland.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm Offord said he was in favour of immigration for those coming to work, but he did not support those who are \u201cjumping the queues\u201d of public services \u201cto the detriment of local people in our own communities\u201d.<\/p>\n