To the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act and the named person’s scheme, both abandoned, and the ongoing issues of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill blocked by Westminster and the spiralling costs of two much-delayed ferries may soon be added an eye-wateringly expensive and bureaucratic national care service and a shambolic deposit-return scheme for drinks containers.

Criticism of the SNP’s record is often dismissed by means of an appeal to the politics of independence – problems are Westminster’s fault, critics are just unionists looking to make trouble, and so on. However, it appears the real reasons may actually lie in a lack of attention to the dry, some would say dull, business of ensuring plans are properly scrutinised and assessed.

In evidence to MSPs, the Fraser of Allander Institute said its research had found that the Scottish Government’s decision-making processes often seemed “insufficient”. “Business cases were performed to the minimum standard or missing entirely. Impact assessments were taking place at the end of policy development, so they could not affect the policy direction, missing their intention entirely,” the institute said. “Incentives for robust decision-making processes were poor as there appeared to be a culture that prioritised ‘getting money out the door’ rather than identifying whether the spending was likely to produce value for money.”