JOHN Swinney was accused of “cruel” failure after rehashing an old unfulfilled funding pledge to renew playparks.
The First Minister hailed £25million for refurbishing chutes, swings and slides across the country.
But he was blasted after it emerged it is part of a £60million pot first announced in a pre-election promise to kids in 2021.
Scottish Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie hit out: “If this pledge is ever delivered, the children it was meant for will be too old to use the swings and the chutes.
“The SNP care more about winning votes at an election than keeping promises to children. It’s just cruel.”
And Labour local government spokesman Mark Griffin said: “Years of cuts to councils have left Scotland’s parks in a sorry state and the SNP has no plan to deliver on its promise to upgrade every park in the country.”
Scottish Tory children’s spokeswoman Roz McCall said: “Like their pledges on laptops, bicycles and school meals, they’ve announced grand plans, then failed to deliver for young people.”
The comments came after Mr Swinney and his No2 Kate Forbes posed with kids at a playpark in Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, after a “travelling cabinet” meeting.
Their party’s manifesto four years ago promised to “renew every playpark in Scotland” post-covid.
Then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon vowed: “After a year in which many children have not had access to a garden, this has never been more important.”
Analysis by councils body Cosla in 2023 showed just 2,000 of Scotland’s 4,787 parks would benefit.
The Scottish Government admitted in 2022 its plan would actually cost estimated £141.4million.
