The Scottish Government has left Ukrainian refugees in limbo after last week announcing the suspension of the much publicised “Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme”. Despite this setback the First Minister had, of course, never missed an opportunity to criticise the UK Government’s own “shameful” efforts. Yet again Sturgeon has shown her priority is PR, not performance…

The suspension comes about as temporary accommodation, not the permanent housing provided by the generosity of Scottish people, has simply run out. Considering the purpose of the scheme was to bypass the need for an offer of permanent sponsorship, it is hard to see this as anything but a fundamental failure of foresight. This is not surprising considering the underlying logic of the scheme was a hope that the crisis in Ukraine “would prove temporary”…

The failures of the SNP do not end with the Super Sponsor Scheme. The housing of Ukrainian refugees also leaves much to be desired, with offerings ranging from accommodation on a ship to flats previously intended for demolition. Considering Sturgeon’s previous promises, no doubt Bute House has rooms spare…