HOLYROOD returned from summer recess with the Programme for Government, which was intended to set the political direction for the coming year. As ever, it met with derision from opposition benches but more worryingly for the Government, was seen by many thoughtful commentators as indicating drift.

Whilst the former is now just the routine theatre of politics, if not the Punch and Judy show of First Minister’s Questions, the latter are by no means all hired scribes in the pocket of hostile press barons. That latter criticism is more concerning and even many sympathisers and supporters, including myself, were underwhelmed. My first thought on hearing it were of Groundhog Day as it sounded ominously like the speech given last year and indeed included announcements made then.

That had been anticipated by the First Minister, ever the artful political tactician, when she’d trailed that it would “build upon last year – indeed upon the last decade”. And in that it did not fail as updates were given on the Scottish National Investment Bank and the announcement that the Best Start Grant for low-income families was six months ahead of schedule.

Far from heralding radical reform or setting out a new vision for the land, it telegraphed further investment in infrastructure and public services, as well as worthy actions on biometric data, consumer protection and the franchise for EU nationals. None to be sneered at as some opposition spokespeople shamefully did, but certainly not heavyweight legislation.

Likewise, further work on female genital mutilation and family law are doubtless needed but hardly new political territory. The point could well be made that those continuing bills were more suitable for an update on past legislative statements than important aspects of a major speech setting the new direction. That said, we do not live in normal political times and in any event perpetual reform is neither wanted nor necessarily good for the country. The response to the Programme for Government has been muted to say the least. Only time will tell whether that’s justifiable or the low-key strategy was correct.

Holyrood has perhaps even been there before, not simply with last year’s statement but years before that when Jack McConnell pledged to “do less better”. It was uniformly condemned by the opposition – including myself – at the time but was arguably a strategy not without some merit.

To be fair, some more radical proposals may have been left out by an administration dependent on winning the support of at least one opposition party. The nature of politics is that whichever one they deal with will want some “wins” and rather than delete some of its own announcements the administration will prefer to include the demands from others. That may open the door for some innovative tax proposals from the Greens on workplace parking or a tourist tax. Anyway, whoever, they deal with, some ballast will be added to the current light cargo that’s being carried by the Government ship.

But the usual system of working isn’t available, for Brexit is devouring everything and everyone. A Prime Minister has fallen, cabinet secretaries resigned, a Government unable to agree a credible plan to deal for the crisis the country faces and the devolved administrations are collateral damage in all that. Not just the politicians but those who work for them are consumed by it.

Figures last week showed that 665 were employed in the Department for Exiting the EU. Hardly, an earth-shattering figure but it’s a newly set-up department. More worryingly 357 had left, which means a turnover of 50 per cent in a critical sector. Of course, the complexity and impact of Brexit is such that it straddles every aspect of government, which is why Dominic Raab announced funding for an additional 7,000 staff at an apparent cost of £3 billion.

That puts the much-vaunted £350 million saving for the NHS from leaving the EU in the shade but shows the impact across the entire structure of the civil service in the UK. Brexit has senior and junior staff struggling to cope and no doubt explains the loss of senior staff as well as the huge turnover in the department at the coal face.

It’s for that reason that policy pronouncements at Westminster have been few and far between. There, as at Holyrood, so much emphasis is on Brexit and its potential consequences that no one and no department can simply get on with the “day job” as is oft times demanded. New policy announcements there are even scarcer than in Edinburgh.

The tragedy is that this isn’t nearing the end but only just beginning. Pressures on government by Brexit, in whatever form it takes, are only going to increase and the ability to simply do the basics never mind steer a new direction on other policy issues will be lost. You reap what you sow, and the cost in jobs and work isn’t just in those that will relocate to the European continent but is also being felt in the administration of the state.

That said, the civil service will simply get on with it as they ever do, “Keep calm and carry on” having been designed by them almost 80 years ago. Moreover, perpetual reform is neither wanted nor good for you. Sometimes a period of calm and an opportunity to just improve what you’ve got is welcome.

I recall a senior judicial figure early on in my political career whose plea was simply for time and space to adjust to huge legislative reforms brought in. He’s not alone, as many, in education or other areas, would simply like a chance to bed in what they’ve got, before being faced with new challenges.

So this is an opportunity that the Scottish Government should seek to make a virtue of. Not “do less better” but “improve what we’ve got”. Let teachers get on with the day job, fill in potholes on existing roads before building new ones, properly reward current staff before creating new posts. We don’t really have a choice, so let’s make the best of it.