John Swinney mapped out his next five years at an onion bhaji summit at Stirling University’s Pathfoot Building on Friday.
It was there that SNP MSPs, MPs and council group leaders met for an away day to talk strategy.
The First Minister and SNP chief executive Callum McCaig – a former Government special adviser – led the sessions.
Tuesday’s Programme for Government was the main focus, but there was a broader political discussion about where the SNP finds itself.
Swinney allies believe their man, who has had nearly 19 uninterrupted years in Government, is at the peak of his powers.
May’s Holyrood election win gave him a personal mandate after years in the shadow of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.
He is also surveying the wreckage of his rivals.
Reform UK, which is full of rookie MSPs, is isolated at Holyrood and struggling to make an impression.
Scottish Labour is divided and demoralised, having slumped to 17 MSPs three months ago.
The 38 per cent won by Swinney in May – the SNP’s lowest constituency total in nearly two decades – was the same as Labour’s best ever result in 1999.
Voters reduced the Scottish Tories to a rump, while the two parties that improved their standing – the Lib Dems and Greens – are nowhere near the SNP on seats.
One senior SNP source said of the Government: “The ball is in our court. We are in a position to get things done.”
The key themes of the PfG will include tackling child poverty, combating violence against women and public sector reform.
The SNP source said Swinney’s “tone” will be markedly different and predicted he will reach out to the other parties.
Sturgeon was focused on the Greens – a partnership that ended in disaster – but Swinney’s big tent will include the Lib Dems and Labour.
The insider said: “We think we have a dance partner for everything we are going to do.”
Part of Swinney’s objective is to ensure the opposition parties back the Government on policies they agree with.
In the last term, the SNP and Labour agreed on a national care service, but a mutual loathing between senior figures in both parties saw the plan die.
Culling NHS boards, which Swinney is expected to announce, should not be a problem for Scottish Labour given it was one of its manifesto commitments in May.
The First Minister also believes four key posts are crucial for him to do his job properly in Government – chief of staff, Permanent Secretary, Principal Private Secretary and SNP chief executive.
A source close to the FM said he is known to be happy with the team he has around him.
He also believes the SNP group is an upgrade on before and, with Jenny Gilruth, Stephen Flynn and Mairi McAllan occupying senior Cabinet positions, succession planning is in the pipeline.
However, pitfalls lie in wait for Swinney.
The independence movement is impatient and the First Minister cannot shake off the failed Sturgeon strategy of simply demanding indyref2 from Westminster.
A likely shift in position on oil and gas – where Swinney is expected to back new drilling – could trigger a backlash among climate-conscious members.
And the looming iceberg of a £4.7bn budget black hole will bring endless difficulties for Swinney.
The First Minister has a five-year plan, but he remains a hostage to events outside his control.
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