Plans to appoint a State guardian for every child in Scotland have finally been scrapped. It was attacked by campaigners as a huge attack on parental rights and an unacceptable expansion of State power and intrusiveness.

The Scottish Education Minister, John Swinney, said he would repeal the legislation after an expert panel he appointed to try and salvage the plan concluded it was unworkable.

In a statement to MSPs, he said the authorities would instead use “existing voluntary schemes” to identify vulnerable children in need of support, along with further training and guidance.

But he refused an invitation to apologise to parents and teachers, whom the Tories said have endured six years of “endless bureaucracy” as the SNP tried to introduce the policy.

The SNP’s Named Persons scheme had endured withering criticism. The Law Society of Scotland said it could potentially breach European human rights laws on privacy and family life.

The Schoolhouse Home Education Association warned the legislation was “open to abuse and misinterpretation and many parents could fall foul of overzealous agents of the State or people who are just plain busybodies”.

And the Scottish Daily Express warned: “If this sinister aspect of the Bill were to be passed, the guardian could take official action if the child was not being raised in government-approved fashion.”