Setting the agenda
Pragmatic politics or a timid climb-down? What do you reckon to the Scottish Governmentβs legislative programme?
With a light smile, Alex Salmond openly acknowledged that his programme wasnβt exactly as billed. But then, as he also acknowledged, he doesnβt have a majority at Holyrood.
It is, to be frank, a little cheeky for the opposition parties to condemn Mr Salmond for βlegislation lightβ - when it is the presence of those self-same opposition parties, in substantial numbers, that prevent the SNP from implementing the whole of their manifesto.
However, I thought that the opposition front benches pounced fairly effectively on the detail, smartly detecting the absence of barking from certain dogs.
For example, Cathy Jamieson for Labour noted that a promise of more Bobbies on the beat had become an initiative to work with police forces to βincrease capacity by the equivalent of 1,000 officers and seek to place them in our communitiesβ.
On that issue, the problem may, ultimately, be cash. The next spending round is likely to be tight. It could also be that ministers cannot direct chief constables how to deploy front-line resources. Hence, the promise to βseekβ community effort.
Others queried what had happened to plans to freeze the council tax in preparation for its replacement by a local income tax.
Nothing, said Mr Salmond, the ambition was there - and the action would follow.
For the Tories, Annabel Goldie said the package was βless a Queenβs speech and more the musings of a man who would be Kingβ. Rather neat, that.
Nicol Stephen of the Liberal Democrats said it was βall gong and no dinnerβ. Not bad, either.
But it was a good performance by the first minister, too. Judge us, he said, on what we achieve over four years. Not on our 11 Bills now.
Team Salmond say the aim is to demonstrate that they will govern sensibly, dealing with what needs to be done - and also what can be done, given the parliamentary arithmetic.
They point out that they could easily have introduced a series of Bills that were guaranteed to be blocked, thinking of six impossible things before breakfast, Lewis Carroll style. Alex in Wonderland, if you like.
Instead, they believe they will steadily inculcate an image in the public mind that they are stable, steady ministers, governing in the public interest.
Then, having banked that support, they can proceed further and better.
Which, translated, could mean: OK, it was a bit dull today - but just watch us when we really get going.
I'm 
Comments
I agree with you brian and first minister. Alex could have produced six bills that instantly would have been voted down. No instead he sought to do the best he could instead of being confrontational and picking a fight. I think the other parties have to now admit that the only people picking a fight in scotland are the parties that want to see the union stand. In effect they are being bullies. For example David cairns coming to scotland from westminster and saying its our oil. If that wasnt picking a fight i dont know what is. Alex salmond on the other hand has acted like the fine statesman he is. He is a first minister to be proud of.
Brian
By the very nature of the parliament the legislation had to be two things, realistic and achievable, as all good objectives should be.
What struck me during the debate was the Labour responses. Anyone who had no knowledge of the Scottish parliament would think that they had never been in parliament before and were laying out what they would like to see done.
The reality which they hope we will forget is their eight wasted years in charge. To every point they raised, the same reply could be given, what were you doing for eight years? Why is it a priority now when you did nothing.
A question about school class sizes from a party that promised us that twice and failed to deliver. You could not make it up.
Also Nicol Stevens accused the SNP of spin, how may times and by how many msp did you hear, this is a charter for American style litigation. Memo to Libdem spin doctors, must do better, give each member a different phrase on the same theme, if not it gets as boring and as contrived as it was today.
Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. All the opposition (Labour)really want is the opportunity to shoot him down and he's not prepared to give them it. He'll do what he can with what he's got and build up confidence in his stewardship of the country with the electorate over time. I think people in general understand his difficulties with no overall majority and will makle allowances:)
I thought it was very interesting to hear from one of the commentators today that, in recent days Labour had actually proposed setting up an alternative Executive but the Tories and Liberals weren't up for it! They've got enough problems with the electorate without joining in such an underhand scheme! But how desperate can Labour get? How much are they missing being in power? Next they'll be calling themselves the 'Government' in exile:)))
"Steady as she goes" safe pair of hands that Alex Salmond
that is not ture
Brian, just because the SNP may not be able to implement their manifesto in full because of the opposition parties, doesnβt mean they don't have to at least try to get the promised legislation through. Someone earlier today (I believe on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ) called the programme a wish list, it isnβt even that as Salmond is only going with legislation he knows will pass. What Alex Salmond did was pathetic, he used minority government as an excuse for breaking promises to the voters who put him there.
The SNP should bring their legislation through and if it get's voted down so be it, at least then he can say he tried. The other parties can amend the legislation anyway. It is oblivious why he doesnβt want to bring the legislation forward, because he doesnβt want it to come under to much scrutiny.
As usual, Brian's pretty close to how it is.
Frustrating for the opposition, dying for something to sink their fangs into, and being rewarded with legislation which they can't really oppose without looking like idiots.
Time also to bear in mind that the first Labour and LibDem Scottish Government passed just one act in the whole of 1999, and, when fully up and running in 2003, when the last election was held, put through the legendary and revolutionary Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act.
Correct, Brian, the figures don't add up to allow us to bring in the referendum yet, so we're not going to waste time on gesture politics.
I have to say, however, having just watched Newsnight (during which Gordon Brewer was kind enough to allow Nicola Sturgeon about 15 seconds to talk), that Cathy Jamieson's performance was everything we have come to expect from her, as indeed were those of the intensely self aware McLetchie and Finnie.
The bad news for the opposition is that there are just under four years of this to go, and that the SNP are playing themselves in with skill and confidence.
Alex Salmond made a number of promises before the election, at the time all parties questioned whether we had the cash to deliver - yesterday clearly underlines that the SNP can't afford to meet the promises that they made. The sad thing is that rather than admit that he can't manage toffee - he'll blame the current spending round review and the Westminster Gvt - another chance to pick a fight.
His plans to freeze council tax will cost our local council around Β£6m and lead to folk loosing their jobs - meanwhile he twitters on about our economy. The mans a charlattan
Accurate as ever Brian.
It may be a touch of schadenfreude but my favourite part of the proceedings was Wendy Alexanders question being comprehensively slam dunked by the First Minister. She may be a policy guru for Labour but I'm still not convinced she's really leadership material. I expect to see her replaced before the next election.
Brian,
As someone who voted SNP on the basis of his Council tax proposals, I am politically aware enough to know that these proposals and all the others made, were based on the basis of their ability to deliver.
As long as they continues to work towards their objectives I will continue to support them.
Labour and the Conservative are opposed in principle to the Council tax changes but where does this leave the Lib Dems and their supporters - the opportunity is there to achieve one of their chief objectives but it means supporting the SNP on this particular issue.
Will they grasp the nettle and if they don't will their supporters forgive them, as they know full well that labour will never agree to implement this change if they get back in a coalition, and a great opportunity to introduce fairness in local taxation will have been lost.
rock/ hardplace anyone.
I think Salmond and Co are doing pretty well considering. Although watching the opposition parties now convinces me that there will be many more SNP seats this time in 2011. God knows what Pravda will do to try and stop them on May 3rd 2011
hi brian, a very good and fair comment on todays blog.ofcourse the
scottish gov. would like to have ALL
THEIR MANIFESTO delivered NOW but
IT WILL BE when its possible, it was rather ungracious of the rest to try to rain on alex's parade, i think they were furious because alex shot their fox,they planned to bring him down,by ganging up together,it ir
a bit gaulling to see lab/libs bashing the gov.for piddleing little
things after leaving behind them eight yrs. of (muddleing through) it looked like SOUR GRAPES,as it was!!
its not all we wanted,but its the way it has to be,all things in a manifesto,are promised on hopes of
winning out a majority,who knows if it had'nt been a dogs breakfast at the election,we may have succeded,till then we will just be
gratefull to have a gov. who cares
about scotland.
I hope you are right about effective pouncing Brian. I really admire what Alex has done with his few short weeks and I hope this can be maintained.
However, I think it is essential to have a competent opposition to provide some checks and balance. Some of the antics of opposition members have been so pathetic that I start to worry whether they are up to the very important job of challenging the Government and keeping it accountable.
While I am impressed by the Government, I expect better from the Parliament.
Perhaps the opposition parties should reconsider their practice of deploying their big guns down south? Now that Alex has raised the bar β the opposition needs to catch up β for all our sakes.
The SNP under Salmond are providing a text-book example of two battle tactics -
Blitzkrieg (swamping the opposition with activity, thereby putting them again and again on the back-foot).
Divide and rule (picking the battles carefully and on issues that will naturally divide the opposition).
The three unity parties have completely under-estimated the SNP and its leadership and continue to do so.
Given that the Scottish Government doesn't even know its budget for next year, it is difficult to see how the FM could commit his administration to substantial spending. Hopefully this fiscal cart-before-the-horse will be corrected in the future. We'll see.
With regard to the extent of the legislative program, it is skilful given the minority status of the administration. To suggest that somehow this is a manoeuvre to engineer a fight with Westminster is risible, if predictable.
I think any party that voted in favour of forcing the SNP to go ahead with the pointless and expensive plan of the Edinburgh tram system can't really be surprised when there's less money to be spent on some of the proposed SNP policies. I would comment on Scottish Labour's past failures to live up to their electoral promises but like many other people in Scotland I can't remember what they were, nor can I remember what they actually ever did whilst in power.
Not surprising to see the Nats on this comments page all coming out and singing the same tune that Salmond is conning everyone with!He is brilliant at setting up issues that in a way cannot be attacked because his strategy is driven by making sure that any mud will not stick in the first instance, or blame it on someone else!Remember his MP from the Western Isles whose sleazy activities paid for by the tax payer were exposed,Salmond blamed the newspaper!
Hardly a shock also to see the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ giving the SNP a relatively easy time of it,look back to the election,Brian Taylor et al have always been taken in by Salmond`s smug demeanour.In time he will slip up,and everyone will see him for what he is.
A thoughtful piece as always Brian. I do enjoy your blog!
It seems to me that it will do some parties no harm at all, especially Scottish Labour, to stay on the oppostion benches for a while. They really need to devolve themselves further from London control before the electorate take them seriously again. Voters are realising that you cannot serve 2 masters: London and Scotland. This legistative programme is rather unambitious but the SNP have no choice in that, they'll be hoping that the'll have the extra clout in future to push through their agenda. They are playing a long term game.
Meanwhile i want to hear what the other parties are proposing by way of extra powers for the parliament; at the moment i'm favouring independence.
The SNP are setting the agenda, the others are following. Lib/Lab/Con really need to put forward proposals pronto because supporting the status quo led them straight into oppostion!
P.S. It's great that the Scots Parliament has finally woken from it's slumber!
You lucky Scots, your own people are running your show, more-or-less exclusively for your benefit.
"There is a buzz in Scotland right now", I recently read.
There certainly is not 'a buzz' (politically speaking) in moribund England, I can tell you that.
This Englishman can only sit back and admire Alex Salmond as he and the SNP incrementally take Scotland towards full self-determination, and this legislative programme is just one step along that road.
Do hurry up Alex ... somebody has to save the English from their political apathy!
Well said, Brian.
I, for one, remain enthusiastic about the progress towards a truly new and truly Scottish politics.
No flies on Wee Eck.
Slainte
ed
Watch out for the following process from Alex Salmond.
1) Implement the more popular areas of his manifesto because he can pull others on board.
2) Happily hide the other areas from public view.
3) At the next election, take the line "See what we can do without a majority - just imagine what we could do with one"!!!
Alex Salmond pointed out in his Ministerial Statement, when presenting the Scottish Government's Programme, that good government was not just about passing laws. That not every problem can be solved with legislation.
With that in mind I would like to share with you the thoughts of Sir Archibald Alison, a leading historian of Europe.
"We could easily extend this enumeration to double its present length, without exhausting the evidence which the Scottish Parliaments have left, in their legislative measures, of the admirable political wisdom and truly independent spirit by which they were actuated. Enough - and, perhaps, our Southern readers may think, more than enough - has already been done to establish their just claim to the character of free, just, and upright legislators. We shall only therefore add, what is perhaps the most surprising matter of all, and what the English lawyers, accustomed to the multorum camelorum onus of their statutory law, will fully appreciate, that such was the laudable brevity of those ancient times, that the whole Scottish Acts of Parliament, down to the Union, are contained in three duodecimo volumes. And yet, in these little volumes, we hesitate not to say, is to be found more of the spirit of real freedom, more wise resolution and practically beneficial legislation, better provision for the liberty of the subject, and a more equitable settlement of all the objects of the popular party at this time, than is to be found in the whole thiry volumes of the statutes at large, and all the efforts of English freedom, from Magna Charta to the Reform Bill. In truth the early precocity of Scotland in legislative wisdom, and the extraordinary provisions made by its native Parliament in remote periods, not only for the wellbeing of the people, but the coercion alike of regal tyranny and aristocratic oppression, and the instruction, relief, and security of the poorer classes, is one of the most remarkable facts in the whole history of modern Europe, and one well deserving of the special attention of historians and statesmen, both in that and the neighbouring country."
Sir Archibald was writing in 1834 for Blackwood's Magazine after examining the record of the Scots Parliament.
I believe that our present Government is resurrecting this tradition.