28 Days
It’s all going mad at Holyrood. Scottish politics is getting battered. Anyone would expect Gazza to appear any moment with a carry-out, a fishing rod and a chicken.
Alex Salmond’s interviewing Sharon Stone, apparently.
The Holyrood circus is still in town with new acts appearing on the hour. The bookies Coral have Neil Gray as the odds on favourite to take over from Humza Yousaf as FM with Kate Forbes on 2/1, with Màiri McAllan third on 7/2, and Ash Regan at 6/1. Someone tell them Ash Regan isn’t even in the SNP.
Presumably this is what happens when London journos descend on Edinburgh without a scooby about Scottish politics? Rachel Reeves has popped up with the Royal ‘We’:
This has prompted the SNP’s Marco Biagi to clarify: “For the sake of accuracy, Labour’s motion wouldn’t trigger an election, it’d force the resignation of the First Minister (and the Tory motion might in practice too). An election is only triggered by a 2/3 majority vote or failure of the parliament to appoint a First Minister.”
It’s also worth noting that an extraordinary general election requires a 2/3 majority or the office of FM to have been vacant for 28 days, not a Vote of No Confidence.
28 Days.
Isn’t that a Sandra Bullock movie?
Today it turns out that the Scottish Greens are having cold feet about walking out and are saying “Their door is open to talks”.
So too was Ash Regan issuing a letter that had all the modesty and savvy she’s known for. Yesterday it seemed like Abla were baying for blood and hoping to take-down Humza Yousaf, or at least leverage as much out of the crisis as they possibly could.
Today, with the turn of the Labour party’s proposal to cast a VoNC in the Scottish Government, not just the First Minister, Abla have suddenly realised this could lead to a Scottish Election, and that’s not what they want at all, cos that means bye-byes … they issued this hurried statement …
Meanwhile the professional lobby-groups are using this outbreak of mass delirium for some serious political action. Between the Clown Shows and the Acrobats some are taking this seriously. Andy McIver of Holyrood Sources (and much else) has written:
The end of the Bute House Agreement represents an extraordinary opportunity for the SNP to reset, reacquaint itself with the key priorities of voters, and rediscover how to win. Humza Yousaf should take a series of immediate steps 🧵
— Andy Maciver (@akmaciver) April 25, 2024
A confirmation that economic management and economic growth will take centre-stage as the foundation for everything else. That must include the reversal of income tax rises.
— Andy Maciver (@akmaciver) April 25, 2024
A confirmation that economic management and economic growth will take centre-stage as the foundation for everything else. That must include the reversal of income tax rises.
— Andy Maciver (@akmaciver) April 25, 2024
But let us be clear, this is a huge opportunity for the SNP, and consequently a huge risk for Labour, which has been in planting its tanks on the centre-ground lawn. If the SNP returns itself to the centre, it changes the dynamic of the general and Scottish elections.
— Andy Maciver (@akmaciver) April 25, 2024
We wrote about the response to the tax variation HERE.
But what Andy and his ilk show us is that the commitment to One Nation Taxation, no variation allowed is not confined to the Tory right but is absolutely central to the centre-right lobby group that surrounds Holyrood. It also tells us that the enthusiasts for the Queen Across the Water of Kate Forbes are not confined to the commentariat.
I’m issuing a Vote of No Confidence in everyone.
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The present situation in the Scottish government stems from the hubris of our politicians. They cannot help but regard themselves as a government in Scotland with all that implies. However, they are a devolved administration only capable of administering the funds allocated by the central government and therefore hamstrung at all times . If those in government in the SNP had accepted this they could have spun the line that whenever they were not able to do something it was the fault of central government. Instead of allowing Douglas Ross to appear as having no connection with Westminster, he could have been blamed, for all of this lack of progress simply because of austerity funds allocated. Even now they fail to hold him responsible which they could easily do but which would show they have less power than they like the voters to think they have. After all he is an MP and so is very much part of the Westminster government which sets the environment in which the Scottish devolved administration operates.
Spot on Robert!
Now would be the time to rethink the strategy of the SNP and perhaps follow my suggestion.
Bravo! ‘Excellent piece, Mike! But arent the lobbyists like Andy Mciver simply part of the centre-right commentariat? I have long seen their excessive influence on Scottish government as problematic for our democracy. Remarkably, even in the days when BBC Scotland attempted weekend reflection on Scottish politics, it saw no need to distinguish between the roles of lobbyists and commentators.
Yes I think Maciver et als are part of the centre-right commentariat, what did I call, them?
I read your penultimate paragraph as implying that ‘Andy and his ilk’ (the centre-right lobby group) are in some way distinct from the commentariat. Perhaps I misinterpreted it.
I see the centre-right lobbyists as being an influential part of Scotland’s commentariat – think Massage Matters, Charlatan Street Partners, Holyrood Grifters, etc, etc, etc…
Ah, no, sorry I could have been clearer. I agree with you.
Yes I think Maciver et als are part of the centre-right commentariat, what did I call, them?