Watching the drama of the US Presidential election this week, I was struck by a simple phrase from Democrat Vice-President candidate Governor Tim Walz. He said there’s a simple political rule of thumb in small town America; “mind your own business”. It strikes me that this rule applies just as much to Scotland as it does across the pond. Governments do well when they only step into people’s everyday life a) when it’s necessary and b) to make things better.
Anything else is asking to be punished.
In the 20 months or so until the 2026 elections the Scottish Government has the time to turn things around, to make changes to the programme but also to the tone.
It’s easy to see that the implosion since Nicola stood down has taken its toll on our record, reputation and respect.
In the time left, I believe that we can recover all three, but it will not be easy, nor simple. I’ll offer three thoughts to start the discussion.
1) The fact that Labour have made the fundamental mistake of punishing the elderly is in our favour and they should be hammered for it. The suspicion (to say the least) that Rachel Reeves will dish out more punishment in the budget on October 30 will also help to reduce their appeal. But we still have not got through to people that the Scottish Government simply cannot just borrow money to meet every crisis. When people call for more spending, we need to ask them which departmental budget they want to cut to find the cash. Whether it’s Alex Salmond or Anas Sarwar calling for the SG to mitigate the Winter Fuel Allowance makes no difference. The money has to come from somewhere and they should be asked to spell out the cuts they would make to find it.
2) The next programme for government should perhaps follow the less is more principle. A small number of changes which can make a demonstrable difference rather than legislation for the sake of it. Allied to measures which can be seen to make local improvements. Whatever is in the programme needs to be deliverable and have measurable positive outcomes. There needs to be some serious and hard thinking done on how we proceed on the road to Independence. The one more heave concept has well and truly run it’s course. People know that this Labour Government is no more likely to agree to another referendum than the tories were, Scotland is simply too valuable to do so, both in economic and political wealth. So we need to find a new route. I’m not convinced that any “Peoples Convention” will break the logjam but who knows it may unlock the fresh thinking to find a way and so I’m happy to give it a try.
3) We have a good record and we need to remind people just what is at risk. I don’t think anyone would suggest that an incoming unionist government, whether with Sarwar at the head or any other, would
· continue to mitigate the bedroom tax,
· keep free prescriptions or
· keep free university education to name just three.
Unionism has been allowed to get away with just asking for more of this, more of that and more of everything else. And more immediately!
We simply don’t have a media which will ask unionists the hard questions and demand answers not waffle so that burden must fall on all of us. Every conversation where a unionist demands more spending should be challenged to identify where the money will come from. If the Reeves doctrine of we can’t afford it so it won’t happen is good enough for a Labour Government why not for a Labour Opposition?