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The truths they don't want you to read....

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Minority retort

Scottish Parliament. Lock the doors and keep them in.One of the great benefits of proportional representation is that the public are more likely to get what they want, whilst politicians are less likely to be able to manipulate the system to their benefit.

It also produces some deliciously cringe-making compromises as the desperation to hold onto power outweighs every other factor.

So it will be this week as the first SNP Budget attempts to make its way through Parliament.

The balance of power - for this matter - lies not with the SNP, but with the tantalising combination of Margo MacDonald, the Greens and the Tories who hold the votes that will make all the difference.

With the Lib-NuLab pact desperate for the budget to be lost amended in such a way as to meet the prioirities of the people the Lib-NuLab pact for purely altruistic reasons (i.e. so that they don't get embarrassed by what they should have done over the past 8 years), the problem is clear.

As someone who marched along Princes Street on many occasions decrying Thatcher, supporting the miners, opposing the cuts in whatever, and who has probably graced the photo-files of MI5 the Tories are beyond the pale. Indeed, the SNP used to have a policy of 'no deals' with the Tories, until .... well when exactly.

To win seats in Edinburgh and Fife a new Forth crossing was promised, which has alienated the Greens. Who were kind of pissed-off about the airport expansions, new road building and (soto voce) the weak committment to renewables before they realised the power they were wielding.

Margo, being less beholden to anyone except Margo (and that's a complement) has already extracted promises, commitments and money for her chosen projects. And in fine style she has then sat back and demanded more. And she will probably get it all.

If the budget goes through, the SNP will be branded as Tartan Tories again, and they will have to rely on the Tories each and every year to pass the budgets, which will not be very comfortable come the next elections.

However, carefully considering the voting position I suspect that the Budget will be lost and the process will start again, resulting in more changes in the promises, and a blame game between the SNP and Labour. That will be entertaining if not enlightening, and it will be a bitter, bitter, vicious scrap. But only the first of four.

Update 20:20
The toys are out of the pram, as Salmond threatens to resign if the Budget is not passed. Although claiming to be confident of success, this behaviour suggests that the parliamentary arithmetic is on a knife-edge and the pressure is telling.

It is not very edifying, and possibly pointless. I thought that the elections were every four years, and couldn't be any sooner, meaning that a hung Parliament had to struggle on and find a majority issue by issue. That would be a hellish situation for Scotland for the next three years but should produce a better Parliament and better Parliamentarians in the long-run. If they don't kill each other first. Which might in itself be entertaining.

Update 6/2/08
The BBC refreshes my memory about the possible sequence of events. In the event of the Resignation of the First Minister, there are 28 days in which a new First Minister can be elected. Failing which, with the support of 2/3 of the MSPs, a new election can be called.

With 129 MSPs, Labour has a blocking minority for the calling of a new election. Can you imagine Labour candidates standing in a snap election? Turkeys and Xmas.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

You didn't mention that Salmond has threatened to resign if the budget is not endorsed.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree. This is serious stuff. I think that if the budget is not passed tomorrow then it's effectively a vote of no confidence and so a snap election should be expected. With the one seat majority I always thought this would happen at some point over the next 4 years over something. I'd go as far as saying it's almost inevitable.

Anonymous said...

Salmond threatens to resign.

That has to be like a red rag to a bull for the other parties. I now don't want the budget to be passed just so that we can vote the spiky haired idiot out.

Anonymous said...

Salmond threatens to resign.

That has to be like a red rag to a bull for the other parties. I now don't want the budget to be passed just so that we can vote the spiky haired idiot out.

Anonymous said...

Salmond is acting like a small child who cannot get his own way.

Anonymous said...

That's an easy "threat" for Mr Salmond to make as he has another job already paying him a very lucrative salary in Westminster should it all go wrong. Don't tell me that he didn't have this one planned.

The guy is corrupt.

Anonymous said...

It's not Salmond's fault, it just that Labour and their Lib Dem cronies are pathetic and totally irresponsible in opposition.

I wonder if sleazy Wendy will hold back her resignation until after the budget debate? I see her latest spin doctor has jumped ship - like the rats on St Kilda!

Anonymous said...

To anon 9:30PM

Don't be fooled. All those now in office at Holyrood are enjoying every single minute of it - having stuffed Labour into OPPOSITION. I'm not a member of the SNP but I know for a fact that civil servants are gobsmacked that Swinney for example is in his office at 6am every morning. The NATS have waited for this for such a long tome - and probably thought it would never happen - but it has!

Anonymous said...

As for Margo Macdonald and Jim Sillars, they are the pits. Self righteous and up their own backsides.

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't 'Scottish' Labour put Scotland first as the SNP do?

It's because Labour is an English party.

But wasn't Labour founded by Scots?

Yes, but that doesn't matter now - we have to denegrate the Scots at at every opportunity....

And what good will that do?

Anonymous said...

let the Wee, sleekit, cowran, tim'rous beastie, resign. I am sure one of the Donald's will have seen him OK with a couple of stuffed brown envelopes.

Anonymous said...

To anon 2:13AM

No - it's you Labour guys that take the bungs. You're the ones being reported to the police.

Anonymous said...

If the budget is voted down today then IT IS basically a vote of no confidence in Salmond and his Government.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:44AM

It may be a vote of confidence by those still hurting at loosing the election but not by those that voted. If there was an election tomorrow the SNP would win a workable majority - have you not seen the opinion polls?

Anonymous said...

Anon 10.04, I'm an SNP supporter and I would love for there to be another election just now, I am saying however, that if the other parties vote down the SNP budget then it is a (very twisted and wrong) vote of no confidence by them in the Government.

Anonymous said...

10:00 - don't insult Wendy too much she may be on your side before long!

Anonymous said...

05/02/08 this is precisely why i think it very brave of Salmond!

I know of no other polititian who would make such a promise - And by the way Angus I don't reckon it would be the SNP who would be the turkeys!

Anonymous said...

We have all heard Salmond's promises before. When he said he would not stand for leadership come what may. Bloody liar.