This has been one of those rare weeks when Scotland’s politics seemed pretty inconsequential. Over the past months and years, we have secretly enjoyed dominating the headlines north and south of the border. It has reinforced our view that the fulcrum of Scottish political life has shifted from Westminster to Holyrood, irreversibly. For those in and around the Parliament, we’ve enjoyed that period.
The attacks on Paris last Friday have both squeezed much of the interest out of domestic politics, but more importantly reinforced the view that some things are frankly more important than arguing over fiscal frameworks, A&E waiting times, et al. It’s tough to see the importance of extending a tram track when people just like us are losing their lives in horrific circumstances.
However, whilst the headlines have rightly been elsewhere, and whilst party politics were cast aside for a united national response to the Paris bombings, some domestic issues have been worthy of note this week.
Non-stick Nationalists
The public services headlines in recent months have not been the stuff of dreams for the SNP’s talented group of PR people. Whether it has been a sense of chaos at Police Scotland, a stubborn attainment gap in schools, or waiting times, the backdrop of Scottish public service performance is less than brilliant. Yet this week continued the trend, with continuously dripping revelations of under-performance at our biggest and brightest NHS hospital in Glasgow.
There’s one common feature worthy of note in these stories - it seems not to have made one jot of a difference to the apparent popularity of the SNP. The vast majority of Scots might be unsettled by public services underperformance, but still retain the view that Nicola Sturgeon and her team are those best placed to sort it out. Frankly, despite the amount of negative headlines, none of it sticks to the Scottish Government.
The smart money seems to be on that remaining the case up to and beyond next year’s Holyrood elections, not least of all because there seems precious little political alternative out there.
One Year on, and all that
I suppose this week’s most significant date was the first anniversary of the FM’s arrival at Bute House - after her coronation on Alex Salmond’s departure. It’s been quite a year.
After celebrating that milestone, in my opinion, and with one overwhelming electoral success under her belt, Nicola Sturgeon will be looking forward with some mixed emotions. She’ll reflect that her arrival as FM could not have been better timed from the perspective of a weakened set of political alternatives, and the arrival of some talented individuals in her party. Together, that has allowed a year of tsunami-like success. However, when you’re at the top, there is only one way forward, that of the harder and less glamorous task in managing decline. The result last May was a high water mark for nationalism, and there will be real challenges in staying there, and dealing with a level of expectations that has never been higher.
FMQs this week re-inforced the view that Sturgeon, one year on, is owning the chamber in a way that Salmond never did given his weakness on detail. She is never truly under threat, rarely under pressure, despite an extensive and patchy track record to defend. This past year will be one she will be proud of.