Being dogged
Joe Quinn of the Press Association is the most gentle and, indeed, genteel of individuals.
He is dedicated, diligent and dogged, pursuing a fact like a hound after a fox (or the modern equivalent in these post-ban days.)
So, when Joe speaks of 鈥渇iery exchanges鈥, as he did in his account of First Minister鈥檚 Questions today, it is sensible to pay heed.
The topic was primary class sizes.
Joe, you said a mouthful. There was indeed an incendiary element on display 鈥 or, perhaps, a long, slow burn.
Opposition leaders, of course, believe we are witnessing the incineration, one by one, of the SNP鈥檚 manifesto pledges.
It has become a ritual at FMQs. Formulaic, almost. Opposition leader forecasts betrayal, FM issues denial 鈥 and insists that things will be, at the very least, better than under the previous administration.
In truth, we鈥檙e slighly in limbo here. (Or, rather, we would be, had this centuries old concept not been abolished by the Pope. My source on this is Frank McAveety MSP. Many thanks to him.)
We鈥檙e in hiatus until we get the Budget statement from John Swinney on November the 14.
However, there are indications. It would appear that the promised 拢2,000 grant for first time home buyers may not be an early target for implementation.
It would appear that the promise of 1,000 new police officers may not be exactly as billed.
It will, we are told, now be redeemed by recruitment, retention and redeployment.
There are comparable queries over the pledge to stand in the shoes of Scottish domiciled students who have incurred debt.
And, from today鈥檚 exchanges, it would appear that there are implementation issues in the way of the promise to cut class sizes in Primaries One to Three to a maximum of 18.
These issues include - cost, teacher numbers required and the reluctance of some local authorities to commit funds to this objective.
Ministers say they are in discussion with councils 鈥 but remain committed to their aim.
Fire can be attractive, almost hypnotic.
Post November 14, we will need clarity.
Herewith, a cut out and keep guide to worthwhile questions.
Q1) Are SNP Ministers doing what they promised?
Q2) If not, have they changed tack for sensible reasons 鈥 and/or because their original promises were dumb?
Q3) If they have changed tack, are their new policies nonetheless likely to make Scotland a better place?
Opposition leaders will be, rightly, most interested in Question One.
Ministers, I suspect, will seek to focus our attention upon Question Three, without conceding that they have changed tack.
Joe Quinn will be asking these questions. I won鈥檛 be far behind.
PS: Update. You鈥檒l remember Alex Salmond鈥檚 weekend assertion that Scotland was potentially the third wealthiest nation in Europe. You鈥檒l remember that he based this on Scottish Government advice. I鈥檝e been pursuing this 鈥 and am now advised said data from the SG will be published today or tomorrow.
I'm 
Comments
I have just seen FMQs and if this described as 'fiery' I hate to think what subdued looks like.
Lets be truthful here the SNP government will be judged over the course of a 4 year term in office. That, as always, will what the next election will be about in 2011.
If the SNP meets its targets on class sizes say come March 2011 then it can quite correctly argue that it has met it's manifesto pledge.
To a cynical electorate this is all that really matters - a government keeping it's promises; and that is something we have not seen in many a year.
Another week another SNP promises bites the dust.
We may be in 'limbo' until Swinney publishes his budget - however no self respecting high street booking will give you odds on - that it will flag up a tight squeeze on public service workers and our proud and fiery FM will blame Westminster - even though everyone new that we were entering a tough spending round.
What a shower.
It really frustrates me that opposition leaders are criticising the new Government 5 months into the job. They have four years to implement their manifesto pledges - lets give them the opportunity to deliver.The people of Scotland will then decide whether the SNP are worthy of another term.
Also, is it just me or has Wendy Alexander failed to even land a glove on Salmond yet?
"However, there are indications. It would appear that the promised 拢2,000 grant for first time home buyers may not be an early target for implementation."
Perhaps, finally, a politician has realised that throwing public money at the housing market would achieve only one thing --- INCREASING prices yet further. Well, it would if the Northern Rock scandal was not about to bring the whole financial system to its knees. The Nu-Lab bank is about to bring down Nu-Lab --- and the UK. How very fitting.
Here's an answer to Q1, Brian. No, they haven't. Manifesto Pledge: "We will immediately abolish precription charges for people suffering chronic illnesses". Have they?. Not on your life!!.I expect all those unfortunate folk out there who were looking for financial relief from their prescription charges would give the same answer. The pledge was a cynical political ploy to get votes; which, given the sensitive nature of the subject, was quite despicable. Where is the school-based Dental Service?. Where are the extra police officers?. We all know the answers to those.
Brian
Im actually more interested in what exactly the budget will mean for me. I would be even more interested if we had the revenue and resources to do great things rather than devolved things. I actually wish the opposition would shut up about broken promises its getting very irritating all the do is whine they dont actually come up with any policies or ideas to change things for the better. You never hear wendy alexander or nicol stephen or annabel goldie saying you know what we have a great idea lets see if we can get the government to agree. No we get questioning of snp policies. Get a party wendy because labour isnt one any more. For example greater powers for the scottish parliament. We are still waiting to hear the oppositions ideas about what further powers should be devolved. The opposition had no policies that people wanted before the election and they still have no policies post election.
I find the most galling part of this political back biting is the complete lack of assistance the Government is getting in trying to make Scotland a better place for all of us.
A naive opinion I know, but surely the opposition parties can be a bit more constructive, maybe they could try to punt their own improve-Scotland policies to Alex and chums for consideration instead of just taking cheap shots.
Agred Andy M.They were all voted in to make Scotland a better place,so far all I see from those in the Labour,consevative and the god awful party is an attempt to stymie everything.
Someone should remind them that they are not just there to oppose for oppositions sake but to work for the people of Scotland.
Right enough,though,the previous incumbents did hehaw.
Brian ask yourself is Scotland a more possitive place now that the SNP are in Government ? Im sure you will have to agree that it is.
Do the opposition have Scotlands best interest at heart or are they only interested in scoring cheap points ? Going by the negative attitude of the opposition It appears that party comes before country.
And that Brian is where the opposition and the press have a problem,we the public want a party that will speak up on our behalf and the risk that you the press and the opposition parties run is that you appear to want to see the SNP fail before they have had the chance to prove themselves.
This in turn will alienate the press and the opposition from us.......... the Scottish public.
Lets not forget the policy that was nowhere to be seen in the SNP manifesto....the end of "right to buy". I wonder if it never made it on to the pages of the manifesto because it was never likely to be the most popular of policies?
Andy is absolutely right. The bulk of what is being put forward by the Government is very positive. The opposition know very well that we will not get definitive answers until the budget is fixed. Why Labour in particular have to strain themselves to highlight supposed differences between the Government's proposals and what they would favour quite escapes me. They were all elected to take Scotland forward - not to perpetually engage in mendacious bickering. At least Alex Salmond and his team are mapping a positive way ahead for Scotland - what a relief after eight years of mismanaged mediocrity.
Re: 9
Is Scotland a more positive place? Yes. Will this also be the case when Labour come back to power in x years time? Yes. It's the effect a new government has on a country, remember when Labour won in 97?
I totally agree with poster 9 #conway
I'm totally fed up with the constant sniping and negativity from the Labour party.
The media in Scotland are exactly the same, always putting out a negative spin on SNP stories.
I was also led to believe that 大象传媒 reporters were meant to be impartial?
Obviously not in your case Brian, there appears to be a rose tinted glow flowing through most of your blogs and your appearances on TV.
A bit of balance would be nice.
#9 Speak for yourself. Didn't vote for them, never will!
#3 I think she managed to land at least a glove on our seemingly smug FM yesterday. Honestly. Couldn't even draw a cup tie properly!
Say what you like about the SNP but they have an impressive array of spinbots doing the rounds on various blogs.
I agree with andy m.
It took the lib- lab coalition 8 tedious years to immplement about 2 good policies (the smoking ban and the end to tuition fees). SNP have been in power for 5 months, for the fisrt time ever. they are doing a good job so far and are perhaps still finding their feet. but at least they are being positive about scotland for once.... heaven forbid we should be feeling proud of our nation, eh wendy??
i for one and many, many others are willing to give the SNP time to get the ball rolling to make scotland a better place. and i am positive that after 4 years in office the SNP will have made 10 times as many beneficial changes than labour and their side kicks did in 8 years!
oh and it is heartening to see labour and the tories getting on so well these days. im sure davey cameron down south is enjoying it aswell!
#14
Labour ministers tried their best to portray the Gould report as reflecting as badly on the SNP as it did on themselves.
Wendy sounds like a stuck record, dumbly repeating the same 'broken promise' line over and over, 5 months into the 4-year term over which the promises apply - this apparently being the extent of her effectiveness as an opposition leader.
Now you are contriving to blame Salmond for errors made by the Presiding Officer.
Who needs the facts when almost anything can be made to stick in the childish world of the petty mud-flinger??!
I agree with the posts on here regarding the negativity of the opposition,I want Scotland to be a success but it would seem the opposition would do anything to see the SNP fail even if it damaged Scotland.
Well all I can say is that this is the attitude that has held our country back all this time, and it is the reason I am more determined to support the SNP in their drive to make a success of government.
There is a positivity in Scotland but those with closed minds refuse to see or accept it.
Continuing to vote Labour is a wasted vote because for sure they will be wiped out in England at the next general election and do you really think a Tory government and a Labour Scottish Executive which is what they would call themselves, would be a good thing for Scotland?
HI BRIAN
is this what is politely called a
fiery exchange? SOUNDS more a bear-pit, all three of the oposition parties are in collusion,the big question is are the bbc.in it up to the neck? all parties concerned should geton with with their own jobs
and just see what transpires, its a
sad sight, seeing our ellected msp's, waving goodbye to all dignety fighting on one man, trying his best
to sort mess that is scotland today, this after 300yrs, of the union disgracful!!
An aside -
Limbo has not been abolished; indeed it was never an official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. All that happened was that the Pope authorised the publication of a document that argues that there is hope that infants that die unbaptised may be able to enter into God鈥檚 presence (rather than passing into Limbo).
As usual headlines can be deceiving.
Guys 'n' Girls,
Many of you seem to think that people who belonf to the Tory, Labour and Lib Dem parties are just opposing the SNP for the sake of it.
I think you'll find our politicians are trying to improve Scotland. However, the reason they belong to diffirent parties is because they don't agree on how you go abaout it. The point of Parliament is to allow them to argue about the rights and wrongs of diffirent policies.
Would you rather the 82 elected MSPs who believe the policies of the SNP will damage Scotland, just go along with them anyway?
robbie
cool starting line by the way! "guys 'n' girls"..... its catchy.... maybe you could get a job with your mates at the herald or 'scots'man! tories, laboos, and limp-dems do just oppose the SNP for the sake of it. the only policy that the SNP have tried to implement which differs from the ideologies of Labour or the LDs is independence..... fair enough oppose that if they like, but don't go opposing things such as Trident disarmement or the public funding of a 'Fife - Edinburgh hovercraft'. Or more importantly, St Andrews Day clebration packs!
Whats wrong with us celebrating St Andys day in a big way like the irish do with St Paddy?
It creates another highlight to the year in which we can all celebrate a scottish event. not everyone in scotland is a christian who celebrates Christmas and easter, but we all live in scotland and why not use the day to clelebrate out multi-culture and rich history.
#14 Liam wrote:
"Speak for yourself. Didn't vote for them, never will!"
To be repeated in a monotonous voice ad infinitum (or nauseum. lol)
"I voted Labour, I have always voted Labour, always will. My Dad voted Labour, his Dad voted Labour and his Dad voted Labour, before even Labour was invented.
Zzzzzzzzz!
S'mise Donaidh