Interesting news from the political scene up here in Scotland. First Minister Alex Salmond has threatened to resign if his budget doesn’t pass. On first hearing this I was surprised, but as you look at the detail it’s probably unlikely he’ll need to do so. Brian Taylor explains it better than I can, but the Conservative party will probably support it having won concessions, the Liberals will probably abstain (sigh), and Labour will vote against. So it should pass.
The backdrop to Salmond’s threat is also well explained by Brian Taylor: Salmond is a grand showman, and a big statement like this makes big headlines. Then there’s the fact that his resignation alone won’t lead to a dissolution of parliament, that needs a 2/3 vote or no new First Minister after 28 days. Finally, and most importantly, there are the raw politics that lie behind it all: The SNP have increased their popularity (or, so far at least, not screwed up on anything), so the other parties must be accutely aware that they will need a lot more time to wear down the SNP, before they can expect to do well in an election. From where I’m sitting (fences can actually be comfortable), that’s well over four years away.
So if there was an election tomorrow, I’d almost certainly be voting for another party at the list level: The Liberal Democrats, who got my regional list vote last year, have really failed to impress with their (misguided) attempt at forging a strong and distinct name for themselves in opposition, rather than working more closely with the SNP: They share so many policies with the SNP it feels like a betrayal of their supporters values.
Salmond’s threat may be a gesture, but it’s a good one by a politician who seems on top of his game, with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Update
So the budget passed, with the Conservatives supporting the SNP’s budget, and almost every other MSP abstaining. Not exactly surprising to hear the threat to resign was roundly criticised. However, I still quite liked the bravado and confidence it showed, and that there was clear compromise between two party’s demonstrates that minority government can work, further showing that all of our votes are all the more valuable with this system.
