danieldwilliam | On Remaining A Member of the Scottish Opposition

With the referendum over, for now, the UK general election with it's siren call of tactical voting over, the prospects for immediate constitutional reform reduced it is probably time for me to lift my head a little and look towards the upcoming Scottish general election in a year's time.

And that means remembering that I am a member of an opposition party in Scotland. That no matter how much I admire Nicola Sturgeon and no matter that I share common ground with the SNP I must remember that there is a much I don't support about the SNP government.

I have some concerns about their narrative. The problems in Scotland are not all the result of Westminster, Margaret Thatcher, Red Tories or They English. Some of them are of our own making. Some of them are of our own choosing. The SNP are the government of Scotland and have been since 2007.

What have they done to advance our society, our state and our polity? What have they failed to do? Those are the questions that the Scottish opposition should put to them. The point is not to deplore their aspiration for autonomy or the route they propose towards a progressive political settlement in Scotland. It is certainly not to buy in to the story that they can do nothing in the face of Tory cuts and the Westminter system. Independence is not the only important question. Over the next five years it is probably not a very important question
The point is to ask them if they have used the powers they have fully, wisely and cleverly to do the best they can.

Is the centralisation of public services like Police Scotland efficent or effective or democratic? Why is a Glasgow model of the suppression of prostitution being forced without consultation on a more tolerant Edinburgh, where I live? Why are they trying to arm the police?

Is the policy of free tuition fees really the most effective or progressive way to ensure we have well educated citizens with fair access to the benefits of a good education? What about early years provision for poor kids so they can grow up to get the grades to make university an option for them?

How are we going to integrate large numbers of renewables on to the Scottish grid? What can we do to make energy in Scotland cheaper and a source of exports and jobs? Shoud we really be excluding nuclear energy?

What about internal devolution and the powers of local councils? How can we make Scotland a more participative and deliberative and pluralistic democracy?

Are we comfortable with the relationship the SNP has with rich foreign businessmen like Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump? Or our own rich businessmen?

Lots of questions to put to the SNP about their record and their choices and their priorities and their plans. The SNP are in government in my country and I am a member of an opposition party.