Hoping we May see new direction
The events of the last couple of weeks demonstrate the incredible pace at which politics can move at times and, frankly, the brutality of its implications.
Last Monday, former Prime Minister David Cameron would have woken up with the thought that he had several more weeks in office.
He would have thought he had an opportunity to take part in a number of major international events, establish his final priorities in government and take time to consider what he should do next.
Within a matter of hours, however, the Conservative leadership election was over, Theresa May was named as the next leader of the Conservative Party and prospective Prime Minister, and Mr Cameron was turning his mind to packing up his and his family’s belongings and leaving Downing Street.
Within 72 hours, David Cameron had left Number 10 and a new Prime Minister was installed.
To anyone that thinks there are guarantees in politics, the events of last week serve as a timely reminder that is not the case.
The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, wasted no time in forming her government and making some important breaks with the past.
She dispensed with the services of the long-serving Chancellor, George Osborne, and it will be interesting to see if this represents any fundamental change in the approach to the economy and the public finances from her government. I hope it does.
Readers of my column in the Blairie will know of my consistent concern with the direction of Conservative economic and public finance policy and I hope we will see a different direction being adopted.
To be fair to Mrs May, her visit to Scotland on Friday to see the First Minister was a welcome step and a recognition of the significant attention that the UK Government must pay to the debate and the perspective here in Scotland.
There is a very different political view prevailing in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.
At the Scottish Parliament elections, the Conservatives improved their performance but they still commanded just over 20% of the vote.
At the EU referendum, we voted to Remain when the rest of the UK voted to Leave. And just on Monday night, 58 out of 59 Scottish MPs at Westminster voted not to renew the Trident missile system but the UK Parliament voted to do so.
These are very significant differences of view and it is vital that the new UK Prime Minister recognises that and responds positively to it. Her visit to Scotland on Friday was a helpful recognition of that necessity.
What will be of great interest is whether that is followed up with concrete and substantial actions.
Our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, made clear her approach will be to do what she was elected to do – preserve and promote the Scottish interest.
The overwhelming commentary in the aftermath of the EU Referendum is that the First Minister has shown clear and decisive leadership in addressing that situation. We can be confident she will continue to do so.