FM’s new politics looks like old

JOHN Swinney stood in front of his parliamentary flock as a born again believer in consensual politics.

But his new enthusiasm for reaching out across the political divide will have puzzled many long-term Swinney watchers.

This was the same combative politician who once defied Holyrood by refusing to hand over government legal advice on the Alex Salmond debacle.

He is the same Nationalist partisan who antagonised rivals over the SQA grading scandal.

Swinney is someone for whom the word “sorry” has had to be forced out of him under anaesthetic.

Here he was, at his debut First Minister’s Questions as leader, an evangelist for a new type of debate. Part of this involved asking for tolerance over his previous failures as education secretary.

When Douglas Ross quizzed him over a commitment to 3500 extra teachers, Swinney pleaded ignorance: “I’ve not been on the front bench for 12 months or so.”

When Anas Sarwar asked about looming cuts to teachers in Glasgow, Swinney promised to engage “constructively” with councils.

His tone was conciliatory but rivals believe this is a forced conversion rather than a sincere embrace of ecumenical politics.

They think his call to “reach out” across the chamber is solely motivated by numbers.

Swinney’s SNP can rely on the support of 63 MSPs on a good day, two short of all opposition.

He has no choice but to extend a tactical arm of friendship to historical enemies and hope for a positive response.

His inaugural turn at FMQs saw him style himself as the honest chair of parliament sniffing out majorities with long lost friends.

If Ross and Sarwar were unconvinced, Green co-leader Patrick Harvie seemed even more determined to spurn the new leader’s advances. Harvie, still fizzing at his party getting dumped, was unhappy with Swinney appointing Kate Forbes as his number two.

The raging Green believes giving the job to someone who would have voted against gay marriage jars with the modern, inclusive politics preached by Swinney.

Swinney shrugged it off and played up to his self-appointed role as Father of the Nation.

His performance confirmed he is a cunning and wily politician with a skill for adapting.

But the suspicion persists his wish for kinder, gentler exchanges will run up against the fire and brimstone of Holyrood politics.

The “new politics” will likely end up looking like the old.