Three great tasks for Swinney and Forbes

The former Finance Secretary’s return to Cabinet is a welcome step, but her presence is no panacea

“The Conductors pledge themselves for impartiality, firmness and independence... Their first desire is to be honest, the second is to be useful... The great requisites for the task are only good sense, courage and industry” FROM THE PROSPECTUS OF THE SCOTSMAN, 30 NOVEMBER 1816

John Swinney’s decision to make Kate Forbes his Deputy First Minister could be viewed as an olive branch to the mainstream political parties – and one in the eye for the Scottish Greens. Leaving aside her more controversial views on social matters like gay marriage – and many in the SNP will hope she does so in government – Forbes’ more pragmatic approach to economics could form the basis for cross-party co-operation.

However, while SNP politicians were stressing the need to be “collegiate”, it remains to be seen whether the opposition will be prepared to play ball. This question will be moot if the Scottish Greens are satisfied by forcing Humza Yousaf to resign and are now prepared to offer their informal support.

Patrick Harvie, the Greens’ co-leader, fired a warning shot following Forbes’ appointment, saying “there will be many people across our country who will be very concerned and who will want to know that this Scottish Government remains committed to a greener and more equal future for

Scotland”. He also pointedly tweeted a “no right turn” road sign.

Given his fragile position, Swinney’s decision to make Forbes his deputy was a bold, potentially risky move. But it was also a positive one. The SNP doesn’t have so many talented politicians that it can afford to let people like Forbes languish on the sidelines.

That said, Forbes only served as Finance Secretary for three years and, while she demonstrated signs of competence during a period dominated by Covid, regarding her as the solution to all Scotland’s problems would be overly optimistic. Fixing the NHS, education and the economy are pressing priorities that the SNP has failed to make sufficient progress on for years.

Swinney and Forbes must now demonstrate that independence, blaming Westminster, and culture wars are now secondary to the task of fixing Scotland’s most serious and fundamental problems. Or else they will simply continue to lead this country down a dangerous road – not to utopia, but ruin.