So, Humza Yousaf – how’s your new job working out?
Just over a week since the new SNP leader was elected, and it’s fair to say he seems to be avoiding a honeymoon period. His inaugural session of First Minister’s Questions was repeatedly disrupted by protesters, and the latest polling suggests bigger SNP losses even than those suffered by his party at the 2017 general election.
And that was before the police cordoned off Nicola Sturgeon’s garden to set up a forensic tent.
He certainly is avoiding a honeymoon period. The piece is well worth reading as a quick run through some of the problems Yousaf faces. It does lead a chap to wonder how poisoned the proverbial chalice has to be.
Just over a week since the new SNP leader was elected, and it’s fair to say he seems to be avoiding a honeymoon period. His inaugural session of First Minister’s Questions was repeatedly disrupted by protesters, and the latest polling suggests bigger SNP losses even than those suffered by his party at the 2017 general election.
And that was before the police cordoned off Nicola Sturgeon’s garden to set up a forensic tent.
He certainly is avoiding a honeymoon period. The piece is well worth reading as a quick run through some of the problems Yousaf faces. It does lead a chap to wonder how poisoned the proverbial chalice has to be.
It says something about the current state of the post-Sturgeon SNP that the arrest of the former chief executive and husband of the last First Minister isn’t even the worst of Humza Yousaf’s problems.
7 comments:
The root of the problem was explained in this morning's Telegraph. The Holyrood system was designed so that the (inevitably) Labour government of Scotland would have untrammelled power. Then Labour were careless enough to lose elections so it's their brethren in the SNP who get unrestricted ability to display their incompetence. Thank you, Mr Brown; thank you, Toni Blair.
A main reason the job is impossible is that he will need to rely to an unprecedented extent on legal and opinion poll experts in areas he has no real expertise in. Always at the mercy of people who are smarter and better-infirmed than him, and who might well differ as to overall political aims.
Still, providing he doesn't do anything too silly like mislay some money or dead name a trannie, he can get a few years of high-living and expenses and ego-massage. Deep down, I suspect he cares as much about independence as I do about bonnie Kashmir.
A modest proposal: we should call it the Schottische Nationalistische Partei.
dearieme - I don't have any information on it, but I sometimes wonder if Scotland has a problem with loss of talent. The SNP certainly seems to lack access to talent. Maybe the best have left and the rest aren't what their ancestors were. Or maybe smart people do see the SNP as the Schottische Nationalistische Partei and want nothing to do with it.
Sam - my impression is that he is an opportunist and nothing else. As you say, he's at the mercy of people who are smarter than he is. He also seems to lack the smart opportunist's craft of spotting the people he should listen to. Of course it is possible they aren't there in the first place because smart people are not attracted to the SNP.
When it comes to Humza, I can't help feeling, "The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak."
The thing to realise about the SNP is that you’re not dealing with national-level politicians (Salmond and Sturgeon possibly excepted) but just jumped-up local councillors, or “cooncillors” as we - disparagingly - say up here. This explains quite a lot.
James - he'd certainly make more sense that way.
Peter - that's the impression I have, not enough talent to make the move from local to national.
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