Budget Bargaining Begins

In one of those weird twists that only a minority government can bring, the Scottish Budget is fast becoming the political highlight of the year* north of the border!

A quick recap of last year's machinations: Labour & the Lib Dems assumed that they could happily oppose the budget from the sidelines and the Greens would back it, allowing it to pass through parliament. The SNP assumed this too, only to realise that the Greens weren't backing it unless they got money to insulate every home in the country.

The budget therefore failed at the first attempt, at which point there was a collective "Oh, fuck!" from the political establishment as the implications became clear. There was much running up and down corridors as Ministers started promising the world to all and sundry - except the Greens. They had been sent to the Naughty Step, and when the budget was finally passed there was a large middle finger raised skyward across the chamber at Patrick Harvie.

This year's thrust and counter-thrust will begin this week, with the stalls set out in yesterday's Sunday Herald. The Greens are, once again, after a package to insulate every home in the country, along with more money for marine renewables and a Boiler Scrappage Scheme along the same lines as the English one. The Lib Dems are also after money for marine renewables, and Labour want the Boiler Scrappage Scheme and the reinstatement of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

And the Tories...don't seem to want anything. Certainly nothing that could be termed "green".

So what will happen? Will the Greens get what they** want this year? Will the Government keep that finger raised in Patrick Harvie's direction? Will the Lib Dems meekly concede to passing the budget while getting no benefit from it (as they did last year)? Will Labour be left empty-handed after getting themselves tangled in knots trying to oppose and support at the same time? Will the Tories figure out if they actually want anything this year or is Annabel Goldie just biding time till she's replaced?

Or will the whole thing once again just descend into a farce that delights the spectators?


*Of course, this year the political highlight will be the UK General Election.

**I joined the Scottish Greens late last year, so I should start thinking of them as "we" instead of "them". But I don't speak for them, so I think I'll continue to write "them" instead of "we". Clear as mud, yes?