In our office there is a proverb: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that the to-do list will always be longer at the end of recess than at the start.” This is particularly the case in an election year, when candidate tracking, manifesto engagement and party conference preparations place considerable demands on time before we add into the mix the essential ingredients of a parliamentary year.
The First Minister returned to the Chamber on Tuesday to present her final legislative plan in this parliamentary session. With Committee consideration of the Scottish Government’s land reform legislation due to start the very next day, and with the legislative year truncated by Easter dissolution, the list of new Bills announced was never going to set the heather on fire. And yet, for public affairs practitioners there were announcements that will define the arc and method of political engagement going forward: the announcement of a five-year term for the next Scottish Parliament session and a Lobbying Bill (expected in the next two months) following on from last year’s Standards Committee inquiry.
The Bills are:
- Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm Bill
- Bankruptcy Consolidation Bill
- Budget Bill
- Burial and Cremation Bill
- Lobbying Bill
- Private Tenancies Bill
- Scottish Elections (dates) Bill
- Scottish Fiscal Commission Bill
Of more political significance and attracting the attention of Scotland’s headline writers were some of the non-legislative and future-legislative announcements.
The announcement of a National Improvement Framework for schools incorporating standardised testing in primary 1, 4, 7 and the third year of secondary was well-publicised in advance, possibly because of its potential to cause controversy. The SNP themselves opposed a similar proposal from Labour in the early years of devolution and the siren calls for such a scheme have been regularly heard from the Scottish Conservative benches, fuelling accusations that the First Minister has caved into an ideological approach that she frequently stands in opposition to on other matters. Today’s confirmation that teachers’ unions have agreed, finally and reluctantly, to a pay rise to be backdated to April comes not a moment too soon for a Scottish Government that may have a fight on its hands regarding yet another demand placed on educators.
Prioritising within the current fiscal framework will also be an essential task and this autumn will see plans and strategies aplenty with a new Manufacturing Action Plan, a review of the planning system, a new trade & investment strategy and a new 10-year Infrastructure Investment Plan all to be undertaken or published in the next few months.
Taking the opportunity to trail the early headlines from next year’s SNP election manifesto, Nicola Sturgeon announced plans for a Scottish Social Security Bill within the first year of the new parliament. The SNP is also keen to reduce Air Passenger Duty in Scotland through a new scheme to be introduced from April 2018. Yes, there’s the small matter of an election in the way but with the SNP polling at 55% on the first vote and 50% on the second, only those with money to lose will be betting against an SNP win next May.
And finally, if you’ll permit me to make a rare foray into biting-the-hand-that-feeds-me territory, does anyone else find it curious that an inquiry about the future shape and resourcing of the Scottish Parliament’s Committee system, that oft-declared “engine room” of Scottish legislative scrutiny, has not been opened up for public comment? According to the clerks, “external submissions will be read by the Committee”, but they don’t appear to be going out of their way to encourage any such input. I think we have a right and a duty to comment. Don’t you? Deadline is the 11th September. Get writing…