If Armando Iannucci was to script an episode of The Thick Of It based on the events of last week, it would have been dismissed for being too unrealistic. It’s truly been a week like no other.
It’s certainly telling that this week the Scottish Government have launched a five year education plan, started to implement their Land Reform Act & measures for Crown Estate powers and they have received scant coverage.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called a Cabinet meeting on Saturday morning to discuss how the Scottish Government should react to the referendum result. The result was Scotland forging its own foreign policy, separate from the UK, for the first time in 309 years.
The Scottish Government, with backing from a vote on Tuesday in the Scottish Parliament is pursuing a policy to protect Scotland’s place in the EU’s single market. Nicola Sturgeon was in Brussels on Wednesday evening meeting European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Before the meeting, Juncker boosted Scotland’s position by saying: “I’ll listen to Nicola Sturgeon. Scotland won their right to heard in Brussels.”
Earlier that day, Sturgeon had met with EU Parliament President Martin Schulz, who is said to be sympathetic to Scotland’s situation. However, the First Minister could not secure a meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk.
And what of Labour’s extraordinary week? It began with Ian Murray resigning as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and has ended with the Scottish Parliamentary party divided over the future of Jeremy Corbyn. Murray’s role hasn’t been replaced yet, although it looks likely that Dave Anderson, the Blaydon MP is set to replace him. In a sign of the times, it was Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell that broke this news to journalists.
Remember the tired old joke about more pandas than Tories in Scotland? Well, the Tory leadership will have a distinctly Scottish flavour with three of the five candidates being born in Scotland (Gove, Fox and Crabb). Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson said she’s keeping her powder dry and will give her backing once the last two are confirmed, though it would be no surprise to see her back Stephen Crabb should he make the final. But Ms Davidson won’t be shedding tears over Boris Johnston’s decision not to run: "It's not for everyone [leadership]. Some people just haven't got it. Maybe he's one of them" she told journalists witheringly after First Minister’s Questions.
Speaking of First Minister’s Questions, yesterday saw the final FMQs before the summer recess. Given the events of the last week there was no ‘wear what you want, bring games’ end of term feel to Thursday’s proceedings. There was widespread anger permeating through the chamber at the Conservative’s decision to take the EU question to the voters.
This session of the Parliament will formally be opened on Saturday by the Queen in a ceremony in Holyrood. However, it would be foolish to suggest that a quiet summer is ahead for our MSPs with a potential recall of Parliament being mooted.
For years, Scotland has been the place where extraordinary political events have taken place. It seems that the UK is finally catching up.