Analysis: SNP ministers remain strangely silent on dispute and prepare to play blame game with Westminster

Published on Tuesday 9 September 2008 21:53

WHEN they were in opposition, there were many SNP MSPs who would have wasted no time in coming out in support of striking public-sector workers.

Indeed, some of those who are now ministers would probably have joined the chorus of support, calling on the government of the day to pay the strikers a decent wage.

Now, though, they are all strangely silent. It is amazing what being in government can do. All we have heard have been warm words about the need to talk and offers of help in getting the two sides round the negotiating table.

The SNP government is doing everything it can to avoid being part of this dispute. It would rather blame the local authority employers, the unions and particularly the UK government than take any share of responsibility itself.

Yet it is involved, whether ministers like it or not. They agreed the financial settlement with local government and they could find the money to increase the offer to workers if they had the political will.

But if the dispute escalates, there is likely to be a change in the Scottish Government's position. Ministers will stop being so neutral and instead they will put more and more blame on the UK government.

Holyrood's position will then become that the problem is not low wages but high prices and if the UK government did something about high prices, there would be less pressure from unions to raise salaries.

If the dispute drags on, then Scottish ministers will use this argument more and, in doing so, try to distance themselves from the pay row even more.

In 1978-9, the government was blamed for the strikes. Alex Salmond is determined if an administration has to take responsibility, it won't be his.

The question is, will it work? If the dispute escalates, then government – any government – will be blamed, however much Mr Salmond will try to deflect this. Therefore, it is in his interests to sort this out as soon as possible.

Labour, though, is in a difficult position. In London, the government is trying to keep down wage inflation and will not provide any more money for public-sector wages.

In Scotland, the party is going through a leadership campaign where two of the candidates have been backed by unions involved in the strike action.

What this means is that, when Labour in Scotland does get its new leader this weekend, the party here will almost certainly be in favour of strike action while the party in England is not.