Inside Holyrood: Labour's new-found confidence faces its first test

Published on Sunday 9 November 2008 21:40

THE Scottish Parliament will this week debate one of the most difficult and potentially hazardous SNP policies: the Scottish Futures Trust.

This would normally only be a subject to interest public sector specialists or financiers, but it has come to symbolise the more problematic policy territory that the Scottish Government is now entering into.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is the SNP's alternative to Public Private Partnerships, the leaseback arrangement which the previous Executive used to finance most public sector building projects.

The SFT is supposed to deliver better value for the taxpayer and smaller profits for the private companies by using collective bargaining to drive down prices.

The aim is laudable but the policy has run into a whole series of problems with many more on the horizon.

But this is one area which the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament believes it has an advantage – this policy is one of a small number of key Scottish Government plans which Labour feels can be targeted with real effect.

Taken within the context of the spring which most Labour MSPs will have in their step as they arrive at Holyrood next week following the Glenrothes by-election result, this week could see the start of a difficult period for the Scottish Government.

This time last year Alex Salmond was so well on top in his battles with the Labour Party that it was a mismatch. Wendy Alexander was going through turmoil over her election expenses and Labour was unable to land a blow of any real merit on the Scottish Government.

A year on and everything has changed. There has even been renewed talk – although nothing more than whispers – that maybe Ms Alexander had a point and maybe Labour should challenge the SNP to "bring it on" and call a referendum on independence after all.

The party has been burned on this once before so these ideas are unlikely to get much further, but, if nothing else, it shows that Labour has got its confidence back.