Eddie Barnes: All things to most people

RIGHT from the moment that Alex Salmond told the country the morning after the SNP’s victory last May that he did not have a “monopoly of wisdom”, the majority SNP Government has guarded against the appearance of hubris.

Today, finance secretary John Swinney presents the new majority government’s first budget to the Scottish Parliament. He remains keen to show he is no bulldozer. He was on the phone to his opponents yesterday evening, promising to let them know his final offer on any of their demands by lunchtime today.

The Lib Dems and the Tories are both open to backing the SNP today if cash for further education colleges and housing is made available – although the SNP’s £30 million-a-year tax grab from supermarkets angers Tories.

Labour, however, believes the budget is beyond any last-minute redemption, designed to be neither too sweet – which might demonstrate that independence isn’t therefore required – nor too salty, which might dent confidence in the SNP administration.

They will oppose.

If Mr Swinney gets the Lib Dems and the Tories onside today, the danger for Labour is they once again appear to be the unreasonable oppositionists.

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont may need to make a coherent argument on her priorities to turn his case on its head.