Leaders: SNP lays the ground for post-Salmond politics

BRITAIN is in double-dip recession and Scotland with it. Unfortunately, to the public eye, Cabinet reshuffles both north and south of the Border seem more to do with internal party politics than sorting the economy.

To give Alex Salmond his due, he rarely resorts to cosmetic changes to his ministerial team. By inclination, he likes to work through a tight group of trusted colleagues – a circle of relationships formed in the long years when the SNP was excluded from power.

There have been benefits to this approach. The First Minister has been willing to delegate rather than micro-manage like Tony Blair. Keeping ministers in office for more than the two-year average that is the norm at Westminster ensures continuity.

So, it comes as no surprise that it has taken five years in power before Salmond has made a major change to his front-bench team. This involves moving Nicola Sturgeon, his heir presumptive, from health secretary to a new role spearheading the independence referendum. Sturgeon has also been appointed Cabinet secretary for infrastructure and capital spending, so she can remain at the Cabinet table.

The issue here is the downgrading of the important infrastructure post to form Sturgeon’s second job. That gives a wrong signal at a time when – in most voters’ consideration – the economy and not the constitution should be the Scottish Government’s first priority.

A similar debate is going on at Westminster, with many (including Tory MPs) questioning the fact the George Osborne is both Chancellor and the Conservative Party’s chief political strategist. Possibly, Sturgeon and Osborne are clever enough to do both tasks, but the unemployed would be glad of just a single day job.

That said, the fact that someone as senior and capable as Nicola Sturgeon is fronting the referendum means the country will now expect answers more quickly on the many procedural questions that remain to be answered. The First Minister has played a canny game when it comes to prolonging the referendum till 2014, and seeking to talk up the possibility of a second question. Such is politics. But Sturgeon is now in the public front line when it comes to the constitutional mechanics of the referendum. She has to take that role seriously and not treat the electorate as voting fodder to be manipulated.

As for the rest of the reshuffle, Alex Neil, sometime ally of Jim Sillars, takes over Sturgeon’s sensitive health portfolio. Neil is a political bruiser in the Denis Healey mould. His move to health could prove significant if he uses his talents to find ways of boosting productivity in the public sector. The four new junior ministers, including Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf at external affairs, represent the SNP post-devolution – hungry for power and pragmatic. While this reshuffle is hardly revolutionary, it hints that there will still be politics after Alex Salmond.

Drink-drive caution needed

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill wants to lower the alcohol limit for driving and drinking.

He suggests a cut from the current 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg – roughly the equivalent of drinking one beer. Senior police officers in Scotland have now come out in favour of a reduction. But why stop at merely a reduction in blood alcohol levels rather than just accept it is inappropriate to drink and drive at any time, and institute zero tolerance?

The arguments for a cut are substantial. The 80mg limit in Scotland and the UK is one of the most lax in Europe, where the 50mg level is standard. There is robust medical research that shows average driver reaction time decreases markedly above the 50mg threshold (though any intake of alcohol reduces driver performance).

While any particular limit can be said to be arbitrary, adhering to the European consensus seems a sensible choice.

Introducing a zero limit would be a step too far. It not only risks public antipathy, it also would be

difficult to police given that

alcohol can be present in the bloodstream for a variety of benign or medical reasons. And it can remain there even after a long period without drinking.

Some countries impose zero

tolerance on those who have just taken their test, but creating two classes of driver without having public support could prove problematic.

However, whatever new drink driving limit is chosen,

MacAskill should explain the decision to the public rather than condescendingly tell them what is good for them. We are all grown-ups.