SNP leadership contest: Party looks set for bonfire of bad policies – Scotsman comment

As the Scottish Government’s consultation over its plans to ban alcohol advertising ends today, the idea already appears to be dead in the water.

Not because of a devastating critique from the respondents, but rather the looming change at the top. During a visit to the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh yesterday, Kate Forbes declared her opposition to a ban. Given that her main rival for the SNP leadership, Humza Yousaf, has pledged a rethink, it seems clear the drinks industry will be spared from the overly Draconian restrictions being mooted.

Amid what is shaping up to be something of a bonfire of bad policies, the deposit return scheme for bottles and cans appears in serious doubt with Forbes rightly describing it as “an example of a good idea badly executed”, while Yousaf has said he would exempt small businesses, many of which have not actually signed up for the scheme anyway, for a year.

Nicola Sturgeon’s plan to turn the next general election into a “de facto referendum” – which presumed one party could dictate what the election was about – also looks unlikely to be pursued. Furthermore, both Forbes and Ash Regan, the third favourite whose campaign has not exactly taken off, would ditch the blocked Gender Recognition Reform Bill. And while Yousaf has said he will challenge the UK Government’s section 35 order that prevented the Bill from becoming law, he must know this stands little chance of success and will hopefully settle for negotiating a compromise that advances the rights of trans people, while also safeguarding those of women.

We have no doubt that the politicians advancing each of these ideas did so with the best of intentions, based on their point of view. However, all were marred by an arrogant dismissal of other people’s opinions – the drinks industry’s in particular – a hallmark of a leader in power for too long. For all the show of public consultation, it became increasingly obvious that Nicola Sturgeon's government did what it thought was best, with at times unconcealed contempt for those who disagreed.

The increasingly bitter battle to succeed her will hopefully remind the candidates that power comes from the people, their votes cannot be taken for granted, and there is a price to pay for ill-considered, unworkable, ideologically driven policies.