John Swinney won't be safe from Stephen Flynn's ambitions for long – Alistair Carmichael
Cynics may suggest that, by giving the problematic transport brief to Stephen Flynn, John Swinney hopes to de-fang a potential leadership rival
Over a year ago, I wrote in these pages that “Vote Swinney – Get Flynn” was the unspoken message of the SNP Holyrood campaign. Based on John Swinney’s Cabinet reshuffle efforts this week, it seems he intends to make a go of holding onto the keys of Bute House for a little while longer.
It may be less “government of all the talents” so much as “government of all the talent-adjacent material that could be scraped from the bottom of the barrel”, but the First Minister can only work with what he has – and he has done his level best to neutralise rival powers in the Scottish Government in the process.
Whatever the motivations behind it, however, I suspect that Mr Swinney’s reshuffle will not protect him from his most ambitious deputies for long. Stephen Flynn, of course, has been given the exciting role of “Economy, Tourism and Transport”. Perhaps it is just my imagination but it appears that the length of these job titles grows in inverse proportion to the level of genuine esteem they are given within the Scottish Government.
A focal point for criticism
Anyone who has tried to take a ferry or to drive up the A9 in recent years will have a pretty good idea of the priority (or lack thereof) that the SNP gives to transport matters, particularly outwith the Central Belt.
A cynic might suggest that the First Minister has chosen to hand Mr Flynn the transport brief precisely because it has become one of the biggest focal points for criticism of the Scottish Government. What better way to de-fang your most ambitious courtier than to give him an intractable and time-consuming political task?
If Mr Flynn can make a success of the transport brief then he may yet emerge with his political credibility enhanced rather than undermined. Given that he would be the first SNP minister in two decades to make a success of transport, however, I suspect he may prefer to ignore the day job and continue his manoeuvres for a post that better suits his self-regard.
READ MORE: John Swinney's familiar Cabinet puts constitution on the backfoot as briefs get fresh eyes
A human shield
Elsewhere it was a Cabinet reshuffle that spoke more of hunkering down than great confident strides into the future. Plenty of familiar faces taking one step to the side into another brief; very little novelty. Spare a thought for Ivan McKee as Cabinet Secretary for Public Sector Reform, who you have to imagine has been set up to be the human shield for long-expected cuts to civil service jobs and other tough fiscal decisions.
Whether or not the current Cabinet setup will sate the ambitions of the Flynns of this world for more than a few months remains to be seen, but I have my doubts. The transition from the old guard to the new is only going to accelerate – and nice though it would be to imagine that this will lead to fresh ideas and policy renewal, I suspect it will empower the worst tendencies of the SNP in recent years: permanent campaigning in place of policy, and grievance-mongering over good governance.
Mr Swinney may try to hold back the tide – but, one way or another, the long sgian dubhs will continue to be sharpened.
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