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MEET the new boss, same as the old boss.
That essentially sums up what happened in the Scottish parliament on Tuesday afternoon, and all of the parties knew it.
While Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay called John Swinney’s re-election as First Minister a “foregone conclusion”, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was more magnanimous in defeat.
“I rise to make this speech in the knowledge that we already know the outcome of today's vote,” he said. “I congratulate John Swinney and the SNP on their election win on May 7.”
Reform UK’s Malcolm Offord, meanwhile, got a bit confused.
He used his speech to question how Scotland could ever “be led by a first minister from Scottish Labour, whose steady decline can be traced from 56 MSPs in 1999 to 17 today” – apparently forgetting that he also leads a party with 17 MSPs and was supposedly arguing his own case to be first minister.
But away from Reform – the really new element in the Scottish Parliament – there were early signs of a renewal.
In his speech, Sarwar’s conciliatory tone went on as he apparently opened the door to working with the SNP. Remember, this is a Scottish Labour leader who has flatly refused to even make budget suggestions for years for fear of being accused of collaborating with the pro-independence enemy.
“This is a historic opportunity for us to demonstrate either the best of Scotland or the worst of our politics,” Sarwar said. “To change the culture positively or negatively. To achieve greater cooperation or greater confidence. To trade in bigger ideas or bigger insults.
“Let's not miss this opportunity to do what's best and right for Scotland. That means confronting the politics of fear and blame, not inflaming it.”
The approach taken by Sarwar – a marked difference to his almost-personal attacks on Swinney before the election – did not go unnoticed.
In his turn, the SNP leader responded: “I welcome the substance and the tone of Mr Sarwar's comments, because that is what Scotland needs of us at this moment.
“Not simply debate, but delivery. Not simply difference, but progress. And ultimately, it is by that progress that we will all be judged.”
Swinney, who will lead a minority SNP government, then added in his acceptance speech : “I recognise that – while my party is far and away the largest in this chamber – we do not have a majority on our own.
“But I remain firmly of the view that when we engage in constructive dialogue, we are capable of tremendous progress. I believe I can achieve a majority for every ambition I have for this parliament. I look forward to working with many here to do so.”
The SNP leader has already written to four of the other five parties in Holyrood (the Greens, Tories, Labour, and LibDems), extending an olive branch – and there is little doubt that the Greens and the LibDems will do their best to get their priorities reflected in government budgets and programmes over the next five years.
The question is whether the other Unionist parties – and crucially Labour – will do the same.
If Sarwar truly hopes to present a vision of a country that is opposite to that shown by Reform UK, then rejecting division in deeds as well as words may be his only option. Otherwise, he will risk looking just as divisive as Offord’s motley gang of failed Tories and Twitter cranks.
If today is anything to go by, the Scottish Labour leader may have realised that.
