It’s never nice watching someone struggle. While some take a positive pleasure from watching a leader badly out of their depth flounder in a horribly mismanaged campaign, I just feel bad for them. And so it was with a distinct sense of relief that I turned off the England game, and started preparing for the Question Time special.
First up was Ed Davey, for once on dry land. Question one: aren’t you going to bankrupt the country? It was a hostile start and an unconvincing answer. The fundamental problem for Ed was that his political strategy is to be a decent chap hoovering up protest votes, and this makes policy a tricky subject for discussion. Far better to fall off a paddleboard instead.
The audience, however, wanted to know about his record. Hadn’t he enabled austerity? Davey conceded he was “not proud” of some of the things the Liberal Democrats did the last time they were actually relevant, and by the time he’d answered (or failed to answer) questions about potential coalitions, whether he could be prime minister, tuition fees, and the post office, his limits were becoming painfully clear.
Swinney didn’t fare any better. Once he had finished his carefully phrased answer on the SNP’s scandals, the audience began turning the screws. Question two: are you simply going to carry on holding referendums until you get the answer you want?
His position appeared to be something like this: if the SNP gets a majority of Scottish seats in the election, that’s a green light for a referendum. And if they don’t, it’s a green light for a referendum. Indeed, every problem appeared to be seen through this prism. How would Swinney help manufacturing? By Scotland rejoining the EU. After independence.
In fairness, it’s not as if the SNP’s domestic performance is anything to write home about. Asked how he’d boost the Scottish NHS, Swinney proceeded to blame a crisis caused by austerity. But the Scottish health service is now spending 10 per cent more than it was before the pandemic while producing left. At some point, accountability is needed.
Then again, that’s never been the SNP’s strong point. Whenever something goes wrong, it’s England, Brexit or the Tories to blame. That’s not to say the audience was unmoved: the loudest applause of the evening so far came when Swinney called the Conservative government a “calamity”. Well then.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
