Warning, SNP policies may contain 50 per cent fatuousness

Published: 8:57AM GMT twenty-four February 2010

Comments 8 |

There has been clarity and unsteadiness in roughly next to magnitude from the SNP masters (and mistresses) in the past integrate of days.

First the latter, that is not so most unsteadiness as adjacent on bonkers. It stems from Shona Robisons idea, as reported in this journal yesterday, that the resolution to the nations plumpness complaint is to allot what distance portions we embrace in restaurants and cafs. The corollary, of course, is that anything some-more than dual tatties and a spoonful of chop would be proscribed, with who knows what penalties.

High hopes for SNP forward of European Parliament elections MPs expenses: SNP Treasury orator claimed �160 for separate cushions David Cameron treads warily in Scotland SNP indicted of personification governing body over Jade Goody cancer vaccination programme Alex Salmond appoints apportion for autonomy to hope for for referendum

Although the open health apportion does not utterly spell this out in her haphazard (sorry, wrong word) plan for a republic of skinnymalinks, she contingency intend ushering in a small armed forces of portion-controllers who would impetus guilty restaurateurs and their miserly clients off, if not to jail, afterwards at slightest to a health farm.

For the record, I shall let you in to a secret. I have damaged bread with Ms Robison and with her husband, Stewart Hosie, who happens to be a Westminster MP, and I have never listened possibly of them great out for not as big portions. I am as well wooer a guy to contend anything alternative than that the apportion is a excellent figure of womanhood but sufficient to contend that the last time I saw the aforesaid Mr Hosie he was positively no stripling. Could this be since he spends the bulk of his week dining on House of Commons beef and kidney pudding? Just similar to this observer, no portion-controller he.

Still, to be serious, this is such a foolish thought it is a consternation that any one authorised the publication. It is one of those papers that move a council and an Executive - both but most of a repute any way - in to even larger open disrepute. It should be filed rught away on the "No Action Ever" shelf in the deepest, darkest cave hexed by the Scottish polite service.

The alternative side of the silver has the intensity to move most some-more certain results. But usually the potential; to come to fruition, the comfortable difference yesterday on propagandize standards from Michael Russell, the Education Minister, contingency be suited by unaffected action.

To contend that Mr Russell is one of those ministers with, as we contend in these parts, a "guid pride of himself" is a large understatement. He essentially believes he can travel on water.

However, whilst he might have prolonged believed that he was innate to run Scotlands schools and colleges - what, usually the preparation system, I listen to you cry - he contingency know that difference alone will shift nothing.

In saying, yesterday, that he is rebuilt to aspect shift in the nations schools, he contingency additionally be wakeful that anything devious from what the supposed experts explain is the "Scottish way" of you do things will be fought tooth and nail. This is generally so with courtesy to Mr Russells agreement to cruise what is apropos well known as the East Lothian Experiment. The idea, espoused by the executive of preparation in that county, is for head teachers to have most some-more control, free from division by their internal preparation authority, in the using of their schools.

This frequency insubordinate injunction has been adopted with unrestrained elsewhere in the UK but has been regarded in Scotland as akin, almost, to the massacre of the firstborn.

Giving heads the right to run their schools in the interests of the pupils and their relatives - and no one else - is aversion to the training unions and preparation industry in Scotland. Mr Russell is entitled to one hearten for defying this self-perpetuating clique.

The superfluous dual "hoorays" will come usually if the apportion sticks to his instincts, to illustrate far submerged, for extreme movement to move about thespian improvement.

As his debate yesterday done plain, a "good enough" preparation for the infancy of Scotlands pupils - for prolonged the determined mantra - is no longer great enough.

While he contingency step carefully for a bit yet, Mr Russell is right to contend that this nation has zero to fright from farrago in preparation provision.

Like all of his predecessors, he will not aspect educational preference - at slightest not nonetheless - but he is streamer in the right direction.

For the Tories, Liz Smith speedy Mr Russell to go on along his reforming route. Unfortunately, Des McNulty, for Labour, could usually nitpick. Pity.