It’s a Halloween horror show today, isn’t it? But a far scarier 31st day of October than usual.
Yes, the events in Westminster make us shudder. And the SNP have lost no time in trying to cash in.
We crave a normal peaceful life; it’s anything but – both north and south.
We are reminded constantly of the shameful gap between the haves and have-nots of our society in this financial freak show; it’s the best and worst of times, depending on your situation.
Especially noticeable as Liz Truss trotted off with a £115,000 yearly bonus to keep her in the style she would have become accustomed to – had she lasted longer.
She joined an exclusive club of ex-PMs, such as Tony Blair, who used the funds to enable them to continue passing on years of accumulated premiership wisdom at various official events.
In Truss’s case, her tank is empty before she even starts, with no prime ministerial wisdom to pass on.
So, the privileged gravy train in Westminster and Holyrood chugs on, and I’d be most surprised if Nicola Sturgeon wasn’t lined up for something similar. But, at least she has a wealth of experience to pass on.
It might be a smaller gravy train in Scotland – more like Thomas the Tank Engine to the Hogwarts Express – but still weighty on the public purse.
You might remember reports before the last Scottish parliamentary elections about eye-watering payouts to time-served MSPs, whose contributions to public life were somewhat less than outstanding. When you think of Truss and others, it’s hard to imagine another profession which rewards failure and mediocrity as handsomely as politics – apart from top level football management, that is.
Even run-of-mill MSPs are now picking up well over £60,000, plus perks, guaranteed payoffs and pensions – fabulous amounts far beyond the means of most of the struggling constituents they represent, who can’t heat themselves.
Sunak has to convince Scotland he cares
Yes, these are difficult days full of foreboding.
Sunak has to convince Scotland he cares enough about us.
For the SNP, it’s the perfect storm in which to attempt to get an independence referendum over the line, amid a fog of confusion and instability. Some SNP hotheads are even gunning for an immediate independence “referendum” by engineering a snap Scottish parliamentary election.
According to them, pro-independence MSPs merely have to dissolve Holyrood and walk away – to fight the resulting election as a referendum. But, how much cynical manipulation and being bullied into a corner can the Scottish public put up with, especially as a majority still appear anti-independence?
Constructive call with @RishiSunak tonight. I expressed hope that we will build a UK/Scot gov relationship based on mutual respect – inc for mandates – and my fear that further austerity will do real damage to people & public services. I look forward to further engagement soon
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) October 25, 2022
In fairness, I did observe one member of the SNP hierarchy trying to soothe nervous sections of the Scottish populace the other day. This came as even some of the best – and impartial – business brains reacted with horror to Sturgeon’s messy and alarming attempt to explain how currency and EU membership would work out if independence came to pass.
One plucky SNP minister stepped forth to reassure us that the Scottish Government’s independence strategy would not make the same mistake as Brexiteers. This was because the UK’s tumultuous exit from the EU was put together “on the back of a fag packet”, he reminded us, darkly.
Yes, I think I agree with his point – but two fag packets should be enough to cover it for the SNP, judging by their lack of detail so far.
‘The spring of hope, the winter of despair’
The political scene is particularly ghoulish on Halloween. So, perhaps it’s worth mentioning another ghoul from the past, as the world loses grip of its senses.
Benito Mussolini – Italy’s fascist dictator – came to power 100 years ago today. He became a monster, in tandem with Hitler, of course, so maybe Halloween is the perfect time for a chilling warning from history to world leaders.
Quite a bit has surfaced about Mussolini and his rapid rise to power. Something struck home, with me at least, about how his mind worked.
Mussolini's Italian Fascist Party headquarters, 1934 pic.twitter.com/7fPwxMpGr9
— History Defined (@historydefined) October 22, 2022
In an early interview, he argued that you can’t persuade the people to do something impossible – like moving a mountain – if based on pure logic or reason alone. But, you can if they have such blind faith in your power of persuasion that they are prepared to leap off a cliff.
Food for thought, as politicians of all kinds try their hand at similar mind games today.
In A Tale Of Two Cities, Dickens opened with the reality of seething revolutionary discontent against the ruling and legal establishment from a century earlier.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness… it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”
Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you as our new winter of discontent beckons.
David Knight is the long-serving former deputy editor of The Press and Journal
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