Greens overplay their hand
Last week I reported on the extraordinary tale of how two Green members of the Scottish Parliament had effectively managed to block the government's budget for next year.
Never before, I suggested, had the Green Party held such sway in British politics. (.)
The had held out for more spending on home insulation to be included in the budget package. Originally they were offered £22m. Not enough, the Greens cried. So, with about ten minutes to go before the vote, the offered another £11m. But this new money came with such vague conditions the Greens were highly sceptical and duly helped vote the Budget down.
"It's amazing," the Scottish Greens Co-convenor told me in the midst last week of last week's dramatic brinkmanship. "We've got more power with just two members than we had in the last Parliament when we had seven MSPs."
And those at Westminster hoping to hold the balance of power after the next UK election - , for instance, and various brands of nationalist - may like to study what happened in Scotland very carefully. It's possible to overplay your hand.
In the , agreed today, just £15m has been offered for home insulation, less than the Greens were offered under the first deal last Wednesday, and less than half what they might have got in the end.
Today's revised budget was passed by 123 votes to two - those two being Mr Harvie and his Green colleague.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 4th Feb 2009, lordBeddGelert wrote:Revenge being a dish best served cold...
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Comment number 2.
At 5th Feb 2009, dennisjunior1 wrote:Michael Crick:
That's what happens when someone overplays there hand...
~Dennis Junior~
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Comment number 3.
At 5th Feb 2009, stanilic wrote:This all sounds like a ludicrous conflation of a Student Union and a Town Council.
To think the taxpayer is having to fund all this nonsense that could be just as easily be carried out by a county council.
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Comment number 4.
At 5th Feb 2009, JunkkMale wrote:Just dropped by to see what's what toady/tonight. Bit late, 'innit? Have to make do with this, most recent thread. Apologies.
Anyhoo, speaking of overplayed hands, there does seem a rich seam that could be mined... affronts taken, apologies not made, more interesting edits to 'enhance narratives', 'interpret events' and so on. And that's just within the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú building.
All the news that's fi... well, what is it these days? But at least we are getting back to decent comedy, if tinged with some tragic overtones, though perhaps a tad too close to reality for comfort.
But for sure, all... unique, I am sure.
Might I make a pitch for 'Yes, Senior Controller?"
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Comment number 5.
At 5th Feb 2009, JunkkMale wrote:Now that's just mean.
No sooner do I write the above than lo, it pops up.
Or maybe my browser is faulty.
Mind you, it does seem to be logged as 'Sarah McDermott Thu 5 Feb 09, 04:41 PM', and I'm pretty sure some of the regulars may have got in with something in the last 90 mins.
So many things popping in and out these days, it's hard to keep track.
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