The benefits of a minority government

Johann Lamont is quite right to point out that in order to maintain popular but expensive SNP pledges, such as the council-tax freeze, no tuition fees and free personal care for the elderly, taxes will have to rise or other services will be cut. Calton said much the same thing a few days ago, however, as long as the SNP have a majority in the Scottish Parliament, both Calton and Johann are whistling in the wind. The SNP can do what they like. All that the Scottish Labour leader can do is carry out her policy review, set out her plans for how she would balance the budget and hope that the SNP's autocratic attitude gets up enough people's noses to wipe out their majority at the next election.