Tavish TV - Jeremy Purvis on rejection of the SNP Budget

It appears that the SNP Scottish Government has woken up to the fact that it has to take the views of all parties in the parliament seriously.

On Calman, I think Tavish Scott will have achieved the concession from government that will last for the longer term. To quote the Sunday Times :

"Mr Scott wants Mr Salmond to set out his views to the Commission on the argument over whether Holyrood should acquire borrowing powers to help cope with the fall-out from the economic downturn.

While Mr Salmond will have no difficulty with the principle of pressing the case for borrowing powers, he has made it clear in the past that he gives the Commission little or no credibility, preferring to push his own ‘National Conversation' on independence. Indeed, there have been reports that the First Minister has expressly forbade his civil servants from having any contact with the Commission.

If Mr Salmond has agreed to engage with the Commission as part of a deal with Mr Scott, that will be something of a victory for the latter and also a relief for members of the Commission who have been privately bemoaning Mr Salmond's alleged failure to co-operate with them."