First Minister’s Questions

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

Douglas Ross obviously decided it was not the day to open
with a political knockabout, hours after it was confirmed that the Grangemouth
refinery would close next year.

However, he pivoted back to political attacks in his second
question, and the knockabout was a fairly spectacular one.

A decision on winter fuel payments taken by the UK
government and ultimately mirrored by the Scottish government is a ripe target
for the Tories, who find themselves in opposition in both parliaments.

It also centres in on a key demographic for the
Conservatives, who pride themselves on “standing up for pensioners”.

There is a circular blame-game around this policy – the SNP
blame Labour for cutting the budget, who blame the previous Tory administration
for spending all the money, who blame both parties currently calling the shots.

So this exchange enabled a sort of political multi-tasking,
with Mr Ross having a go at both Labour and the SNP, while Mr Swinney hit back
at both Labour and the Tories.

Labour
were left sitting to one side as everyone else criticised their decisions – but
that is the consequence of taking government, and having a relevant role. All
things considered, it’s probably better than being ignored.