FMQs: Temperature rises over climate change

Ms Sturgeon insisted Scotland continues to be a world leader on climate change

A few sums first. Nicola Sturgeon leads a minority government at Holyrood. To get her budget passed, she needs support from at least one more party. SNP plus Green adds up to that required level of support.

So, of course, when Patrick Harvie of said Greens rose to question Ms Sturgeon this afternoon, she was affability itself. She was warm, encouraging, unctuous almost?

Well, no. She gave him a top temperature roasting. Perhaps I can explain.

For one thing, Ms Sturgeon appears generally to resent what she regards as an intrinsically superior attitude from the Greens over climate change. She has demonstrated this previously, bristling palpably.

But I suspect there was a particular cause on this occasion. Yesterday Patrick Harvie spoke warmly of Jeremy Corbyn's declared plan to reduce greenhouse gases, lauding the Labour leader's efforts as "certainly more ambitious" than those of the Scottish government.

'Wake-up call'

Mr Harvie added that Mr Corbyn's speech "must act as a wake-up call to the SNP".

To be fair, Mr Harvie added comments critical of Labour's stance on Brexit before concluding that the only party to trust on both issues was - yes, you guessed it - the Scottish Greens.

I doubt whether Team Sturgeon read as far as that. Their view would have been obscured by the steam spilling from their ears and nostrils at the explicit insult to their endeavours.

Indeed, Ms Sturgeon supplied the clue herself when she informed Mr Harvie rather acerbically that the Labour leader had pinched his plans from the SNP - and yet still fell well short of the Scottish government's record and intentions.

But she went further. Mr Harvie challenged her on transport emissions and continuing support for North Sea oil and gas development, citing two announcements this week.

Ms Sturgeon was having none of it. Letting budgetary consensus go hang for a moment, she provided a lengthy litany of her government's successes in tackling carbon emissions - and advised Mr Harvie, in effect, that he should quit moaning.

Mr Harvie praised the environmental policies of Jeremy Corbyn

The Green co-convener looked ever so slightly miffed. Still, he is a serious and experienced player who has learned to cope with slings and indeed arrows.

However, perhaps Finance Secretary Derek Mackay should open with a few emollient words when he continues his negotiations with the Greens over budgetary matters. Just in case.

The matter is quite pressing. We now know that the UK budget will be set out on 29 October. Following that, Mr Mackay is likely to spell out his fiscal plans for Scotland, perhaps in late November or early December.

Tourist tax

Actually, the topic of the budget lurked in the background in questions from Labour's Richard Leonard.

Why, he asked, had the first minister not backed the notion of a "tourist tax" as advocated by Adam McVey, her SNP colleague?

Ms Sturgeon might have been tempted to reply: "Because he is the leader of Edinburgh council and I am first minister for the whole of Scotland."

But, wisely, she took an alternative tack. She praised Mr McVey warmly but added that ministers remain unconvinced by the notion of levying a charge of perhaps £2 a night upon those who stay in hotels and other accommodation.

Ms Davidson is due to start her maternity leave next month

Yes, it might raise cash - Edinburgh reckons £11m a year. But it might upset hoteliers and, arguably, act as a deterrent upon tourism. An industry, she noted, which had blossomed under SNP stewardship.

So, if it was OK with Mr Leonard, the government would examine the alternative arguments, assess the evidence - and then make up ministerial minds.

And were these exchanges with the Labour leader entirely comradely, to use a term of which Mr Leonard would undoubtedly approve?

Friends, they were not. Ms Sturgeon added, rather sharply, that Mr Leonard might improve his case if Labour were to make a substantive contribution to the pre-Budget scrutiny process, currently under way.

And the link to the tourist tax? It seems at least conceivable that Ms Sturgeon and Mr Mackay may offer to tolerate such a levy if it were to form part of a package designed to win budget support from the Greens or another party.

Tough talking ahead

The Tories are firmly against a tourist tax, calling it "economically destructive". But they too speculated that ministers might be ready to budge.

As things stand, the Greens are holding out for a full-scale transformation of local government finance. Mr Mackay is decidedly reluctant to endorse that. Tough talking ahead.

Ruth Davidson was making her second last appearance at First Minister's Questions before embarking on maternity leave. She entered the Holyrood chamber with her eager apprentice, Jackson Carlaw, at her side.

For this penultimate performance, a rather effective contribution from the Tory leader. Ms Davidson questioned the first minister closely and persistently over the availability of flu vaccine for the elderly.

In particular, she dealt with a new, enhanced vaccine, suggesting that the Scottish government had slipped up over the timing of orders for the new product. There is a continuing problem with supply.

Ms Sturgeon suggested there was no need to fret. The enhanced vaccine had been prioritised for those over 75 - but suitable vaccines would be available to those aged over 65 and other vulnerable groups.

And was that it? Was there not a reference, however sklenting, to Brexit? Behave yourselves. Of course there was.

Ms Sturgeon was asked by a helpful backbencher to offer her views on the appointment by the UK government of a Minister for Food Supplies, as part of preparations for a No Deal Brexit.

The FM noted this was the first such appointment on these islands since World War II rationing. It was a source of shame to the UK government.

Should there be food shortages, she added, the impact should fall first upon the more zealous advocates of Brexit. She named Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg, David Davis and Michael Gove. "Let's see how they enjoy their Brexit bonanza", she concluded.

Ouch. Or, as at least one of that list would put it, cripes.