'Demob happy' at first minister's questions

Jackson Carlaw gave the camera a crytpic clue on his way into the Holyrood chamber

When questions to the first minister loom, it is the custom of the wicked media to station ourselves outside the Holyrood chamber in order to capture images of the arriving tribunes.

Sometimes we will shout a question on the topic of the day, hoping for a relevant response. Always, the cameras will be present to record the moment.

In similar fashion, it is required of our political leaders that they match their mood to the prevailing political atmosphere. Solemn, quizzical or light-hearted. But upbeat. Always upbeat.

Today was a little different. As Jackson Carlaw arrived, he turned to the waiting cameras and offered a little commentary on the action - in the style of Fleabag or, earlier, Miranda.

• Look back on FMQs on Holyrood Live

"Demob happy", he told us. We presumed he meant himself - as he is today relinquishing his status as interim leader of the Scottish Conservatives in favour of the elected boss, Ruth Davidson, who is returning from maternity leave at the Scottish Conservative conference this weekend.

But his line of questioning suggested his remark might also apply to the first minister. She would, he suggested, be demitting office in two years' time, at the next Holyrood elections.

Or, he indicated, even earlier than that. What could he possibly have in mind?

Either way, there was little evident camaraderie between Nicola Sturgeon and her temporary inquisitor. Indeed, they contrived to talk about entirely different subjects while apparently engaged in an exchange of views.

Mr Carlaw pursued the first minister on the damage which, he claimed, would result from an independent Scotland adopting its own currency, distinct from the pound sterling.

Ms Sturgeon did offer a rebuttal, stressing that Scotland would keep the pound until economic tests were met. But, mostly, she talked about Brexit.

She suggested that the interim Tory leader had a bit of a nerve referring to economic damage when Brexit threatened to engulf Scotland in catastrophe. While sterling's value had already been cut as a consequence of Brexit uncertainty.

Changing climate

Most of the rest of the session was devoted to climate change. Which is only fair as it is an issue of the utmost importance - and was the subject of a report today.

A gift, you would think, to the Greens. And you would be right. Alison Johnstone accepted this political opportunity with a neat combination of rhetoric and satire.

But, first, Richard Leonard and Nicola Sturgeon. The Labour leader urged Ms Sturgeon to abandon plans to cut air departure tax. A similar plea was delivered by Liam MacArthur for the Liberal Democrats.

Ms Sturgeon responded, with notable caution, that every government policy had to be reviewed, in the light of more ambitious climate change targets.

To be clear, she is not scrapping the tax cut plan at this stage. But, to this observer, it sounded like a policy about to be shelved.

Air passenger duty is currently charged on all flights from UK airports, but was meant to be changing in Scotland

Privately, ministers accept that - on the face of it - a policy which is designed to increase air traffic, and thus boost business, sits rather uneasily with a focus on cutting carbon emissions.

At the very least, there would need to be even more ambitious action in other sectors to offset the impact of the air tax plan.

That plus the fact that Scotland, unlike some countries, includes aviation emissions in the calculation of climate impact.

And one more thing. Given Holyrood arithmetic, the SNP has come to rely upon Green votes to get the Scottish Government budget endorsed.

Which puts the Greens in a pivotal position. And they know it. Alison Johnstone opened with a light touch. She welcomed the first minister's declaration of a climate emergency - noting en passant that the SNP had voted against a Green motion on the same topic (the SNP say the Green motion included extraneous, unwelcome material).

She also welcomed Mr Leonard's stance - while noting that a Labour council had backed a new coal mine in Cumbria. Both attacks were delivered with maximum politesse and minimum cynicism.

But then the rhetoric. A climate emergency, as declared by the FM at her party's conference, required urgent action. And that included the air tax plan. It may now never take off.