In a U-turn worthy of Prime Minister David Cameron, who is nowwell practised in them, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond hasconceded more time for his administration's anti-sectarianlegislation and to assuage mounting public apprehension over theattempt to rush through the Offensive Behaviour at Football andThreatening Communications Bill.Concern over the scandalouslylimited time allowed for consideration of this sensitive Bill wasexpressed by an increasing number of faith groups and civicorganisations as well as this newspaper.That apprehension flowed notonly from the provisions of the bill itself but also from theopaque, ambiguous and confusing answers given by the CommunitiesMinister, Roseanna Cunningham, on whether the singing of nationalanthems might lead to arrest. The bill itself sets out to create twonew offences: one on football-related behaviour regarded asoffensive and threatening, the second on serious threats made on theinternet and social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Bothoffences would incur fines and penalties, with a maximum jail termof five years.It may have been a laudable ambition, after theappalling incidents in recent months and threats to the lives offootball managers and prominent supporters, to have legislation inplace by the start of the new football season next month. But giventhe nature of the proposed offences and sensitivities surroundingany legislative foray into the area of communication, it was whollywrong to ram through such a bill in a few weeks. Such a rush to lawwas guaranteed to result in a morass of unintended consequence.Christine Grahame, the SNP convener of the parliament's JusticeCommittee, showed courage in challenging the executive -particularly in the current adulatory atmosphere - and in expressingher misgivings over the inadequate time allowed.This is aninauspicious start for Mr Salmond. He may feign a Cameronesque airof reasonableness in announcing this reversal. But the issue raisesquestions in the very area which was considered the SNP's greatstrength - its competence in government. Seeking to steamroller abill of this importance in so short a parliamentary time as to makeproper examination impossible was not the act of a competentadministration. Coming on top of a series of intemperate and adhominem attacks on Scottish members of the UK Supreme Court, MrSalmond has shown a blustering and bullying streak which ill-becomes a First Minister.A strong mandate does not mean that hisadministration can govern without consultation, negotiation andconstraint. There is still a judiciary and a parliament to berespected. Yesterday's concession to extend the deadline for theanti-sectarianism bill until the end of the year is a welcomerecognition of the constraints on executive power. Good governmentabsolutely rests on them.GDP needs no Plan BSo gloomy is the latestFraser of Allander summary of Scotland's prospects that "theevidence", it declares, "seems to be moving in favour of thoseadvocating a "Plan B". Cue finance secretary John Swinney, whoseized on the report as "further evidence of the urgent need for aPlan B or flexibility from the UK government in order to strengthenrecovery and employment". And, of course, more powers.But if Plan B,what with? Over the first two months of the financial year, thedeficit reduction programme is falling short of target. Publicexpenditure continues to rise - as does debt interest. The ScottishGovernment wants more money for capital projects. But if the M74 andthe tram project are taken as guides, this would be more Plan Z thanPlan B.It is open to both Holyrood and Westminster to cut businesstaxes. And, as the latest GERS figures reveal, the ScottishGovernment has scope to chip in. With public spending accounting for47.3 per cent of GDP even assuming 91.4 per cent of oil revenues(without them it jumps to 55.7 per cent), there is much it can do inits own bailiwick to improve productivity and output performance.Overall, the Allander quarterly ascribes its lower 2011 growthforecast (down to 0.8 per cent) to concerns over events incontinental Europe and slower growth in China and the US. Domesticfactors include constrained household spending, low businessconfidence and inflation. It still sees employment continuing togain. But recovery from a financial crash was always going to beslow. More debt won't help.Despair crosses boundariesLong gone arethe days when "Scotland on the telly" was Moira Anderson and theWhite Heather Club. Today, it's the druggies and the alkies onScotland's hottest council estate, The Scheme. This week it wentnationwide. "It raised issues of relevance across the UK", was theearnest intonation of BBC bosses.Well, it might have done hadEnglish viewers been able to understand it. Many claimed to bebaffled by the heavy East Ayrshire brogue, unable to decipher thenuances of Killie-speak. Others found it deeply depressing. "LikeShameless without the charm" was one crisp summation.But such is therich cultural diversity of our nations and regions that many TVprogrammes are beyond comprehension. A Scot may be unintelligible toa Dorset farmer. But Liverpudlian has almost became a language ofits own. And Geordie-speak does have its problems, as Cheryl Colefound out. The expressions and accents on The Scheme may have beenstrange to southern ears. But the problems of addiction on run-downestates are common to many English cities.Whether the programme wasa fair depiction of Scottish life is quite another matter. It's notthe differences of accent that cause viewers to worry. It's thesimilarities of despair.
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