If elected, Scottish Labour will publish all the files on the SNP's scandals
Given the toxic and chaotic culture within the SNP, no wonder they are so secretive
In 2002, as a relatively new MSP in the Scottish Parliament, I had the privilege of formally nominating the first Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion. His job was to oversee the enforcement of the new Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act passed by the Labour-led Scottish Government, which came into force in 2005.
Radical at the time, more than 20 years later, it’s hard to imagine a Scotland without it – freedom of information requests (FOIs) are used on a daily basis by investigative journalists and charities, but also opposition parties like Scottish Labour.
It’s only thanks to FOIs that we have managed to show how many people are waiting too long for hip and knee operations, or, most recently, obtain figures showing 1,579 patients died whilst waiting to get out of hospital.
Secrecy over Salmond Files
Unfortunately, the ideals of that first Scottish Parliament have collided with the reality of entrenched interests. Because, for almost as long as the Act has been in force, the SNP government has been doing its best to shroud the government’s operations in secrecy and spin.
To take just one example, during the SNP’s battle with its former leader Alex Salmond, it wasted £73,024 in fighting the Information Commissioner to keep the Salmond Files secret. Still, the stench of cover-up has a habit of leaking out – like the WhatsApp messages published in the Sunday Mail relating to the handling of the Salmond complaints.
The messages raise questions about the motivations of some of those involved – questions magnified by former SNP MP Joanna Cherry’s explosive memoir, describing the party’s toxic and chaotic culture.
READ MORE: Watchdog accuses SNP ministers of 'factual discrepancies' over Nicola Sturgeon inquiry row
Opening up the books
Scots should not have to rely on whistleblowers or disaffected SNP politicians to understand what is going on at the heart of government. That is why Scottish Labour will clean up the institution of government itself.
That includes tightening the rules around government legal action, so that taxpayers do not pick up the bill for political damage limitation, and publishing all government files relating to recent scandals, including the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
We will publish a charter for fiscal transparency and be open about the costs of government legislation so government spending plans can be properly scrutinised. And we will invite the Information Commissioner to review government freedom of information practice and make clear, independent recommendations for faster decisions and proper compliance.
Checks and balances
Our Scottish Parliament was supposed to be a step towards a more democratic and accountable future. Devolution was intended to bring government closer to the people it serves, rather than hoarding resources for a privileged few.
Instead, the SNP has squandered the opportunity of devolution, leading some Scots to question the value of a Scottish Parliament at all. That’s why, under Scottish Labour, the era of bloated government will end.
We will respect public money and deliver a government that works as hard as the people it serves. And we will ensure that government is held accountable by tightening lobbying regulations and strengthening the checks and balances of the Scottish Parliament.
It’s the change that our Scottish institutions need.
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