Why Scottish Labour's Marra poses a real threat to 'master of the chamber' Swinney – Adam Morris
Michael Marra looks like he will be an effective performer at First Minister’s Questions but he needs to learn from Ruth Davidson’s mistakes, writes former Conservative communications chief Adam Morris
John Swinney is a hard man to beat at First Minister’s Questions. You can’t get him on experience – he’s pretty much the longest-serving MSP in the Holyrood chamber.
And you can’t outdo him on recent events – his mandate from the May election was overwhelming, the gap between his party and the chasing pack now larger than ever. Yet Michael Marra, the new Labour leader, could change the game.
His two early outings, on Tuesday during a flagship independence debate and at his debut FMQs on Thursday, represented a serious upgrade on his predecessors. Though early days, it seems like Swinney doesn’t quite know what to do with him.
He can’t shout him down because his tone is reasonable and assured, and yet Marra’s background and intelligence mean he can’t be patronised either. In fact, it seems he will depend on the same strategy as Swinney; appear responsible and reasonable to all sides in the hope the public will observe a steady, honourable and ultimately decent individual fully trusted to be left in charge of the shop.
Marra’s underdog tactics
Despite supporting Dundee United, Marra appears to enjoy the sport of football. His emerging style can be compared to a smaller team who spring a surprise on their opponents by taking the game to them. He’s testing the SNP’s backline by asking probing questions, prosecuting their arguments with a smart press, and placing them under unexpected strain by forcing them to re-examine their own strategy.
This was fully in evidence on Tuesday during the independence debate, when he said the SNP had failed separation supporters by not presenting a strong enough case for the concept. The nationalists haven’t had to defend like this since the referendum; they are more used to coming up against robust opposition who dig in aggressively and snuff out their ability to make the telling final pass.
That position of ‘muscular unionism’, proudly and effectively deployed chiefly by the Conservatives, works for now because it forces the SNP into delivering an end product that they do not currently have. But Marra’s strategy may get the unionists out of defence and further up the pitch.
Pick the biggest issue and be relentless
For all he’s started well, there are some rules the Dundonian will have to adhere to in order to be effective at the weekly FMQs set piece.
He must always focus on the biggest issue of the day; it’s sometimes tempting to pick a niche subject in the hope of wrongfooting your opponent. But, however worthy that may seem, it almost never works on the day, and leaves the questioner looking small-time and irrelevant.
Leave the hobby topics for back-benchers – a future First Minister must focus on the serious meat. Secondly, always stick to a single topic.
At the Scottish Conservatives, we learned this the hard way while preparing Ruth Davidson for a session versus then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the spring of 2017. Over four questions, the script traversed a quartet of separate failings on devolved policies, and looked like a slam dunk on paper.
But in the chamber, it died; Sturgeon answered each point and when Davidson swiftly shifted to the next topic, it looked like she’d been dealt a series of defeats.
Think on your feet
The third piece of advice, which ought to suit a man of Marra’s intellect, is this: be ready to go off-script. Listen to the answers and respond to them, don’t simply look back at what’s in front of you.
The most effective exchanges from talented MSPs over the years have always been when they acted quickly on their feet. Too often MSPs stare blankly at their opponent, before lowering their eyes back to a rote-learned block of text.
People sometimes question the importance of FMQs – surely hardly anyone watches it and, therefore, it matters little? The event itself doesn’t beam into every living room in the land.
But the best performer of the day often gets shown on the evening’s television news which, despite well-documented changes in consumer habits, remains the most valuable communication tool of the working week.
It’s also essential for motivating the troops. MSPs are buoyed when their leader has a good day. You can see them thumping their desks, roaring in approval then shuffling off with grins on their faces.
This enthusiasm spreads through staff, councillors and ultimately activists on the street. The event is the capstone for party political morale. And, boy, when things don’t go well on a Thursday afternoon, things can turn. Many a leader has been castigated for their poor performances, with the negative feeling running through the party like Japanese knotweed.
The key question for Marra is this: will he be an improvement on Anas Sarwar, the man from whom he took the reins? The early signs suggest he will. Sarwar was slick and deserves credit for professionalising what was a ramshackle party.
But he lacked fire in his belly, and few really believed he was serious about the subjects he claimed to hold dear. Marra, on the other hand, possesses a handy blend of sincerity and heft. You believe he stands for something, and have confidence in his ability to communicate it and then persuade others.
For now, Swinney remains the master of the chamber. He’s more measured and polite than the late Alex Salmond, and classier than Sturgeon.
But he can be undone by difficult questions, which perhaps explains why he’s been so evasive of the Scottish Parliament’s press pack since his re-election in May.
He can’t, however, hide from his fellow politicians. And the new Labour leader may find Thursday afternoons hold that long-awaited winning formula.
Adam Morris is a former director of communications for the Scottish Conservatives
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