Why SNP's refusal to be bold about universal benefits will come back to haunt them

Cynics who have long accused the nationalists of being out of ideas will expect more of the same, with a few headline-grabbing policies that sound good but will not, ultimately, address the underlying causes of Scotland’s biggest problems.

Those cynics include demoralised doctors and nurses jaded by repeated promises to fix the NHS, followed by inaction as waiting lists grow. This is not simply a matter of competence. An important factor in the nationalists’ apparent paralysis is their innate caution – one might even say conservatism – which prevents them from grasping the seriousness of the situation and taking bold, radical action.

Universal benefits appear sacrosanct

Labour’s introduction of means-testing of the winter fuel allowance for pensioners was mishandled, but it is an example of a government doing something it knows will be unpopular because they believe it’s in the national interest. The SNP would never do this.

Introducing means testing of free tuition fees and free prescriptions would provide millions of pounds extra to help stave off the university sector’s financial crisis and pay for more desperately needed health staff.

However, maintaining these universal benefits appears sacrosanct to the SNP. The reason why is simple: they contribute to the idea that Scotland is a better place than the rest of the UK and help make a case for independence.

They could also scrap the more expensive and unnecessary quangos and cut government bureaucracy, but why rock the boat when you can simply demand more money from Westminster and blame them for all our problems?

The difficulty with attempts to build a grand coalition around a single goal is that it is hard to keep everyone happy. Over time, avoiding offending different interest groups risks becoming an end in itself.

This strategy has served the SNP well in the past, but it is becoming increasingly bad for Scotland and, eventually, they will pay a political price.