John Swinney's attempt to tie Labour to Reform shows the Holyrood gloves are already off
John Swinney set the tone on day one of the Holyrood election campaign by lumping Labour with Reform.
John Swinney launched his re-election bid by issuing a warning to potential Labour voters they could let a villain into Holyrood through a “grubby backroom deal”.
The SNP leader stood on a podium at the impressive Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow, with a single word below him - ‘hope’.
It is clear that Mr Swinney will attempt to pit the positive ‘hope’ message, synonymous with former US president Barack Obama, against the division he concludes has been tabled by Nigel Farage’s Reform party.
On day one of the campaign, right off the bat, Mr Swinney is attempting to tie Reform to Scottish Labour.
It is fair to say that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has not yet explained to voters how a government under him would do things differently or better.
Policies set out have been largely underwhelming, while a senior party source told The Scotsman “there are no new ways to reinvent the wheel with the constrained powers of the Scottish Parliament”.
The optics on day one for Mr Sarwar were not ideal - given he launched his campaign in Glasgow venue, BAaD.
The First Minister has shied away, somewhat, from directly attacking Reform and their would-be voters, by taking a measured approach, despite calling out extreme and divisive policies he opposes. But the days of picking his battles with Reform are finished.
READ MORE: SNP accuses Labour of lacking policy ideas and identity as Anas Sarwar poised to set out divergences
Mr Swinney will have looked at what has unfolded in the last week as Reform unveiled its manifesto, a list of controversial candidates and faced questions over bigotry and believed, with good reason, it is time to jump into Mr Farage’s party with both feet.
Tying Labour with Reform is a bold move that will not convince everybody. But it is a smart strategy in absence of Mr Sarwar painting a picture of what a government under his leadership might look like.
There is no scenario in which Mr Sarwar would go into a coalition with Reform, not least because it looks impossible that he would have the numbers to form a government with a partner.
But it is also completely and utterly true that the only way in which Mr Sarwar becomes first minister is by unionist parties, including Reform, voting him in. That, in Mr Swinney’s eyes, is the potential consequence of the SNP failing to secure a majority.
The SNP leader has set the bar for success awfully high. Anything less than a majority, which is incredibly hard to achieve - particularly with the SNP’s vote share dramatically less than at the height of Nicola Sturgeon’s popularity, will be regarded as a failure.
At the SNP’s conference two weeks ago, Mr Swinney did not mention anyone else, focusing solely on his party’s vision for Scotland. That perspective gave the impression that the SNP is the only party seriously preparing for government, as things stand.
But his campaign launch contained a stark warning that if the SNP falls short in obtaining a majority, villains in the form of Mr Farage and Malcolm Offord could sneak into power at Holyrood. The aim is to frighten some voters who have not made their mind up between the SNP and Labour, not to risk opening the door to Reform.
In the vacuum of Labour, so far, being unable to set out their vision for Scotland, they risk being tainted and tied to Reform by Mr Swinney. In an election the SNP is expected to finish as the biggest party, the onus is now well and truly on Mr Sarwar to move the dial on public opinion.
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