SNP happy with year's work

SCHOOL'S out. End of term at Holyrood marks the completion of the first full parliamentary year of Scotland's SNP minority government. And as MSPs head back to their constituencies for the summer recess tonight, First Minister Alex Salmond and his colleagues will be congratulating themselves on their success in proving they can run the country and see off the opposition – most of the time, at least.

But after an impressive run of initiatives and announcements – including the scrapping of bridge tolls, abolition of the graduate endowment fee and a start to phasing out prescription charges – the SNP is beginning to encounter what Harold Macmillan used to call "events, dear boy, events".

Health Secretary and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has found herself having to launch two inquiries in less than a month – one into allegations of bullying in the Scottish Ambulance Service, and another into an outbreak of clostridium difficile, which has been linked to 18 deaths.

One Labour insider says: "Nicola has had a bad run of luck with the Scottish Ambulance Service and C diff.

"Instead of coming to parliament and announcing that accident and emergency units have been saved, she is now having to make statements about things that have gone wrong."

Labour concedes that neither the problems in the ambulance service nor the C diff outbreak are of Ms Sturgeon's making. "But that doesn't mean she's not responsible for them," says the insider. "It's up to her to ensure that these things don't happen."

The SNP has also had the embarrassment of being defeated last week on the Creative Scotland Bill, and several of its flagship policies – plans for a local income tax; the proposed Scottish Futures Trust to replace PFI; and cutting class sizes – are looking shaky.

The SNP insists "events" are only to be expected and points out ministers dealt well with two major events within weeks of taking office – the terror attack on Glasgow airport and the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

A Government source insists the latest problems have been handled well: "C diff is a fact of life across the UK, but we have shown we are taking swift action to get a grip on the situation."

The parliament has not been over-burdened with legislation since last year's elections. Nine government Bills have been introduced and four passed.

Without a majority, the SNP knows unless there is cross-party backing for legislation it could have a hard fight.

However, the Government has produced a long list of its achievements – from winning the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid to freezing the council tax, trialling free school meals and funding extra teachers.

Yesterday, Mr Salmond claimed another success – the first meeting of the revived Joint Ministerial Council, bringing together representatives of the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. He had been pressing ever since last year's elections for the council to be reconvened and hopes to use the forum to resolve differences with Westminster.

Meanwhile, Wendy Alexander's performances at First Minister's Questions have improved recently, but Labour's problems persist.

An SNP source says: "People only associate Wendy with funding problems and the referendum debacle." Both subjects have made an unwelcome return in the past few days.

Some Labour MSPs were irritated at Ms Alexander for reopening the independence referendum controversy last weekend on BBC Radio's Any Questions when she called on the SNP to "get on with it". They feel she unnecessarily diverted attention away from the pressures on the SNP over C diff.

Holyrood's standards committee dealt the party another blow yesterday when it ruled Ms Alexander broke parliamentary rules by not declaring donations to her leadership campaign.

Labour has, however, announced plans to bring together a series of member's Bills in a kind of alternative programme for government, to make up for the "legislation-lite" SNP.

They range from Sarah Boyack's Bill to give council tax discounts for windmills and solar panels to abolishing water charges for pensioners.

MSPs may not be back at Holyrood until September, but the business of government will continue.

Mr Salmond has already announced he is taking his Cabinet around Scotland during the recess, swapping Bute House for two-day visits to Inverness, Skye, Dumfries and Pitlochry.

The Cabinet will hold its meetings on the Tuesday mornings and use the afternoons to promote the government's "national conversation" on independence.

Last summer, the First Minister – only in the job a few weeks – decided to forego a proper break.

This year, sources say he has "no firm plans" but is thinking of a golfing trip to Colonsay.