The Sw The Gre This is a Westminster decision but anyone can have a view.US President Donald Trump has led calls for the UK to “drill, baby, drill” and the Conservatives and Reform UK share that viewpoint.Scottish Labour wants the UK government to honour licences for the new Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, while the Lib Dems favour increased domestic production if it’s less environmentally damaging than importing from elsewhere.The SNP has appeared to soften previous resistance to new oil and gas developments during this campaign, with only the Greens remaining firmly opposed.President Trump made a further intervention when he chose to lift import tariffs on whisky in honour of the King and Queen, who made a state visit to the US.This was widely welcomed – but also prompted a political squabble over who could claim credit.Labour insisted it was an example of the UK government delivering for Scotland, with the SNP bigging up John Swinney’s role in lobbying the president directly.A plan to address cost-of-living pressures produced one of the key policy clashes of the campaign.The SNP proposed a new law to require supermarkets to limit the cost of a certain basket of essential goods.This would take time to enact and would push the limits of Holyrood’s powers because UK internal market rules offer Westminster a veto.Retailers dismissed the idea as a “potty gimmick” and the SNP’s political rivals took their cues from there.One SNP source suggested they were “annoying all the right people”.PA MediaOther voting options at this election include the pro-life Scottish Family Party and Tommy Sheridan’s independence-supporting Alliance to Liberate Scotland.The early part of the campaign was dominated with stories about the personal conduct of candidates and other political figures.Later, the re-emergence of the row over the appointment and sacking of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US diverted much political attention from the Scottish campaign.That was a reminder of why Anas Sarwar called for the prime minister to resign and why he appears to feel justified in having done so.Starmer has yet to make a campaign visit to Scotland and seems unlikely to do so. His brief prime ministerial stop at the Faslane naval base does not really count.PA MediaBy contrast, the Conservatives, Reform and the Liberal Democrats have all deployed their UK leaders as potential electoral assets.The Scottish Greens had the leader of their sister party in England and Wales, Zack Polanski, lending them support.Labour argues that there is still a pathway to ousting Swinney from office, despite national opinion polls suggesting the SNP is well ahead.Is it possible that these polls are not adequately capturing local and regional differences or any mismatch between those who respond to surveys and those who actually turn out to vote?Labour certainly insists that its own canvassing data from mostly central belt constituencies tells a very different story.PA MediaIf independence-supporting parties – the SNP and the Greens – were to fall short of securing a majority of the seats at Holyrood that would give pro-UK parties the chance to change the government.They would first need to sort out their own differences and unite behind a candidate for first minister.That may be difficult given that the single biggest flashpoint in the campaign was a clash in the Channel 4 leaders debate between Labour’s Anas Sarwar and Reform UK’s Malcolm Offord.Offord claimed Sarwar had privately suggested they work together to oust the SNP. Sar Click
