SNP need to realise that sly and sleekit heroes are few and far between
High-profile disputes between the SNP and Scotland’s Information Commissioner are contributing to public suspicions that their government is hiding something from them
Synonyms for ‘secretive’ can be benign, with words like ‘reserved’, ‘enigmatic’ and ‘discreet’ having neutral or positive connotations. However, they can also be decidedly sinister: ‘surreptitious’, ‘sly’ and ‘sleekit’.
As the Scottish Government once again clashed with the Scottish Information Commissioner – this time in court over the release of some of the so-called Salmond Files – the SNP needs to realise that it has a secrecy problem.
This is a concern for three main reasons. First, for a democracy to function properly, voters need to have a reasonably good idea what their government is doing in order to make an informed choice at elections. Second, good governance relies on public feedback about its actions. Ministers may not always welcome criticism but, if constructive, it can help them avoid mistakes and make better legislation.
The unvarnished truth
Clearly, there are instances in which information held by the state and state-run organisations cannot be made public: such as sensitive matters related to an ongoing police investigation; private information about individuals like medical files; and matters of national security. The public understands and accepts this.
However, openness and transparency should be watchwords for politicians, particularly those in power – regardless of how embarrassing, or worse, the unvarnished truth may be. There have been persistent complaints that SNP ministers have fallen short of this standard.
Sometimes politicians simply need to fess up to mistakes and take the subsequent criticism on the chin. Indeed, at a time when the many have come to expect cover-ups, excuses and blame-shifting, doing so may win a degree of respect.
This leads to the third reason why a culture of secrecy is bad news for all concerned: public perception. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of any particular situation, including this latest case, if voters think their government is trying to hide something from them, this will inevitably damage the standing of the politicians involved and also, more importantly, democracy as a whole.
In a cynical age, Scotland needs leaders we can believe in, respect and trust. More than ever, we need people with that special ability to inspire others.
They really do exist. Sly and sleekit heroes, however, are few and far between.
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