It’s panto season at Holyrood and camping it up this week we have Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.

“Disastrous for the economy and public services!” she exclaims, taking a pop at Labour’s employer National Insurance rise. “Westminster austerity by the back door!” chimes in Finance Secretary Shona Robison. “Panicked and incompetent!” adds Forbes for good measure.

Ooo, dastardly Labour, we’re all meant to think. Can’t trust them with Scotland.

Read more by Rebecca McQuillan

This boo-hiss routine is aimed at the Treasury’s decision to give the Scottish Government what SNP ministers say is insufficient cash to mitigate the cost to the public sector of higher employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). Scotland is getting up to £330 million next year for mitigation, on top of a £3.4bn overall funding boost. That £330m is a lot, but not enough to cover the whole cost of public sector NICs, say Scottish ministers, so the SNP will have to dig into the other money to cover the shortfall. Hence Rachel Reeves’ casting as a rather nerdy Wicked Queen.

Now this is not the easiest argument for the SNP to sell. Receiving £330m on top of an extra £3.4bn next year doesn’t sound too shabby, does it? Many people will hear Forbes and Robison complaining and dismiss it as just the usual bleating about Westminster. It’s most inconvenient for the SNP that their favourite panto villains, the Tories, have disappeared down the trap door. Rachel Reeves just doesn’t really cut it as a stand-in.

But is there some........

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