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JOHN Swinney is the only First Minister ever to have experienced seeing Scotland qualify for a World Cup while in office and his interview with The National in the immediate aftermath illustrated the impact the pivotal match against Denmark had on him.
His latest move just months out from the country’s election also shows he’s willing to bottle the emotion that took over the nation and use it to his advantage, in the hope of being the first Scottish leader to see the nation play at a World Cup.
On a freezing cold Monday, as folk hauled themselves from under the covers and back into work mode, Swinney dropped a bombshell that he planned to make June 15 a bank holiday to mark Scotland’s participation in the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
As Anas Sarwar failed to inspire with his new year campaign speech which he made in front of what seemed like a very forced Saltire, Swinney played a blinder by announcing a sure-fire vote winner as folk struggle try to come to terms with the end of the festive period.
READ MORE: John Swinney tells Scottish media to 'be livid' over referendum block
Of course, a bank holiday is always something people are going to like, but this will do a lot more than just please workers who will get an extra day off.
It says to football fans – so often told they cause nothing but trouble – that they matter.
It says to all Scots desperate to see the game against Haiti that they don’t need to worry about the consequences of staying up until 4.30am on June 14 because they’ll get a day off the next day to recover.
It says to everyone that Scotland’s participation in the World Cup is something the nation’s leaders want people to be able to celebrate and be a part of. Swinney has shown he believes supporting your nation at this brief, historic moment is of the utmost importance, and you should be there for it, completely guilt-free.
It's probably a smart move too in case the World Cup campaign doesn't get off to the best start. A bit of space to get over the disappointment is usually required in a nation as passionate as Scotland.
Using the nation’s biggest moment of national pride potentially since the referendum as Swinney seeks to hold on to his place as First Minister is a smart move. If there were any football fans on the fence about who they will be backing in May, I dare say a few of them will now be off it.
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Even loyal independence supporters will perhaps be reassured that Swinney is serious about displays of national unity and patriotism.
It’s not just a clever move in terms of winning votes, but also for winning support from within the chamber – which Swinney will inevitably need no matter how well he does at the ballot box.
The Scottish Greens have been calling for a bank holiday to be held on the day of the opening game ever since Scotland qualified, so it is a sign Swinney is looking to keep the Greens on side after some tense moments between the two parties mid-term.
Swinney is clearly not blind to what Scotland’s participation in the World Cup could do for the country’s mood and people’s belief in what the country is capable of, and he’s not willing to let it pass him by.
Every big change – including the one that Swinney wants in Scottish independence – begins with a core belief that it can happen and you never know where conversations between people wrapped in Lion Rampants and Saltires in pubs – amid a backdrop of the team hopefully doing well – could lead.
You can get The National's Real Scottish Politics newsletter free and direct to your inbox every weekday. To sign up, click HERE and click the + button.
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