Ministerial satisfaction
The job of opposition is, of course, to oppose.
Therefore, it is perhaps understandable that Labour's Richard Baker contrives to find gloom in today's announcement that .
Understandable, if a mite curmudgeonly. He berates the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill for "boasting about police numbers."
Given that Mr MacAskill's sundry opponents - prominent among them Baker, J. - have repeatedly pressed the minister on this matter in the past, it seems a little rough that he is now, apparently, to be criticised for noting the improvement in figures.
The Scottish government, in cohort with the Conservatives, promised one thousand extra police officers during their term in office.
They are on course to deliver same.
Wider debate
In such circumstances, we might permit the minister a passing smile of contentment, if not a full-blown Peter Pan style crow.
Mr Baker makes a reasonable point - which is that the new recruitment must be maintained.
On the day, however, that is understandably lost beneath the sound of satisfaction at a target attained, thus far.
Longer term, there is a wider debate about whether public expenditure of this kind will be sustainable, about whether policing is a leading priority ahead of competitors.
But, for today, let us allow Mr MacAskill a little, quiet ministerial satisfaction.
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