Politics review: January to March

In the first of a four-part series, BBC News Online Scotland's Brian Ponsonby looks back at some of the major political events in 2003.

Just a few days into the New Year, the first minister required medical attention after slipping on an icy pavement outside his official residence in Edinburgh.

This may have been an accident but with an election looming in May, would Jack McConnell end up black and blue at the polls?

All of the parties in Scotland may have started 2003 with both eyes on the hustings but their opening salvos on domestic policy were soon overshadowed by the growing crisis in Iraq.

With hopes of a diplomatic solution at the United Nations fading fast it became apparent that Britain would join United States-led military action against Saddam Hussein's regime.

As debate raged in Westminster over the legitimacy of such action, Scottish politicians joined the fray, ensuring that the Middle East would play a part in the Holyrood election.

Iraq split

Party divisions over the crisis were highlighted on 16 January when the SNP instigated a debate - the same day as Tony Blair visited Scotland.

Although defence and foreign policy powers are reserved to Westminster, John Swinney argued that the debate would help fill a democratic void on the issue.

He also accused Labour of failing to allow proper debate in the Commons and of ignoring public opinion.

Dennis Canavan joined critics of the war

Mr Swinney asked MSPs to endorse a motion condemning any military action without the express support of the United Nations.

The Liberal Democrats were supportive and similar stances were adopted by Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan, Green MSP Robin Harper and Independent MSP Dennis Canavan.

But the Scottish Conservatives sided with Labour and voted down the motion, citing unity at a time of national crisis as the reason for their support.

The debate left a bitter taste for some with Labour MSP Tom McCabe accusing the SNP of political opportunism and of trying to use "a tense and worrying international situation to illuminate their views on the constitution".

Two months after the vote, the Health Minister, Malcolm Chisholm, said he deeply regretted having backed the government's policy.

Election pledges

The Labour MSP for Edinburgh North and Leith said he had put loyalty to his party colleagues before his personal views.

Despite the late change of heart, there was no political fallout and the first minister publicly backed his decision to speak out.

As the build-up to war continued, so did the parties preparations for the May election with a serious of announcements designed to woo voters.

The SNP pledged to re-direct fishing aid

John Swinney kick-started the SNP's bid for power with a pledge in January to cut the number of Scottish Executive ministers if he was elected.

By the end of the month he had moved on to fishing with a promise to renegotiate European Union quota cuts and re-direct a £50m decommissioning package to a tie-up scheme.

This, coupled with £5m worth of rates relief, he said would secure the long-term viability of the industry in Scotland.

The policy initiative was well-timed coming just days after Jack McConnell was booed and jeered by protesters as he arrived for private talks with fishing leaders in Peterhead.

By 15 February, Mr Swinney was on the offensive over Iraq again, telling a rally in Glasgow that America and Britain's "rush to war" must be halted.

'Corrosive influence'

Days later during question time he challenged the first minister to state his views after claiming that the Labour Party was "in disarray" over the issue.

Iraq featured heavily again during Mr Swinney's address to delegates at the SNP's conference at Loch Lomond during March.

But it was his pointed attacks on the Scottish Labour Party, describing it as a "corrosive influence" and "power drunk after years of rule in one-party municipal fiefdoms", that signalled a more aggressive election footing.

David McLetchie attacked Labour's record

"Labour has abandoned Scotland's values and it is now time that Scotland abandoned Labour," he said.

The Scottish Conservatives also began to up the ante in the New Year and forced Jack McConnell on the defensive when they accused him of dropping plans to bring in a team of experts to oversee the performance of public service delivery.

During a heated exchange with David McLetchie, the first minister said it was "untrue" that the plans had been completely ditched and he would continue to pursue reform.

The following month, the Scottish Tories unveiled proposals for a neighbourhood protection plan to clamp down on crime and disorder in communities.

With an eye on the May polls, they promised to invest £20m in the proposal, creating local wardens with the power to fine people for anti-social nuisance behaviour.

'Responsible influence'

By March Mr McLetchie had moved on to direct appeals to the electorate at his party's Spring conference.

He told delegates: "We've had four years of Liberal Democrat and Labour government here in Scotland - six years of Labour government in the UK as a whole - and what's there to show for it? Precious little.

"There is no disguising the disillusionment and disappointment felt by many people. But let us be very clear who is to blame. It's Labour and their Liberal Democrat allies."

Jim Wallace talked up the coalition

Electioneering was slightly more complicated for the Scottish Liberal Democrats early in the New Year as they were still in a coalition with Labour.

But the party machinery was in motion by the time Jim Wallace addressed delegates at the annual Scottish conference in Aberdeen on 1 March.

He offered the prospect of "major gains" in the May election, both in Holyrood and in Scotland's councils.

"We have shown we are a party of radical and responsible influence - a party which has made the difference," he said.

Mr Wallace listed his parties record of policies, including scrapping upfront tuition fees and free personal care for the elderly, claiming that these were slowly transforming Scotland.

In a clear endorsement for the coalition executive, he stated that these had not been implemented at Westminster where Labour ruled on its own with a big majority.

Socialist pledges

The party conference also approved procedures for new coalition talks Labour after the elections.

But it was clear that the condition for any new marriage with Labour would be a guarantee to introduce proportional representation for local government elections.

The other parties had no illusions that they would be in a position to wield any power after the polls closed and merely stated their ambitions to increase representation at Holyrood.

Tommy Sheridan: "Redistribute income"

In January the Scottish Socialists unveiled six key pledges for their campaign which leader Tommy Sheridan claimed were "radical, exciting and achievable".

The list MSP for Glasgow said: "They will attack poverty, redistribute income, improve health, create jobs, end privatisation and help to stop the war."

There was disappointment for the Scottish Green Party in February when leader Robin Harper failed in a bid to set a 10-year target for organic farming

If his bill had won support it would have forced ministers to publish targets to convert 20% of farmland to organic farming within 10 years - at present only 7% of farmland qualifies as organic in Scotland.

But the executive would not back the legislation and it was defeated by 61 to 39, with 18 abstentions.

Despite the setback, Mr Harper remained upbeat and claimed that his party hoped to return as many as eight MSPs after the Holyrood elections.

Robin Harper's organic farming bill was defeated

The first quarter of 2003 presented Labour with a chance to move on from the damaging allegations of the previous year concerning Jack McConnell's constituency party accounts.

Although the episode did no lasting damage to the first minister it did hand opponents another line of attack during the election countdown.

From January to March, the Labour-dominated executive unveiled new plans - many aimed at Mr McConnell's "key priorities" of health, education, crime, jobs and transport.

Against this backdrop of 'business as usual' the first minister sparred his way through the growing disquiet about Iraq and opposition claims that the he was failing to deliver on public services.

By the time Scottish delegates gathered for their annual conference in March, Mr McConnell laid bare his election strategy with a spot of "Nat-bashing".

Jobs risk

He said the country was at a crossroads and faced a stark choice between two futures.

"The Nationalists want to rip it all up and start again, with the uncertainty and upheaval of divorce from the United Kingdom," he said.

"They would risk jobs, family mortgages, pensions and investment in public services."

Jack McConnell warned about splitting the UK

Mr McConnell also said Labour would not introduce top-up fees for students at Scottish universities in the second term of the parliament.

There were promises to build or refurbish 200 more schools, reduce class sizes in English and mathematics in the early years of secondary school and recruit an extra 2,500 teachers, as well as hundreds more doctors and nurses.

But the leadership was embarrassed during the get-together when delegates forced them into a U-turn over a debate on Iraq.

Party managers had wanted to avoid that but with the conflict now underway, the strength of feeling from the floor was too much and it went ahead, albeit behind closed doors.

As the conflict intensified in the early days of "shock and awe" opinions hardened on both sides of the Scottish divide.

Fond farewell

Conservative leader David McLetchie appeared to sum up one view when he told MSPs in March: "I don't think anybody wants war but there are times when an armed conflict is necessary to deal with dangerous and tyrannical regimes such as Saddam Hussein's and this is such a time."

But Tommy Sheridan articulated another argument: "I think British forces are now involved in not just an unjust and immoral war but they are also involved in an illegal war."

The Scottish Socialist leader said he believed that Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush should be prosecuted for their part in the conflict.

Sir David Steel retired from frontline politics

During the first quarter of 2003, events in the Middle East combined with domestic issues to set the scene for a fascinating election contest.

One figure however, who would not be involved, was the Presiding Officer Sir David Steel, who announced that he was standing down.

In a nostalgic session on 27 March, tributes were paid to the man who once led the Liberal Party and played a leading role in British politics.

MSPs thanked Sir David for his service and told him he had played an important and historic role in the first Scottish Parliament session for almost 300 years.

Their camaraderie did not last long. April was approaching. The election was weeks away. The battle lines were drawn.