Eddie Barnes: McCabe's the man for Swinney

We're informed that the SNP Government will unveil the names if the Three Wise Men who will examine their books next week, as part of the Independent Review into the Scottish Government's finances. As I've written in the Scotsman this morning, I suspect there is a lot of behind-the-scenes arm-twisting going on about who they might be, as the make-up of this review will be crucial in deciding what it eventually comes up with.

If the SNP is smart they'll come up with at least one name who has some association with Labour, in order to deflect the attacks from Andy Kerr et al about how they plan to hack back against the poor defenceless people of Glasgow and surrounding villages. How hilarious would it be if Swinney unveiled his precedessor Tom McCabe as one of his recruits? Mr McCabe has not been backwards in coming forwards so far about the scale of problems to come. And he has been extremely candid about the cheque-book politics which distinguished the previous Labour-Liberal administration, of which he was a part. Clearly Mr McCabe would make himself extremely unpopular among his Labour colleagues if he chose to sit on Mr Swinney's panel. But Lanarkshire's grizzliest politician has never quite given the impression he minds having a few enemies.

I doubt it'll happen but there are other options available for Mr Swinney. This could be fun.