The present state of play in Scottish politics is summed up by crime novelist
Quintin Jardine, reflecting on the Labour and LibDem Scottish party conferences:
These diminished festivals reminded me that there was a time when I knew by name, sight and reputation, every active political figure of stature in the country. I suppose I still do, but now it's no great claim to make because there are so few of them and they all belong to the same party.
Sad but true. Part of the reason, I've long thought, is that in all parties people of ability and ambition want to get to the top, which for all major parties in Scotland except the SNP means Westminster. For the SNP, of course, the Scottish Parliament
is the top.
If the other parties don't watch out, it will be for all of them.
Published on March 07, 2012 21:03