After the general election skelping my party got in the July election, I was asked by Alex Massie (formerly of this parish) if I thought the SNP was in line to get horsed in the 2026 Holyrood election. I answered in the affirmative. Unless the party changed direction, then of course we would lose. Well, things look rather different now.
Since then, the mood within Scotland’s two dominant parties has changed dramatically. The SNP is the most upbeat it has been for a while while Labour’s sense of jubilant victory after its election landslide is tinged with vulnerability. The change in mood has been apparent in almost every conversation I’ve had with people from either side.
If I had a pound for every campervan joke, I could probably compensate the WASPI women.
Showing off my masochistic streak, I attended Scottish Labour’s winter gala dinner in early December (strictly business). I confess to worrying that it might look a bit odd – like going to a therapy session with the gang that mugged you – and so I took advice from my predecessor, Tom Harris.
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