The Tory achievement in Scotland was delightfully encapsulated in one sharp moment during the BBC’s overnight coverage. Jackson Carlaw, the Scottish Tory deputy leader, turned to Alex Salmond, pointed his finger and said: “Alex Salmond said we deserved to stay in purdah, well, we are not in purdah any more.”
That retort summed up the frustration built up over decades of defeat and put-downs from the SNP and Labour. Mr Carlaw’s message was simple: the Tories are back in Scotland.
In many ways, he was right. Remember the 1997 wipe-out? The election when the electorate came together to kick out every Tory MP in Scotland? Now the party is the official opposition in Scotland. It is forecast to get 31 seats to Labour’s 24, it was on course to beat Labour in votes and seats north of the border for the first time in 60 years.
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