Diary – 15 August 2009

Since the Scottish Borders is not a nationalist stronghold, we don’t often see Alex Salmond in these parts. But the SNP leader was in Melrose recently as the Scottish Government (as his ministry styles itself) held a Cabinet meeting in the town. Such events are dressed up as ‘outreach’ and an ‘opportunity’ to hear from ‘other voices’ but, in reality, are really campaign events. This was followed by a public meeting — part of Salmond’s grand National Conversation on Scotland’s constitutional future — at which, for once, more than 100 people turned up. The First Minister boasted that there had been 40 such events across the country, attended by more than 4,000 people. Many of these constitutional scholars must be SNP activists, one feels. Evidence of the people’s thirst for constitutional change remains elusive. Nonetheless, Salmond presses on, campaigning for an independence referendum next year. This campaign, it must be said, amounts to little more than stirring up indifference across the country.