Humza Yousaf will be judged on Nicola Sturgeon’s mistakes

We must hope Nicola Sturgeon’s remaining supporters are, right now, judging her. That’s what she wanted, after all. In a speech back in 2015 — the year she led the SNP to its third Holyrood election victory — Sturgeon said education would be her priority during her time in office. ‘Let me be clear,’ she said, ‘I want to be judged on this. If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. It really matters.’

Of course, it was easy for Sturgeon to demand she be judged because she knew she wouldn’t be. None of her supporters was willing to rock the boat by pointing out the many ways in which the SNP had failed teachers and pupils. That same blind loyalty meant Sturgeon could also state her intention to close the attainment gap between teenagers from the wealthiest and poorest backgrounds ‘completely’ — and her followers took her seriously.