Kate Forbes is playing a risky game

Kate Forbes has made her case. She handily won last night’s STV debate between contenders for Nicola Sturgeon’s job. She spoke past the contest, which will be decided by SNP members, to the country at large, that latter constituency having been forgotten in the process to chose the next first minister. She brought the conversation back time and again to the need to listen to those who don’t support independence and to govern Scotland’s public services competently. If you want to ask people to put you in charge of an independent country, Forbes’s argument runs, you’ll have to show them you can run a devolved one first. 

This is an extremely risky strategy. The grassroots of the SNP worship Sturgeon. The average party member could come home to find her throttling their labradoodle with a piano wire and they’d quickly conclude that Mr Floofball had it coming.