Memo to the Scottish Catholic bishops: stop sucking up to the SNP

The Most Rev Philip Tartaglia, Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow, is at it again:

There is a feeling around that we are in a special moment when we can shape a new Scotland. Our new First Minister, who is happily with us here this afternoon, has proposed a more consensual form of government, less partisan, less party-political, and less adversarial. I think everyone would welcome that … We are all equal in Scotland … all free to express our views and follow our consciences.

The Archbishop was speaking earlier this month at an ecumenical service attended by Nicola Sturgeon. By all accounts she was pink with pleasure at his lavish tribute. But I doubt that she was surprised. When Alex Salmond stepped down, Tartaglia – who employs a hardline SNP activist as his press officer – wrote to him as follows:

On behalf of the Bishops Conference of Scotland, I want to acknowledge your long and outstanding career in politics, and your distinguished service as First Minister of Scotland.