Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP continue to defy the usual laws of politics

It’s nice to be noticed. I cannot recall the Scottish portion of a UK general election ever exciting this much interest from folk unfortunate enough to live south of the Tweed.

I don’t blame southrons for wondering just what in god’s name is happening up here, however. These are uncharted waters for all of us. And yet, despite that, it is a little less revolutionary than it seems at first. Consider these numbers: 39, 33, 29, 32. That’s the share of the constituency vote won by Labour in the four elections to the Scottish parliament. And then there are these numbers: 29, 27, 33 and 45. That’s the share won by the SNP.

So this Westminster election is beginning to look rather like a Holyrood election and that in turn means that 35 percent of the vote might be Labour’s ceiling, not its floor. Which changes everything.

The Scottish people have not, on the whole, been very impressed by the performance of their parliament but, rather more importantly, they very much approve of its existence and they would like it to play a larger role in the life of the nation.