Last night’s TV debate between the leaders of Scotland’s five largest parties predictably spiralled into a war of words over independence, with Nicola Sturgeon promising to hold a second referendum in the first half of the Holyrood term “assuming the [Covid] crisis has passed“. Again ignoring the turning tide of public opinion…

Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross’s attempts to woo Labour’s Anas Sarwar with a potential pact to block the pro-independence Alba party from gaining seats set the Labour Leader on a tirade, telling Ross to “grow up” and saying “we’re not in the playground, this is not a game, this is people’s lives”. Ross’s generous offer was also turned down by the LibDems’ Willie Rennie…