Nastiest of episodes in Scottish politics

VETERAN Lib Dem peer Lord Campbell of Pittenweem has witnessed dozens of hardfought political campaigns, so when he describes the SNP drive to oust Charles Kennedy as the ‘most despicable’ he has seen in a career stretching all the way back to 1974, we ought to take notice.

The former Sir Menzies Campbell’s devastating intervention blows MP Ian Blackford’s account of the 2015 General Election in the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency out of the water.

Mr Blackford has been allowed to tout a version of events in which he was on the receiving end of abuse from the late Mr Kennedy’s team.

It is hard to square that with several accounts – including one laid out in a complaint to police – that Mr Blackford was aggressive and his broader campaign bitterly abusive and deeply personal in nature.

Mr Blackford also claimed he was ‘proud’ of the way the SNP conducted the campaign. Is the leader of the SNP’s cohort at Westminster truly satisfied with a campaign that saw Mr Kennedy – one of this country’s brightest and well-liked politicians – mocked over his struggle with alcohol in what would be his final days?

Sir Menzies also insists it is inconceivable that Mr Blackford was unaware of the vicious nature of the campaign waged on his behalf and that SNP high command was similarly in the dark.

Initially keen to peddle his version of events, Mr Blackford is now reticent to discuss the gulf between his recollection and those of others.

The reality is that he has invited further scrutiny of one of the nastiest episodes in Scottish politics in decades, and he can forget the public simply letting the claim ‘there was absolutely no issue’ between him and Mr Kennedy go unchallenged.