PAUL MALIK

A week might be a long time in politics, but it is worth remembering some incidents stick in the mind longer than most chief advisers to the PM like to think.

Boris Johnson is unpopular in Scotland – his visit last Thursday to see the crabs in Orkney only served to remind us of that.

He might not be impacted by this in any regard, but those who are happen to be fully fledged members of his party – up to and including its Scottish leaders. Ruth Davidson left on her own accord but what made Mr Carlaw leave fewer than 10 months before the next election?

Number 10 was apparently “furious” with Mr Carlaw for (eventually) saying Dominic Cummings should “consider his position” following the Barnard Castle debacle.

His choice of words was out of step with the party south of the border, whipped within an inch of their lives by the iron will of “misfit genius” Cummings.

Equally as furious though, were a lot of his own MSPs, who were being bombarded by angry constituents aghast at Cummings’ behaviour.

Not even six months into the job, rumblings were heard, the ramifications of Mr Cummings’ decision to nip out for a drive to test his eyesight furtherreaching than initially thought.

The only Scottish Tory to front up – in the beginning – told The Courier less than a month ago any suggestion of him running for leader was “unfounded”, which of course means he is early favourite for the job.

Douglas Ross, despite being 37, has already served as a councillor, MSP, MP and junior cabinet member. He publicly supported Boris Johnson’s leadership bid and – because of his decision to resign over the Cummings affair – retained a modicum of respect in an otherwise murky moment.

If Mr Carlaw was pushed, those who did it know they have someone in Mr Ross almost unique – a young but experienced politician with the attention of Number 10 and the backing of the party at Holyrood.