Strange days

A week was once said to be a long time in politics. What could be said, then, for a couple of months?

Not so long ago we had a super confident Tory government preparing for a historically large landslide general election victory over the then hapless-looking Labour Party. Overconfidence perhaps, a remarkably poor campaign and lamentable leadership – apart from in Scotland – soon put paid to the Tory expectations and they now hang on to power with their fingernails while cabinet members fight like ferrets in a sack and backstab and jockey for position as the next leader.

That same arrogance and overconfidence infected the SNP in Scotland. Their second referendum whining proved in the end to be the catalyst for their own disastrous campaign and result; in many ways this was more devastating than the Tory defeat at UK level as it may well have effectively ended the Nationalist threat. We now have the previously unthought-of sight of the defeated Alex Salmond grubbing around for a seat and the First Minster the least popular party leader.

In the midst of this, the 65 million people of the UK can only hope that sanity will prevail and the politician’s day job is not forgotten in the interminable scheming and wheeling and dealing.

ALEXANDER MCKAY New Cut Rigg, Edinburgh