If there's one thing more depressing than being a moderate Labour MP today ...

It must be being a Labour member in Scotland.

Hat tip to Professor Adam Tomkins for drawing my attention to the New Year's Day post by Scottish Labour supporter Ian Smart,

"A one party state."

I think it would lead to some danger of complacency and arrogance if Conservatives were to suppose ourselves to be in quite as strong a position as Ian fears we are, but his analysis of the fundamental problems facing the SNP and the even worse ones facing his own party in Scotland are dead on.

Here is an extract:

"I know what we are against but I have absolutely no idea what we are for. We are against the Council Tax freeze but will we lift it? No idea. We are opposed to the SNP failing to use the Calman powers but would we have used them? No idea. We believe Forth Bridge maintenance was underfunded but would we re-introduce tolls? No idea. We think the NHS needs more resources but do we support Prescription Charges? No idea. We oppose cutting college places and maintenance grants to fund free university education but would we introduce fees, or even bring back the Graduate Endowment? No idea."

He also showers reluctant (but in my opinion wholly justified) praise on the Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson:

"Aside from the SNP there is at least one other Party in Scotland who is not in complete disarray. Who does have a credible alternative candidate for First Minister, a candidate who does know what her Party stands for (chiefly because she has told them) and who does have a clear programme for Government. Who has had a grip on their candidate selection, who hasn't effectively written off the constituency contests, and who will be laser focused on winning as many seats as possible rather than on who gets to win these seats."

And he rightly infers that the most likely way the SNP might lose the overall majority in the Scottish parliament which, in my opinion, their incompetent conduct of Scottish affairs means they richly deserve to lose, would be for more Scots to vote for Ruth Davidson's Scottish Conservatives. 

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