WATCHING the Conservative dog and pony show, SNP president, Michael Russell said: “What is clear from Liz Truss and her audience is that the UK Conservatives are now a profoundly anti-Scottish party. It is up to Tories in Scotland to prove they aren’t by publicly disagreeing with UK Tory leadership rhetoric.”

NEVER in the field of British politics have so many been failed by so few. And this few are about to choose from their midst the two who have arguably failed most. The Tory leadership contenders pitch might be summarised as follows: “This government was crap. I am very proud of the work I did for it. Vote for me to do something totally different, but not too different.”

"ALMOST nobody tells the truth in Johnson’s government, a cesspit and the most distrustful, awful environment I’ve ever worked in.” His government summed up by ex-Tory minister and former army officer John Mercer.

THE British state is banjaxed. It is a dead state. It is heading to the elephants’ graveyard of expired empires. Its death rattle is clearly heard across the land. There will never again be a jubilee. The last one was the last one.

THROUGHOUT history, human societies have welcomed myths to help them understand the world around them. Stories have always been important to people. In a world of threats, it is reassuring to believe tales that tell us our rulers are gifted, and in the end “all will be well”. This week, we will look at five myths that bedevil life for people in Scotland.

THE facts are there. We all saw it. Boris Johnson lied to parliament. That’s indisputable. We are told the “rules” are clear. A prime minister who “intentionally” lies to the Commons must go.

TUESDAY is Independence Day. Not in Scotland, just yet, but in a nearby country. May 17 is Constitution Day in Norway. Grunnlovsdagen, as it’s called, is a public holiday held each year to mark the signing of the Constitution of Norway on May 17, 1814.

HAVE you ever started something that appears routine only to discover it to be a particular pleasure? This happened to me on Wednesday’s TNT show. It featured two exceptional leaders from Europe for Scotland (EFS). If you’ve

LAST week Tories rushed to the barricades to support the indefensible behaviour of Boris Johnson saying a PM ought not to be changed during a war.

HERE’S a question: say you support a point of view, but all the people behind it are utterly vile and incompetent, what do you do? The obvious answer is to diminish others – since you can’t plausibly boost your own.