IT must be a difficult time to be the leader of Scottish Labour.
The party has been ousted as the country’s dominant political force and is now dealing with the ignominy of finishing behind the Tories in Holyrood and Westminster elections.
Perhaps then, it is unsurprising that Richard Leonard has decided to forego cruel reality.
Struggling to get a straight answer from the Scottish Labour leader, an STV interviewer had to join him in his parallel universe, and asked if a future Labour government would approve of a Section 30 order.
Leonard tried to dodge the question, but only succeeded in delivering a hilarious punchline. “Well first of all, I don’t think there is public support for a second referendum,” he stated, straight-faced.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has said there is 'no public support' for a second independence referendum.
— STV News (@STVNews) March 8, 2019
When asked whether a future Labour government at Westminster would grant a Section 30 order, he said there was 'no case' for a second vote: https://t.co/fHUYE6jWAB pic.twitter.com/CJqBJkyscv
Leonard does not seem to possess much in the way of discernible talent, and that’s definitely the case when it comes to observation.
Certainly, his powers let him down as hundreds of thousands of Scots took to the streets in mass shows of support for independence last year during the All Under One Banner marches.
GALLERY: The AUOB Edinburgh independence march in pictures
Perhaps, too, he missed the polling results published at the end of last year which showed support for independence has risen, on average, by almost 3% since 2014.
READ MORE: Support for Scottish independence is increasing ahead of Brexit showdown
In fact, public support for a Yes vote far outweighs the percentage of Scottish Labour voters who actually know Leonard is in charge of the party, according to a new Panelbase poll.
Just 37% of Scottish Labour’s supporters knew that the MSP, who won the top job back in November 2017, was now in charge.
READ MORE: Latest polls make absolutely terrible reading for anonymous Richard Leonard
Despite failing to recognise the momentum building behind support for independence, or his own anonymity, Leonard does at least remember the first indyref.
Leonard told STV: “There is no case for a second independence referendum, we just had one in 2014.”
You keep telling yourself that, Richard.
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