DEVOLUTION in Scotland has, in my view, been an unmitigated disaster.
Since the Scottish Parliament opened 25 years ago, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has held sway for 17 of them.
Their sheer incompetence has seen a once proud part of the UK fall in disrepair.
Despite a higher, per capita spend than England, educational attainment has declined, deaths due to drugs are the highest in Europe and the NHS is in crisis.
Meanwhile, unworkable schemes, like the Gender Recognition Bill, and the month-old Hate Crime and Public Order Act, attracted ridicule, then genuine anger.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling took to social media, denouncing both.
Hopefully, this insanity which has gripped Scotland for too long may be over.
With hindsight, this decline began as far back as 2014 when the SNP lost the independence referendum.
Then, you had the continuing bitter feud between the last First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and her predecessor, Alex Salmond, followed later by the recent arrest of Sturgeon’s husband who, according to Police Scotland, was, “charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party”.
The final straw came when, in a rare moment of common sense, the now former First Minister, Hamza Yusuf, told the Scottish Greens he could no longer support the unachievable target of 75 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030.
When they withdrew their support, he was left at the mercy of his political opponents.
He resigned on Monday.
What comes next is uncertain, with Labour menacing many SNP seats and the Tories gaining traction.
Polls still show 50 per cent support for Scottish independence, but for now the possibility of the breakup of the Union has faded.
As I’ve always said, together we stand, divided we fall.