Look at the polls. Look at the by-elections. One after another, like the imperial chimes of Big Ben, they toll out the end of Starmer’s days. Recently, on August 15 in the South Jesmond (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) by-election, the Greens took the seat from Labour. Labour’s share of the vote dropped by around 25 per cent. On the same day in the Grangetown (Cardiff) council by-election, the Greens took another seat from Labour. Once again Labour’s share dropped by around 25 per cent. Indeed, the Green Party has taken eight seats in all from Labour this year in England and Wales. But just before you break out your vegan champagne, bear in mind Reform have taken 35, more than four times as many.

​I want to ask two questions in my short contribution.
First, how did we get into this economic mess where the so-called leadership of most of major parties think it is acceptable to cut welfare, but increase military spending?
And secondly why do those leaders believe that spending on defence is in any case,  somehow a good thing?
The answer to both these questions lies in the management or more accurately mis-management of the Scottish economy.