PREDICTABLY, there is an extraordinary rewriting of history going on by senior politicians, in attempts to circumvent the laws of political gravity.

Take, as an example, the brass neck of SNP politicians issuing press releases condemning the Tory Education Secretary, for doing the same as their own John Swinney.

In protests that took place across the UK, one remarkable placard stated: “No Etonian was harmed in the making of this algorithm”. In Scotland, the placard should state: “No SNP politician takes responsibility for the making of this algorithm”.

But the exams fiasco is not the only rewriting. We are constantly being told that Scotland is leading the world in its response, that some mistakes were inevitable but kudos for those in charge for eventually getting round to solving the problem.

Like putting Covid19-positive patients into care homes. Where nearly 2,000 people have died with Coronavirus.

This crisis has had an extraordinary human cost to it. So many of us have lost friends, colleagues or loved ones to a virus that is still out there, and still dangerous.

But where is the anger? Like the anger of students and parents?

Those at the top - the First Minister and those around her - were incredibly keen to move the story on. Keen to point to their latest poll ratings, to emphasise that the next Scottish Parliament election will be ‘the most important in Scottish history’, or to attack the latest economic growth figures for the whole of the UK.

On these topics, SNP MSPs are happy to shout from the rooftops.

On care homes? Silence.

A silence that is only matched by the deafening silence whenever someone brings up the ongoing Salmond enquiry, or when asked to explain why an SNP convener thought it inappropriate to ask whether there was a protocol that female civil servants should not be left alone with the former First Minister.

Nothing at all from SNP backbenchers - except to try and wriggle free of any responsibility that they may have to take.

It is easy to look at Scottish politics at the moment and despair. In years gone by, the exams fiasco would have been a resigning matter.

The Salmond enquiry would have seen Government ministers humiliated over the lack of transparency.

The number of deaths in care homes would have brought down a Government. But not in this Scotland, where the SNP leadership enjoy unquestioning loyalty from their backbenchers. Probably fuelled by a belief that any criticism would undermine their goal of independence.

But at what cost? What is the price that Scotland is paying for this now, and in the future?

I disagree profoundly with the cause of independence. But surely even the most ardent supporter must recognise that this is not the vision of independence that they serve. The SNP can no longer see the wood for the trees.

This erosion of accountability, transparency and democracy in Scotland harms us all, regardless of our beliefs.

Scotland can be better than this - and it must be better than this.