YET again, a relatively unknown SNP apparatchik has been brought into the national spotlight.

This week, it’s Colin Beattie, the SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, and the SNP’s treasurer for nearly 20 years.

This is a sorry saga that is playing out at the heart of the Scottish Government. Up until now, it would have been unimaginable to hear any party leader, least of all the serving First Minister, say that he does “not believe” that their party is operating in a criminal way. But this is the reality of Scotland today.

And all of this on the day that Humza Yousaf had set out to ‘relaunch’ his less than 20-day-old premiership.

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After 15 years in power, it’s clear that the SNP have let the power go to their head. No internal debate, no accountability and no checks and balances on their power have led to this rotten state. I was absolutely shocked by the comments of the former first minister at an SNP NEC meeting, shutting down any discussion of the party’s accounts. But this is the same attitude that has permeated the SNP’s entire time in government.

All criticism – no matter how well-intentioned such criticism might have been – was shut down, ignored or side-lined because those at the top knew best.

It’s clear that they have an unhealthy relationship with government, and with the trappings of power. They’ve taken their role, and the people of Scotland, for granted.

But Glasgow too has an unhealthy relationship with the Scottish Government. Glasgow has been taken for granted by the Government, and criticism of a decade of underfunding has been met with outright disingenuous claims.

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On the one hand, the Government says that it’s giving more money to local government than ever before, and that councils have never had it so good.

On the other, they’ve declared that it’s time for a new deal for local government, without acknowledging that these wouldn’t be necessary if everything was actually fine.

Local government services, largely dependent on the Scottish Government, are on life support. They need urgent help and attention. There are thousands of people in the city working to make it better, but with one hand tied behind their back.

The SNP have sacrificed everything for the cult of personality, masquerading as passion for independence.

At first, it was refusing to mitigate the bedroom tax or using the powers of the Parliament to raise tax and prevent austerity.

Then it was allowing crises to run rampant in our schools and our hospitals, because we were performing better than England or Wales.

Now, they’ve sacrificed their own party, because of a culture that refused to allow questions or scrutiny. They’re bringing themselves into disrepute.

The SNP have spent so long trying desperately to tie themselves to Scottish identity and wrapping themselves in a Scottish flag. They had billboards proclaiming that they would be ‘Stronger for Scotland’. As though they, uniquely, care about this country and its people.

Our task now is to ensure that this misguided administration at Holyrood is shown the door. It’s time for a clean break, and a fresh start, to let our communities thrive.