I tried to tune out the nonsense and the bile emanating from the National Conservative conference in London this week, but it wasn’t easy. For a start, I had to walk past the venue on my way to and from work at Westminster every day and as well as seeing the assorted loons coming and going, inevitably some of their far-right Trumpian nonsense has cut through.

YESTERDAY, this newspaper reported on the anger within the SNP following Keith Brown’s announcement that the convention due to happen later this month won’t decide the party’s official independence strategy. Senior unnamed sources were harsh in their criticism. I was not one of them. Firstly because I prefer to put my name to my views but also because I don’t know why anyone was surprised.

POLLS brought mixed news for Yessers this week. While support for independence was riding high at 53% in the Ipsos Scottish Political Monitor poll reported by this newspaper, support for the Scottish National Party in voting intentions at Westminster has dropped to 41% and the SNP face the threat of losing seats to the Labour Party. However, when the pollsters put six questions to voters on which party they trusted most, the SNP came out on top each time, including on the questions of which party is most trusted to stand up for Scotland’s interests, to grow the economy and to tackle the cost of living crisis.

Last Saturday, together with a significant cohort of SNP parliamentarians, I joined independence supporters at the All Under One Banner March in Glasgow.  I had been offered the chance to put my name in the ballot for a seat at the Coronation, but it was clear to me that there was no contest as to where I should be.