So, just when those uppity Jocks thought they might have an outside chance of independence (if, and that's still a big.... IF they want it.....) by means of a devolved parliament, the real truth comes out.

The Scottish National Party claim, with some justification, that an election win and overall majority in the Scottish Parliament, should it ever happen, would be a mandate towards at the very least a referendum on the question of independence, as surely indicated by the will of the Scottish people.

But oh no. President Blair's Scottish lackey Johnny Reid sends them all homeward, like spanked little prefects, tae think again. Apparently, we are informed, the only democratic way that the Scots can hope to achieve such a thing would be by gaining an overall majority in Westminster.

Of course. How stupid of us to imagine otherwise.

So,....... all the SNP have to do is put candidates up for every constituency in England and campaign on a "look, we'll run the entire UK for the next five years if you'll just let us use that time to get out of your English hair."

It's a real vote-winner of an argument. How can we fail?

Don't you just love democracy?