Scottish Labour RIP

Stuart, political parties in general have been haemorrhaging members recently. Until the 19th of September, the SNP was no more remarkable than any of the others. It is a mistake, pure and simple, to construe their inflated membership since then as anything other than a reaction to the loss of the referendum by a hardcore of Yes campaigners who didn't know where else to turn.

I have looked again at the SNP's joining form, as I did in September, and I'm fairly sure it has changed to prevent one-off payments of £1. But clearly there is now no way to check.

The true test will be active participation in campaigning next May. Incidentally, the turnout for the election of Wee Nippy as party leader was 55%. I wonder what all the rest of the new super-engaged party members were up to that weekend, that they didn't have time to find a postbox. The SNP had better hope more of them answer the call in 2015.