The Scots have aspired to their own government for centuries and the Scottish Parliament was established in Edinburgh 10 years ago.
The parliamentary building, Holyrood House, vastly exceeded its budget in terms of time and cost and was a white elephant from the start - but the overweening pride of the parochially small-minded Members of the Scottish Parliament had to be fed.
The tone of the Scottish government has been, from day 1, class - war based, achingly politically correct and to be "better than England" - and it has succeeded in this ambition.
"Better than England" legislation has included Rights to Roam, where any tosspot may intrude on any private property they like at any time. 5-a-Day is compulsory on pain of enforced stomach stapling and expressing an opinion contrary to the Scottish National Party line is seen as unpatriotic at best. To be middle class in today's Scotland is a living hell of burglarised, patronised, dumbed-down, poop-scooped, presbyterian pomposity.
Up to now, the Scottish government's antics have been internationally viewed as the tottering first steps of a toddler, albeit a 17-stone toddler, learning its strength and its limits.
In August 2009 that benevolent view was destroyed.
When the Scottish Justice Secretary took it upon himself to release the Lockerbie bomber he believed that he was putting one over on England. He could barely contain his self-importance and pomp as he announced the release.
By what margin did he miscalculate the verdict of the court of public opinion?
Even Saltire waving tax exiled jingoistic twat Sean Connery who can normally be relied upon for an inane, ill-judged comment has kept silent on this one.
But nobody else has with the exception of fellow Scot Gordon Broon.
Two questions need answering:
1. Why would canny Scots, with a reputation for thrift, ever have invented a new 129-member, expensive organisation to pass laws far in excess of any real need?
2. Why should the organisation be permitted to continue its existence now it has shown the true level of its ignorance of and disregard for public opinion?
