A Very Scottish Scandal

The Campervan Affair is as ridiculous as it is entertaining - and damaging.

Not all political scandals are equal. In general, their entertainment value is inversely proportionate to the seriousness of the circumstances which gave rise to it.

The most entertaining of all are those which begin trivially only to spin out of control on their road to becoming something extraordinary. Think of these as being akin to watching an apparently hopeless outsider romp home in the Grand National. You can - indeed, should - enjoy the spectacle even if you haven’t placed a bet.

By this standard, the scandal currently enveloping the SNP is an amusement of Foinavon proportions. Even if we were to set aside Scotland’s strict contempt of court rules (and we shall not do so, my lord), there is precisely no means by which any of us are in any position to determine the guilt or innocence of those involved. It is not yet clear if any crime has even been committed. Although the party’s former leader, former chief executive, and former treasurer have all been arrested as suspects, no …