So what did Nicola Sturgeon ever do for us?

Unlike the Romans, much less than she promised. She failed.

The timing of Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation this week was a surprise but her departure was not. For more than 18 months, she has been thinking about her life after politics. Not just thinking about it but talking about it too. She might write a memoir; she and her husband have talked about fostering children.

If Sturgeon was irritated - and I believe she was - by the speculation this prompted, it was speculation she invited herself.

But who can blame her for quitting? She has been a part of Scottish public life for more than half her own life. She first stood as an SNP candidate in 1992 (she lost her first four attempts to win a seat; two at Westminster, two at Holyrood. In the longer-run, this was good for her). She has been a member of the Scottish parliament since 1999 and in government since 2007. Politics is a punishing business and, eventually, enough is enough.

Still, to listen to some of the hymns sung to her this week, you might think Scottish - and even British - politics ha…