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He gave exactly the right sort of answer for someone who wants the job, skirting round the question and neither confirming his interest nor telling any lies. My gripe is that, as so often happens in the media, the response isn't properly interpreted and the resultant story isn't really backed up by the quotes.

I see that the two Highland and Islands SNP MSPs that resigned are 'List' MSPs. I find it strange that as 'List' MSP's they can carry on as Independents. Are we happier losing two SNP to Independents or would you rather they resigned as MSP's altogether? I asked John Mason MSP about this and he said along the lines of 'Rightly or wrongly, it was agreed that if a list MSP resigned from a Party they would carry on as an MSP.' It could be worse I suppose, they could have defected to the Labour / Tory / Lib Dem party!

yes is the answer to both questions. While there have undoubtedly been serious financial consequences, although less severe than many dire predictions, it is also refreshing to have a league largely free of large groups of inbreds waving union flags, singing about wearing odd items of apparel inherited from their male forebears and loudly defending the perimiters of small cities with outdated weaponary and equally outdated defensive devices.