It is certainly fun that the last occupant of the offices of the new Leader of the Westminster group of SNP MPs – who is to be elected unopposed today, in the familiar authoritarian choreography of all things SNP – was the former Leader of the Liberal Democrats whom the SNP helped to decapitate on 7th May.
It is also fun that these were the offices of the former Deputy Prime Minister, in the wake of SNP Leare’ Nicola Sturgeon’s inaccurate description of her party as ‘the opposition’ to the Conservative government. Being ‘in opposition’, as is every MP other than those of the party of government of the day, is a long way from being ‘the opposition’ while the SNP group will undoubtedly make their presence heard.,
However, the party and the position of the previous incumbemt are not the most powerful symbol back home in Scotland of this move to Dover House.
This is a markedly grand building directly backing on to Horseguards Parade and large and elegant Georgian windows at the rear look over this magnificent historic parade ground – to Downing Street at the far side.
Talk about tanks on the lawn.
Then Dover House is the Scotland Office, which will be home to the new Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, who has, against all the odds, remained in his seat in Dunfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedale, as – still – the sole Conservative MP in Scotland. At least today, Mr Mundell’s singularity is no longer a distinguishing phenomenon. There is now also only one Labour MP and only one Liberal Democrat MP in Scotland. The other 56 are now in occupation at Westminster.
For Mr Mundell, though, having the bullish Mr Robertson on site and in his quarters is taking the tanks from the lawn and moving them inside the building.
The new Secretary of State for Scotland may at least be relieved that former First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, is being airbrushed out of the picture by the Sturgeon-led SNP administration.
How Alex would have loved to be in Dover House; and how imperial he would have become there, undoubtedly trying to treat the Scottish Secretary as his butler.
Il Magnifico seems to be increasingly unhappy at his relegation, talking to today’s edition of The Independent which reports: Hinting at future rebellion, he added he might find a “self imposed’ silence “slightly tricky” to keep for the next five years.’
He had arrived late for Ms Sturgeon’s mass photocall – like the Mother of the Bride hoping to be the scene stealer – but was buried in the mid section of the third row from the front – a long way from what has been his wont and from what he feels is his natural place.
As For Argyll predicted, he is an Improvised Explosive Device [IED] within the SNP Westminster group and on an unreliable trigger.
