We have missed the boat for the New Year honours, but can someone make a note for next time to give John Swinney a knighthood for services to comedy?

Days into 2025 and the political landscape was already looking grim. A foreign billionaire was trolling a UK Prime Minister and one of his ministers. Across mainland Europe, democratically elected leaders watched in alarm as the far right continued its march into the mainstream. And it was ruddy cold outside.

In the middle of this mayhem up squeaked Scotland’s First Minister with a warning. Any scuppering of his Budget by opposition MSPs, said Mr Swinney, would play right into the hands of nasty populists like the one causing Keir Starmer trouble down south. Hilarious. I mean come on, First Minister. It’s not all about you and your Budget, John.

Swinney is not the first leader to lose his reason when faced with that man Musk. Keir Starmer, previously determined to rise above the fray, found his red line on Monday after Musk accused him of failing to tackle grooming gangs in England.

Starmer accused those calling for another inquiry – including the Tory leader Kemi Badenoch – of “jumping on a far-right bandwagon”, remarks which landed him in hot water with the Conservatives and their media pals.

Tiresome as Mr Musk is, he is not going anywhere any time soon. A way has to be found to live with him. The same goes for Donald Trump. Indeed, much of the reaction to Musk can be seen as a warm-up for the main act taking to the stage on January........

© Herald Scotland