It is a truth universally acknowledged that a political leader, when embroiled in a televised debate, will frequently resort to pious platitude. You know the sort of thing. A cornered contender will trill: “We have to remember that at the end of the day this election is all about…..the people!” Means nothing, costs nothing. If delivered with the requisite level of sincerity, it may even attract applause from the audience.

Mind you, there are exceptions to this rule. Joe Biden, the current leader of the free world, could have used a few vaguely coherent platitudes in his encounter with Donald Trump.

Still, let us stay this side of the ocean. In their head to head, both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer made fairly copious use of banality. My favourite was from Mr Sunak who sententiously informed the audience that “this election is about the future.”

Strictly, that is accurate in that we are choosing our MP and thus, indirectly, the next incumbent of 10 Downing Street. Future governance, in short. But, of course, the factors influencing our choice lie very definitely in the past. As Burns reminded us, we cannot see the future: we can only guess and fear.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden slug it out (Image: free)

Meanwhile, the past is all around us. Rishi Sunak knows that. He wants to present us with an edited version. Skip the premiership of Liz Truss, he says. Obliterate all memories of Boris Johnson. Consider only his own relatively brief tenure. During which inflation has returned to target. Give him, he pleads, the chance........

© Herald Scotland