When I interviewed Douglas Ross in his Moray heartlands two weeks ago, it seemed that he had never been more secure as leader of his party. His four years in charge had been challenging. Some in his own party simply didn’t think he was of sufficient stature to command such a job.

Neither did he seem to possess the charisma and easy charm of previous Scottish Tory leaders such as Ruth Davidson, Annabel Goldie and David McLetchie. At Holyrood where – apart from the zealots in the Scottish Greens – political rivals all rub along contentedly together, Mr Ross wasn’t regarded as ‘clubbable’.

Yet, in the weeks leading up to the announcement of the election he seemed, at last, to have imposed his will on the party. There was also a grudging acknowledgment amongst political commentators that he’d played a blinder in the events leading to Humza Yousaf’s sudden resignation as First Minister and in the excursions and alarums of the Michael Matheson expenses scandal.

That he has now resigned........

© Herald Scotland