It was Barack Obama who summed up the extent of tribal division in US politics when, in 2015, he observed that not even becoming a literal lifesaver for many of his fellow citizens would guarantee agreement on Capitol Hill.

Already deep into his second term as President, he opined that: “The degree of polarisation that currently exists in Washington is such where I think it's fair to say if I presented a cure for cancer, getting legislation passed to move that forward would be a nail-biter.”

It was a comment borne of obvious frustration, and not wholly in jest. In the decade since, political polarisation, already deep-rooted, has only become even more entrenched. And not just in America but around much of the rest of the democratic world too, including here in Scotland and the UK.

To say that we live in polarised times is just a statement of the obvious. But recognising the extent and depth of the tribalism which now engulfs us is perhaps a necessary precursor to understanding how we can get to a better politics.

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Firstly, we should deal with the way the issue itself is talked about in political debate. We hear a lot about the “politics of division”, as if having a difference of opinion is, in and of itself, a bad thing.

Division is, however, in one sense the very essence of democracy. Without a healthy, vibrant and honest difference of opinion there would be no need for........

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