In the aftermath of the SNP’s general election humbling, John Swinney enacted the first rule of leadership and took “full responsibility” for the defeat.

The party had, after all, lost 38 MPs and seen its vote fall by 15 per cent.

Even supposedly safe seats, such as Dundee Central and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, came within less than a thousand votes of returning to the Labour Party.

Yet Swinney was wrong to blame himself, and not only because he has only been leader for two months.

On a purely snide level, a return of nine MPs was actually the best result the SNP has ever achieved under a Swinney leadership.

In fact, it is almost a 100 per cent improvement on his last outing as leader.

Far from the weight of obligation then, Swinney should actually be relieved.

But there is a much more serious point at play here too.

Swinney has only been leader for a matter of weeks. He took on the role with the SNP in the doldrums, riven with infighting and beset with incompetence.

The nationalists were plummeting in the opinion polls long before he even set foot in Bute House.

It is true that Swinney may have sunk rather than steadied the ship – as........

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