While the loyal sons of Ulster were setting fire to their sectarian pyres on Thursday, Scots were celebrating the 750th birthday of Robert the Bruce, the arachnophile king who defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

The spider is a fitting metaphor for Robert who lured his enemies into a trap before killing them, as Edward II found out to his cost. The Bruce remains today a figured revered by Scots, particularly nationalists who crave the day when Scotland will become a sovereign nation once again.

For a while that day looked to be at hand. In 2014 the ‘Yes’ campaign came close to victory with the independence referendum, and in its wake the Scottish National Party swept all before it. In the 2015 general election, it won 56 Westminster seats out of 59, wiping out Labour. At that point, there were more giant pandas in Scotland than Labour MPs.

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In 2019 the SNP saw a healthy 48 MPs elected. But this month, in a dramatic reversal of fortunes, all........

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