Two points arise. One is that [Nicol] Stephen is reserving to himself the right to decide when the people of Scotland can, or more importantly cannot, decide the future of their nation. No biggie, as young folk say. Secondly - and you had better guess at the deleted expletives - who the hell are the Liberal Democrats?
How would it be, for one example, if this voter chose to insist that Stephen and his tribe should earn the right to govern my country by doing something unprecedented, like actually winning an election? This is all he requires of the Nationalists and Labour, after all.
How would it be, meanwhile, if the bold Nicol adopted the ancient Liberal practice of actually consulting his own party? They, ordinary members, are fed up with eking out an existence as Labour's patsies. They could live with the SNP, most of the time. They could certainly live with a referendum on self-determination. Ethically, politically, strategically, that stuff is impeccable. But no-one is asking.
Instead, we see Stephen imposing a test of legitimacy that his own party could never hope to pass. He seems to believe this makes him extra clever. His party has exploited the late Donald Dewar's manipulation of the electoral process with more alacrity than most. That was yesterday. Who granted the LibDems a veto? Who allowed them to become so presumptuous, and so insufferable?
I fear that there is a great deal more presumption and insufferability to come in the next few weeks. During this period, unless he takes great care, Mr Stephen may well disappear up his own fundament by alienating both the major parties in Scotland, not to mention the electorate.
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