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What the SNP has achieved in Scotland - and it is, if observed dispassionately, brilliant politics - is establishment insurgency. Despite full control over the levers of government, and with its supporters dominating positions of influence in civic society, it constantly pits >
itself against the UK in order to paint a picture of a plucky rebellion against authority. That's why things like Janey Godley being regularly promoted by Nicola Sturgeon happen. Comedy and the arts should be kicking back against what is an entrenched SNP establishment; instead >
it is rallying round what is perceived as an insurgent movement. Just as external criticism is batted away as being anti-Scottish, internal dissent is minimised on the basis that the great cause (independence) is more important than any political disagreement. And so after a >
decade and a half of nationalism dominating our politics and its supporters being installed across most positions of influence, a situation which for most parties would have resulted in a healthy level of disdain from press and cultural commentators, we see instead fawning >
sycophancy, soft-focus adoration and a grassroots support still genuinely motivated by the perception that every failure is someone else's fault, and every success is a sign of their brilliance. It is an extraordinary political achievement. One wonders how long it can last.
