As the pre-orders flood in for Nicola Sturgeon’s memoir, Frankly, speculation continues about the title.

The publisher's blurb would have you believe Frankly is so named because the book “honestly discusses Sturgeon’s mistakes, her battles, and her triumphs”. Triumphs, is it? Are we sure, dear people at Macmillan, that’s the right word for whatever you have in mind?

I reckon the title comes from “Frank, get the door”, the sign-off to Ms Sturgeon’s televised Covid press briefings, as gloriously reworked by the late Janey Godley. Frank, get the door was the nearest Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister came to a catchphrase. Using it for the title of her autobiography shows the importance she places on humour. Who knew?

Sure, her love of a laugh has been on show recently. Since hearing that Operation Branchform will trouble her no more, Ms Sturgeon has barely stopped grinning. I thought she was going to break into cartwheels at the end of that press conference on her lawn. But in office, it is fair to say, she was no Ken Dodd. Seems things change.

This is often the trouble with politicians - we hardly know the “real them” while they are in office. We know or can find out general details about their backgrounds (mostly true, save for Labour ministers), their policies, and their voting records. But what do we know of their soul, what makes them tick, lights their fire?

You might think it hardly matters, but I’m with Edna........

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