And so farewell to Patrick Harvie, Scotland’s right-on, sanctimonious, witchfinder-general and scourge of the phobic classes.

From obscurity, one of Scottish politics’ most active attention-seekers was propelled, and to there he should return – but not if he has anything to do with it.

No sooner had he announced his decision to stand down as co-convener of the Scottish Greens, than he was messaging everyone on the party’s membership database to reassure them that that they could stop crying and pull away from the window ledge, as he intends to stand again as a prospective MSP in next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

Some politicians are Marmite, Harvie is more supermarket own-brand yeast extract. There are some who love him, many more who loathe him, but most people simply ignore him in favour of the real thing.

Read more by Carlos Alba

Among the many column inches dedicated to his departure from office in recent days, he has been described as one of Scotland’s most consequential politicians. I would not argue but the problem is that he was consequential for all the wrong reasons.

There was his failed ban on woodburning stoves; his punitive rent controls on landlords that backfired; his onerous environmental regulations for homeowners that were watered down; and his plans to extend Scotland’s Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), which were scrapped.

Never has so much hot air been expended on such ill-thought out dogma which, for a Green politician concerned about global warming, is not a good look.

Democracies need minority parties to act as their conscience on important issues like the environment, but someone like........

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