In Scotland, any news – even good news – is subjected to partisan point-scoring. It means we repeatedly fail to have the debates we really need, our Writer at Large argues.

Well, there’s a surprise. Scotland gets some good news in the post and we can’t even hold a halfway intelligent conversation without it descending into caterwauling, spite, and partisan point-scoring.

Sometimes you just want to give up on the notion that this country – home of the Enlightenment, as we never tire of telling the rest of the long-suffering world – can conduct debate rationally and in the public interest.

I’m referring to news that the leading global credit-rating agencies have given Scotland a rosy seal of financial approval. Moodys gave Scotland an Aa3 rating, and S&P AA.

Both match the UK rating, and beat Spain, Italy and Japan.

The Scottish Government says it’s now “on track” to issue its first ever bonds.

The entire story unfolded in an utterly stupid way. Even before the caterwauling, spiteful, partisan point-scoring, the issue was framed in the most condescending, cliched, shortbread tin fashion.

First, we were told that Scottish Government bonds will be known as ‘kilts’, not ‘gilts’. It makes you want to bang your head off a pebbledash wall.

What other country endures this brainless guff? I know I’m being po-faced here, but it’s just tiresome.

However, this tartanised nonsense wasn’t self-inflicted. It wasn’t Scotland that put a kilt on........

© Herald Scotland