Oh enough already. We’re all used to posturing politicians sowing discord, but they’re not usually on the left. Enter Maggie Chapman, who preaches tolerance while proving herself over and over to be one of the most divisive voices in the Holyrood chamber.

With her usual degree of thoughtfulness and proportionality, she has accused the Supreme Court directly of “bigotry, prejudice and hatred” because the UK’s highest justices issued a ruling last week that she didn’t agree with.

Feelings about the judgment understandably run high, but there is a chasm of difference between expressing regret about it and stating without a shred of evidence that the judges themselves are motivated by hatred. This from an MSP and deputy convener of the equalities, human rights and civil justice committee who has an explicit duty to uphold the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

If she were on the hard right rather than the hard left, her attack on judges for doing their job would be called Trumpian, but Chapman seems to imagine herself entitled to say whatever she likes from deep inside her bubble of self-righteousness.

Read more by Rebecca McQuillan

​Is it that she just has poor judgment? Does she really see every political issue in terms of moral absolutes? Is she hopelessly clumsy or, forgive me Maggie, not very bright? I claim no insider perspective on that, but struggle to understand what she imagines she is achieving by behaving........

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