I don’t normally intrude on grief, but I’ll make an exception to extend my condolences to Labour.

Not to their politicians, you understand. No, my sympathy is reserved for activists who poured their energies into a campaign destined to end in catastrophe.

Activists are the lifeblood of politics. It can be a thankless task pounding the streets in dreich weather to deliver leaflets, canvass voting intentions and often to have the door slammed in your face or, worse, receive a volley of verbals.

Labour’s volunteers – like other parties – deserve praise for their selfless commitment to a cause in which they believe. But they were ill-served by the strategy of their campaign directors.

I can’t decide if Labour in Scotland blaming Labour at Westminster for their result is deluded, tragic, very funny or all three at once.

The co-architects of Labour’s campaign were Douglas Alexander – the Scots Secretary and leading member of the Westminster Cabinet – and Anas Sarwar’s own deputy Jackie Baillie.

Their message was dutifully parroted by Holyrood candidates, former MSPs and current Westminster MPs alike. It was a joint folly.

The message centred around the nebulous promise of “Change”, the same as the 2024 Westminster........

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