EVERY DAY, STEP BY STEP, WE GET A LITTLE CLOSER

Good news.

Support for independence has moved ahead of opposition to it by 39%- 38%, leaving some 23% undecided. (There is always a fairly large percentage of people who are undecided; much larger than difference between to two camps, which means that no poll has ever been decisive.)

Added to the historic win of an outright majority in a parliament, the voting system for which was designed never to have a majority without coalition, and to keep the SNP from even minority government, these figures are to be welcomed.

So why? After all the SNP has hardly had an auspicious start to their majority government, with sectarian legislation problems and ministerial comments about justice which were, albeit right, contentious.

Well, I know what I think. See if you agree.

Scotland voted for a Labour government at Westminster. It did not vote SNP, nor Liberal and definitively it did not vote Tory. And yet it got a Tory/Liberal government, thanks to England.

Although for 30 years Scotland has been infertile ground for Tories, I doubt there has ever been so much resentment to them as at present. Cameron’s government is disliked insistently, and the Liberals, as one can see from the by-election lost deposit and the results at the Scottish General Election.

The much trumpeted respect agenda was dropped within hours of being consecrated. When Cameron left Scotland for America after his victory visit he had promised to treat Scotland and the Scots with respect. What did he actually do? He got off the plane and decried Scotland and its legal system for releasing Al Megrahi.

There was no reason why he couldn't have explained that he had no jurisdiction over the case, but as PM of the whole UK it would be wrong of him to comment on the Scottish government's decision. But he saw an opportunity to ingratiate himself with President Obama, and crept for all he was worth.

Many of the decisions that he has taken to save money have hit Scotland, a country heavily reliant on public sector jobs (thanks to his mentor, Mrs Thatcher), much more heavily than England.

And when, shortly after appointing his cabinet, he had to replace the Chief Secretary, what did he do? He took the person whom he had thought the best man for the Scotland Office, and promoted him, leaving Scotland with a no-hoper considered hithertofore unsuitable for any ministerial post all. Respect?

So all of this has come back to bite him on the bum. His inept Scotland man does nothing but patronize, most recently with his six questions about the future of independence. Meanwhile Danny Alexander, the erstwhile Scottish Secretary, proves he wasn’t much better for the job by making idiotic jokes about the Edinburgh trams, clearly forgetting, or not knowing, that it was his party that created the mess.

Just like the Labour Party which carped and criticised (and continues to do so) and never produced one serious bit of opposition, asking stupid questions about the FM’s Christmas presents, and which, for their troubles lost more than 20 seats in May, this inept government, unelected by the Scots, has found fault with everything that the government which WAS elected by Scots with an overwhelming vote, has done.

And this is the result!

It’s simple psychology people. If you turn to page 17 of your “Psychology for Beginners” book, you can read up on how NOT to get up people’s noses.

It matters to us, you see.