Such was the state of the polls going into this race that even a narrow win would have seemed like a setback for Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader. No fear of that now, and no comfort for Humza Yousaf.
Decriminalisation has been a disaster wherever it has been tried. The Government needs to start enforcing the law and ensure it serves as a proper deterrent.
Also: the Scottish Conservatives were one of the few genuinely chipper groups at conference; they seem widely to expect to pick up several seats from the SNP next year.
By itself, the policy will likely save lives and take anti-social behaviour off the streets. But that is no basis for effectively legalising demand for drugs whilst leaving supply in criminal hands.
In the meantime, it’s been another deluge of bad news for the Scottish Government on the domestic front. But when will that start telling decisively with Scottish voters?
The reason the Nationalists are suffering now is that despite a long run of uncommonly able leadership, and opponents perhaps less willing to defend the existence of their state than in any other country on earth, Scottish independence is just not a good idea.
The first ever Scottish Green MSP says he will resist any “attempt to needlessly destroy the United Kingdom”. But where is the option for green voters who feel the same?
There is nothing to stop the Scottish Nationalists, or their sympathisers, producing policy privately, or supporting think-tanks to do so on their behalf. But they should pay for such work out of their own funds. (If they can find them.)
At Westminster, meanwhile, we’ve got the latest development in what seems to be the new, less shouty iteration of so-called muscular unionism.
Also: Welsh Government winds down flagship life sciences investment fund after writing off more than half it’s value.
Also: leader of backbench unionist caucus quits government over Northern Irish sex education changes; Orkney floats idea of joining Norway.
Above all, they shouldn’t become preoccupied with Woke to the exclusion of everything else. This is the trap that many Labour backbenchers and much of the Left is falling into.
The Nationalists’ dominant position in Scottish politics was built on uniting the 2014 Yes vote. Absent progress on separation, it is fracturing.
“One of the things the SNP profited from is that when Labour set up the Scottish Parliament, they didn’t send any of their A-listers there.”