WHO would have guessed that the most forceful voice against independence in this, the second leaders’ debate, would belong to Willie Rennie?
While Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar opened with their familiar lines about ditching division and moving forward together, the Scottish LibDem leader was revved up and ready to go.
He wanted to remind us of the “brutal argument”, the “poisonous” debate and the “open wounds” of 2014. It was all a bit awkward.
STV’s Colin Mackay was well prepared for the Unionist leaders claiming recovery must come first, so drew their attention to the polls showing that half or more of Scottish voters are in favour of independence.
READ MORE: STV debate: Independence is the winner as Harvie and Sturgeon trounce opponents
“Why can’t you focus on both recovery and independence?” he asked the Scottish Tory leader.
“You just can’t, Colin!” came the slightly strangulated reply.
The format of this debate was strong, with party leaders interrogating each other. Well, I say interrogating, but it rather depended on who was questioning whom.
Ross rather cannily used his questioning of Rennie to simply reel off Scottish Tory policies, then asking if he agreed with them.
Naturally, Nicola Sturgeon faced tough grilling about her record in government, spanning everything from drug deaths to treatment waiting times, the attainment gap and exam cancellations.
But when it was time to turn the tables she all but rolled up her sleeves, asking Ross why he didn’t tell the UK Government to “butt out” instead of referring Scottish legislation on children’s rights to the Supreme Court.
She also reminded him of his fondness for pints of cold sick.
He might have preferred to down one of those than face Patrick Harvie’s question about his prejudice against Gypsy Travellers, and Sarwar’s absolutely savage assessment that he is of no use to anyone, including his own party. Ouch!
READ MORE DEBATE ANALYSIS: Ruth Wishart on her highlights and George Kerevan hands out awards for the participants
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