You would notice that our First Minister recently claimed that Labour's main political enemies were the Tories. Well he would say that, wouldn't he? Labour have such long experience in countering the Tories that they know how to conduct that contest; they know how to make the moves, handle the responses and remain calm and relaxed because they know they are going to win that battle anyway. Mr McConnell is in the great tradition in Scottish politics of keeping it all in the family.

And the political family is functioning just fine in Scotland these days. The Tories are in anti-SNP coalition with Labour in Perth; and in accepting much sought-after but theoretically non-political posts, they have made possible a similiar pattern in Dundee.

The hostile common front which confronts the SNP has been in being for years. For our opponents running the show is the only aim, principle and worthwhile purpose being of no importance. The situation in Dundee for instance is possible because the tiny rump of Tory Councillors are in with the bricks. As long-serving Councillors they are on warm personal terms with their elderly Labour counterparts, and all of them derive much satisfaction from their thwarting of SNP plans.

Let your gaze drift beyond the municple parish pump, and you find that things are not so different in Holyrood. There, from the earliest post-election days, Labour have been sustained by a guarantee from the Tory leadership, that in the event of any show-down between them and the SNP they could count on Tory support. We have not as yet succeeded in driving them into this last-ditch Unionist-v-Nationalist, subordinate-v-independent confrontation, but the indicators are all there. Whenever Labour wants to stifle discussion on an issue which may excite divisions in the country, or, more importantly, within their party, then they swiftly throw the cloth over the parrot, and send the whole matter to be decided by their superiors in Westminster, using a Sewal Motion.

In this ploy they are sustained by the Tories who cherish the dream that some day the Scottish Parliament may cease to be. We can feel pretty sure that they would gladly see the eventual Holyrood building left as empty and devoid of purpose as Calton Hill premises. The real horror of Scottish politics is that Labour MPs, and an undetected but certainly large number of Labour MSPs and Councillors would take the same view.

Meanwhile the Fraser Inquiry is dragging into the daylight another sign of the rottenness in our politics which Labour's dominance has produced. As well as enjoying the support of the flattered and feckless Liberals and of their Tory fellow-Unionists, they enjoy the benefits of the integration between Labour politicians and Scottish Office functionaries. We are all at the mercy of this crushing alliance of all who administer our society. They are pals, sometimes neighbours, golf and squash mates, guests in one another's houses, spouses of one another's children. They probably baby-sit.

Little wonder that more prominent members of the Media like to mingle, while many journalists behave as Labour fans with typewriters anyway. The mooted Supreme Court will in due course be cheered into being as obedient trend-setters lead the doubters away from parochialism.

When the Union was imposed the last hurdles to be overcome were the misgiving of Scots lawyers and the Church of Scotland. Both toed the line once their own interests were guaranteed and Hell mend everyone else. We will wait and see for how long the often Tory leading lights of the legal profession will resist the new insult. As for the Church, any issue which may excite it can be smuggled off to London in a Sewal Motion.