DAVE got up to greet Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP – or as he thought of her these days, Ms McMerkel. Nicola and Angela could have been sisters: short, round-faced, capable of looking like sweet, innocent housewives one minute and steely-eyed gorgons the next. Negotiating with either of them was like going on a really bad shopping trip: Dave always seemed to emerge without any of the items he actually wanted and a bag full of things he had no use or desire for at all.