It has not worked out as Labour intended. Creating a separately elected Scottish parliament was meant to “kill nationalism stone dead”. Instead the future of the Union is more uncertain than ever, while devolution has proven to be the SNP’s stepping stone to power.

From the outset, Scottish parliament elections provided a propitious environment for the SNP. Voters were more willing to vote for the party in a Scotland-only contest than in elections to the House of Commons and the use of a proportional electoral system meant the party’s support was fully reflected for the first time in its representation.

Even so, things largely went to plan for eight years. Labour had to share power with the Liberal Democrats at Holyrood, but the party’s domination