A National Socialist government?

The Scottish Nationalists have been courting the business community for years. Recently they have been making some headway. Several leading businesspeople have said that the SNP's policies would be good for the economy. Have the Nationalists now blown it?

A COALITION at Holyrood between the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Socialist Party was publicly raised yesterday by senior figures in both parties.

This possibility has not been raised officially by the SNP but by Sandra White who just happens to be their top candidate in Glasgow:

Asked if she agreed that could be an SNP-SSP alliance, Ms White said: "Everything's possible. I don't rule it out at all." Asked what John Swinney, her party's leader, thought of the idea, she said: "I will speak to him later."

If John Swinney has any sense he will denounce this suggestion immediately.

The Tories need to do more than say that an SNP/SSP alliance would be "no surprise". It would be an utter disaster for the country and especially for a business community that used to be a source of natural support for the Conservatives.