THE DIFFERENCE 2 YEARS MAKES

Whilst the men in grey beards, cords and sandals were telling Ming Campbell his time was up, yours truly was celebrating his well attended adoption night in Glasgow South West, and thanks to those who made attended and put in their hard earned cash into the campaign coffers, listening to Nicola Sturgeon tells us quite rightly, how upbeat and positive the country is since the Scottish Elections in May.

For the last few days, I have been thinking about the dramatic reversal of fortunes of both the SNP and the Lib Dems. 2 years ago the Lib Dems were telling us that they were poised to become the second largest party in Scottish politics, and how they would take on the SNP. Having endured a very successful Westminster campaign, the media in Scotland were promoting this vision for all its worth. The press wrote off the SNP's chances for the 2007 election - fools!

So whats changed?

At that time, I and many others thought that the Lib Dems had over-achieved, and that their Westminster results were down to extended media coverage, mainly at our expense, and the Kennedy factor. Jim Wallace's decision to step down appeared to me to be a signal that things could not get better

Since then, the Lib Dems have made a series of catastrophic blunders. Firstly, the manner of the ousting of Charles Kennedy was disgraceful, and certainly viewed that way here in Scotland. This exposed how nasty and vile the Lib Dems can be. Another was Ming Campbell's suggestion to privatise some if not all of the Post Office, which lost a lot of support from Left minded voters who turned to the Lib Dems as a protest to the Iraq War.

Here in Scotland, the Lib Dems refusal to countenance any arrangement with the SNP before and after the Holyrood elections has relegated them to voice in the wilderness status in the Scottish Parliament. A fact underpinned in a recent YouGov survey of Lib Dem voters who see Alex Salmond as a stronger leader than Nicol Stephen.

The SNP meanwhile built on the 2005 elections, an election effectively fought in the targetting of seats which was successful deployed to maximum effect this year.

The value of being the lead partner in Government will ensure continued and increased support, as the you cannae win factor has disappeared forever, a fact our opponents cannot deny.

Like Scotland's football team 2 years ago, the SNP are going from strength to strength. Lib Dems meanwhile will take years to get out of their current plight, a fact emphasised in East Dunbartonshire, going from 1st to 4th.

For the next 2 years, one can only imagine what self inflicted damage the Lib Dems can do to themselves.