Who will stop the rot?

The SNP group at Westminster has three choices. They could vote for the Brexit deal. They could vote against the deal. The could decline to participate in the vote, or abstain. Only one of these causes the party problems. And that is the one they have chosen. For no good reason. Professor Curtice may be correct that voting against will please some Remain voters. But not voting at all wouldn’t displease them. Which matters at least as much.

Even voting for the deal is a better option than voting against. At least it could be argued that this was consistent with the party’s position on no deal. I’m not sure to what extent consistency is important in politics these days. But if it was consistency the SNP was after then not voting or abstaining (they’re not quite the same) at Westminster would have been the most consistent with denial of…