The big figures from – but no longer in – Scottish politics sit, usually in London, watching the coming clash of civilisations in Glasgow East. This is overstated, but only somewhat: Labour’s desperate effort to hold the constituency against the Scottish Nationalists is a clash of different conceptions of British civil society, one that has gone on for nearly half a century.

Labour should do it – by history, by the improvements made in the area in the past decade, by having a sharper, more personable candidate and by the evidence of the latest poll (a 17-point lead at the end of last week). Yet “should” is italicised because it waits upon “will” – both “I will vote Labour again, whatever” and the political will and competence of the main parties. Labour may hold on – that is the bookies’ bet – although the drop cannot but be heavy. The party is tied to an unpopular government and a falling economy – but there is more to it than that.