Scotland is already going its separate way. Not – yet at any rate – in terms of the UK’s constitution, but in terms of the Labour party. There is no papering over the cracks within the party on whether there should be an early vote on Scottish independence. The result is a mess that highlights Gordon Brown’s lack of authority in his own backyard. Worse, it treats an issue of genuine importance as a subject for opportunistic politicking.

Wendy Alexander, leader of the Scottish Labour party, started the ball rolling at the weekend with unexpected support for the idea of an early referendum. This is hard to reconcile with the views of Labour at Westminster, which strongly supports the Union and does not wish to embark on such a reckless course. On Wednesday the prime minister’s best effort at squaring the circle was to deny she had called for a referendum right now.