RIDDLE me this. In what way does Nigel Farage outdo Robert the Bruce’s spider? The answer came in The Andrew Marr Show after the host asked the Brexit Party leader if he would be standing in the December 12 General Election.

“I’ve thought very hard about this. How do I serve the cause of Brexit best, because that’s what I’m doing this for …”

So that will be a no, Nigel? Hang on, the wearer of Union Jack socks was not done yet.

“It’s not for a career, I don’t want to be in politics for the rest of my life. Do I find a seat, try and get myself into parliament …”

Still no? Yes? Maybe?

“Or do I serve the cause better traversing the length and breadth of the United Kingdom supporting 600 candidates.”

And?

“I’ve decided the latter course is the right one.”

So ends one of the longest and most unsuccessful attempts to bag a Commons seat. Seven times Mr Farage has stood before the voters. Where Robert the Bruce’s arachnid tried a few times, Nigel tried, tried, tried, tried, tried, tried, and tried, only to decide he would not do so this time.

On Saturday afternoon, when the Sunday shows start flogging their line-ups, it might have been thought Ridge on Sunday had bagged the best prize with a Boris Johnson sit-down. But that turned out to be a pre-recorded interview covering the same ground as others he had done last week.

Host Sophy Ridge was treated to the full Johnsonian bluster when she asked him four times to rule out saying yes to indyref 2, at one point saying somewhat forlornly, “A straight answer would be fine.” Straight answers from politicians during an election campaign. What madness will these media types demand next?

Ridge concluded her interview by posing the Julie Etchingham Question, named after the ITV journalist who asked Theresa May in the 2017 General Election what was the naughtiest thing she had ever done. Running through fields of wheat replied the then PM, to much derision.

Mr Johnson refused to answer. “I would improvise an answer which I’ve not cleared with my handlers and I would bitterly regret it.” He did sign off with a promise, however. “If I can think of some answer about the naughtiest thing I’ve ever done that is both interesting and not terminally politically damaging I’ll try and provide it for you the next time we meet.” Given the first part of the interview had been spent taking him to task over breaking his promise to be out of the EU by Halloween, one fancies Ms Ridge will not be taking his wheat field pledge to the bank.

READ MORE: Johnson no to indyref2

It was straight down to business in an interview with Nicola Sturgeon, with Ridge asking if the First Minister was advocating a confirmatory vote on an independence referendum as she was with the EU vote. The two things should not be equated, said Ms Sturgeon. “The problem with Brexit is that nobody was straight in advance of the referendum about what it meant. There was no detail. It wasn’t the kind of informed decision that the 2014 independence referendum was.”

Besides being light on Scotland, Marr on Sunday was heavy on male guests, with Farage interviewed with Rishi Sunak, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. Ridge, in contrast, had Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Business Secretary, Ms Sturgeon, and Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson.

Gender audits look like being a key regular feature of election coverage if Ms Swinson is any guide. The Liberal Democrats have criticised the first head to head debate between Messrs Johnson and Corbyn on ITV on November 19 for excluding their leader. Expanding on this on Ridge on Sunday, Ms Swinson said that in 2010, then leader Nick Clegg had joined David Cameron and Gordon Brown on debate platforms. Why should she be excluded now?

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“Either it is sexist or they’re scared or maybe it is a bit of both. But I should be there as the voice for the millions of people in this country who want to Remain.” There was no mention of the Ms Sturgeon, or Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, taking part as representatives of the third largest party in the Commons.

Nigel Farage, asked the great debate question on Marr, said his experience had been that events with lots of participants did not work. He wanted to see separate TV debates for Scotland, Wales, and England (no mention of Northern Ireland).

Those in search of a genuine outbreak of naughtiness would have found it not among the politicians but the political commentators. Sunday Politics Scotland had a piece about the voting intentions of Edinburgh students. Far from champing at the bit to vote, several seemed unenthusiastic or confused, with one complaining that moving her vote from home to Edinburgh would involve “a lot of admin”.

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Ruth Wishart, friend of this paper, was unimpressed to the point of resorting to Father Jack language. Channelling Craggy Island’s finest, she said: “These are supposed to be the most educated cohort of that demographic and they can’t be a**ed to make a postal vote, if you’ll pardon my French.”

Consider it pardoned, this time.