IS Boris Johnson beginning to take the constitutional battle over Scotland seriously?

The question arises after our tousle-haired premier seemed up for the Union fight launching a pre-emptive strike on the Nationalist horde.

Even before their champion Ian Blackford had asked the first of his two PMQs’ questions, Bozza turned a question on English schools into an attack on the Scottish Government’s record on education.

Turning to the Nationalist bagpuss, the blonde Beatle asked his opponent to Conservative cheers: “Perhaps the honourable gentleman, who is about to rise to his feet like a rocketing pheasant, will explain why his party is still so obsessed with breaking up our Union rather than delivering for the children and pupils of Scotland?”

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From bagpuss to rocketing pheasant in one sentence; quite a feat.

As if to defy the Old Etonian bag of air, the Highland MP rose deliberately slowly and calmly sought to put the knife in.

The song was, of course, familiar; devolution under attack, Westminster power-grab, no respect for the people of Scotland.

However, Mr B’s point was the Lords the night before had defeated the Government on the Brexit Bill over the so-called Sewel Convention. But, as per the constitutional court case, this says only the UK Parliament "will not normally" legislate for devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislatures; not normally does not mean never.

The SNP chief attempted to take the high moral ground and implored the PM, saying: “All three parliaments and even the House of Lords have called on you to end your Government’s attack on devolution. Will he stop the attack on our parliaments?”

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But earlier Mr Blackford had, unwisely, handed his straw-topped opponent a large stick by suggesting the people of Scotland had said no; he meant no to Brexit as in the 2016 referendum. But, of course, Bozza used it for his own purposes.

To Conservative cheers, the top Tory answered: “I agreed for a second with him when he said Scotland said no and it meant it and he was right. The people of Scotland said no to independence in 2014 and they meant it!”

Later, when the Western Isles champion Angus MacNeil suggested a “cave-in” trade deal with the US would never compensate for leaving the EU, the PM was again prepared for the Nat-attack, telling him: “His proposals for a break-up of the UK would necessitate a border at Berwick and he is proposing the pensioners of Scotland should have their assets denominated in a new currency; whose name they cannot even specify.”

As the Tory troops cheered and hollered their approval Bagpuss sank deeper into his green bench, biting his lip. This fight will run and run.