What’s been the highlight of your career?

I’ll never forget the week I spent with the US Forces in Afghanistan. Or the hour I spent talking to Tom Baker.

What’s your favourite part of Scotland and why?

In the countryside: the Nith Valley in Ayrshire because it’s quiet and peaceful. In the city: the centre of Glasgow, because it’s not quiet and peaceful.

What was the last book you read?

Friends by the psychologist Robin Dunbar. Dunbar is an expert on friendship, why we need friends, and why we sometimes lose them. I’m writing about his work for The Herald.

What do you write about for The Herald?

My columns are mostly concerned with constitutional affairs, but I also write features for The Herald Magazine, often about history.

What will be the biggest stories of 2021 and the next decade?

Inevitably, whatever happens, the biggest story will be the constitutional future of Scotland. Perhaps there will come a time when there is a new settled will, and we’ll all stop fighting, but it’s unlikely to be in the next ten years.

What do you make of both the Scottish and UK government’s response to Coronavirus?

Both governments have been handling an unprecedented and unpredictable crisis so both governments have successes and failures. The idea that the Scottish Government has done considerably better is down to better PR.

Who’s going to win the Holyrood election and why?

The SNP are likely to win, but the bigger question is the damage that’s been done to their reputation recently. It weakens their ability to make another referendum happen.

What will happen with indyref2 after the election?

It’s very hard to predict, but the lack of a widespread and lasting public demand for one makes it less likely to happen.

Why should Scots sign up for a Herald subscription?

Because of the extraordinary range of writing and views and outlooks. I can’t think of a newspaper or magazine that has a wider range of opinion.