THERE was an interloper at FMQs. Pete Wishart, the SNP MP who has never knowingly been elected to Holyrood, featured heavily in the opening exchange. 

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross wafted a heady quote under Nicola Sturgeon’s nose.

On Tuesday, Mr Wishart was asked on LBC if he could bring himself to “admit that maybe Nicola Sturgeon got it slightly wrong with the extra [Covid] restrictions that she announced just before Christmas? Boris Johnson didn’t announce those restrictions in England and seems to have been proved right."

He replied unforgiveably: "Well, I think that’s a fair point. And I think we’ll have to look at that and assess it.”

Mr Ross wondered if the FM agreed it was a “fair point” that her Government had imposed too many restrictions over Christmas?

“I am not sure that is a fair representation of Pete Wishart’s comments,” she burbled, before some epic doggy paddling.

“I want to take the opportunity to recognise that Pete Wishart is, I think, Scotland’s longest serving member of Parliament, which goes to show what an outstanding service he does for his constituents.

"I am sure that Douglas Ross will join me in taking the opportunity to pay tribute to Pete Wishart’s public service.”

SNP MSPs earnestly applauded this flannel while Ms Sturgeon kept trying to find her footing. 

“I think that we introduced a series of balanced protective measures over the Christmas period,” she finally managed.

Mr Ross was incredulous. Not a fair representation? “It was a direct quote,” he laughed, before accusing her of being “far too gung-ho" imposing restrictions.

The FM looked like she wanted to restrict his breathing as well.

“I think that Douglas Ross is striking rather a desperate note right now,” she said, not at all in desperation.

Her miffedness worsened when Anas Sarwar raised the offshore wind licensing deals she called an “historic opportunity” this week.

Some had gone to corporate ogres with “questionable human rights records”, including bribery convictions and a penchant for using “slavery to build pipelines”.

A bit scuzzy, no? Once, the SNP said Scotland was going to be the Saudi Arabia of renewables. Now it’s just more like Saudi Arabia. 

“This is a thoroughly positive opportunity for Scotland,” fumed the FM. “It's no wonder, then, that Scottish Labour just wants to girn about it and be negative.”

As for all that fiddly due diligence stuff, “Crown Estate Scotland made the decisions on the companies”, she added, silkily passing the buck for the unalloyed good news. 

The Scottish Labour leader said that, with the SNP accusing the Tories of tolerating human rights abuses to secure deals for the UK, Ms Sturgeon had a brass neck.

“When it comes to brass necks, I think that Mr Sarwar will be polishing his for the rest of the day,” spat Ms Sturgeon.

She then attacked Boris Johnson for wallowing in “moral decay”. 

At least no one could accuse her of that. Brass doesn’t rot.