The central message from Scotland’s First Minister is that the local elections are about national UK politics. Or, in other words, they are not about what they are supposed to be about.

It is only a bus, but the SNP party political broadcast for the council elections had a similar focus: “a hard Brexit Scotland didn’t vote for”, the Universal Credit cut, the National Insurance rise, and, of course, Partygate.

Turning council elections into grandiose national opinion polls means administrations in charge of vast budgets are not being properly held to account. And opposition councillors are being hampered in their efforts to present alternative visions.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters