The First Minister was warned. We in the Scottish Tories were the only party at Holyrood to stand with the myriad of women’s groups who refused to be cowed. We offered changes to the legislation to stop it being abused by violent criminals and, for our pains, were derided as scaremongers. In just one week, our fears have been shown to be daily realities.

If you needed a graphic demonstration of the difference between strong leadership and arrogant, pig-headed delusion then the First Minister is the greatest exemplar since devolution. Nicola Sturgeon likes to parody Margaret Thatcher in dress and slogan. But to paraphrase Mrs Thatcher’s famous quote from St Francis, where calm was needed, she has brought anger. Where we sought temperance, she brought excess. Where we craved unity, she dug division.

Some of those who question her judgment, or simply take a different view on this most divisive of issues, are “transphobes”, “homophobes”, “misogynists” and even “racists”, she says. Does that include not just people like me but colleagues such as her former minister Ash Regan MSP and the redoubtable Joanna Cherry MP who would be that rarest of things, a homophobic lesbian? If leadership is defined as bringing a jerry can of petrol to a house fire, then that’s our leader.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters