SO Jeremy Corbyn’s much-awaited debut at Prime Minister’s questions wasn’t the embarrassing failure his right-wing tabloid critics predicted – but it wasn’t an unmitigated success either. Does that say more about the emptiness of Westminster convention or the rhetorical shortcomings of the newly-elected Labour leader? Maybe a bit of both.

The day after he was pilloried for refusing to sing the national anthem, Corbyn was quick to show he had no intention of conforming to business as usual at Prime Minister’s Questions either.

He said voters told him Westminster was too theatrical and out of touch with ordinary voters and wanted to have their voices heard. So, the Labour leader continued matter-of-factly, he had resolved to do that. MPs, political hacks and policy wonks were on the edge of their seats. Would he call a friend, play a tape recorder, read the riot act ... or (perversely) sing? No – Corbyn continued – he had sent an email to thousands of Labour supporters asking for questions, he got 40,000 replies and intended to question the Prime Minister on the top six themes. Some 2,500 folk put the housing crisis top including Marie who asked: “What does the Government intend to do about the chronic lack of affordable housing?”

The question proved more interesting than the stock reply – and so it was for the next five questions. The use of voters’ names did prevent truly patronising answers but the lack of follow-up allowed the Prime Minister to take a pop at his new adversary, suggesting benefits and the NHS rested on a sound economy – an economy Corbyn would destroy if voters were daft enough to elect him. There was no answer to that charge of profligacy – Corbyn continued to put the public’s questions first. Commendable perhaps, but risky too because this was the ideal moment for overdue rebutting of the Tories “disaster” narrative and for holding David Cameron to account over trade union “reforms”, Tax Credits and the ongoing refugee crisis. As it was, Corbyn became a conduit for the public rather than a hammer for David Cameron. One commentator said the exchange was “surreal – like a phone-in radio show”. Another said Corbyn had become “a sock puppet for the popular will”.

So who won – or was it a no-score draw?

One immediate problem for Corbyn is that if he drops the “people’s questions” it will be attacked as a climb-down. And there have already been a wee clutch of them.

The first was over the national anthem. After folk such as 92-year-old Harry Leslie Smith supported his stance by tweeting “as a RAF veteran of WW2, I’m not offended by Corbyn not singing ?#nationalanthem but I am offended by politicians who sell guns to tyrants,” the wobbles began. Corbyn said he would play a “full part” in future ceremonial occasions and hours later, the Labour Party clarified that meant singing the national anthem. Originally Corbyn wasn’t going to use a ministerial car – now he is. And though he opposes the monarchy, Corbyn has agreed to become a member of the Queen’s Privy Council. Indeed, how could he do otherwise? Just as the SNP had to vote on what looked like an English-only matter (fox hunting) to have any impact, the realpolitik of Westminster demands that non-conformists toe the line or stay at home.

Indeed freedom from this archaic institution is one of the enduring attractions of independence. But Corbyn may have done better with core Labour voters than cynics in the chattering classes.

“Maria” from Putney turned out to be a phone-in regular and was soon on LBC reacting to her proxy Commons experience. She said; “All around where we live we’re surrounded by new expensive flats. The cheapest is £650,000, the penthouse is £1.2 million. Those are flats for rich people. Ordinary people on the average wage just can’t afford them. Selling off housing stock and not replacing it is just stupid. I like Jeremy Corbyn’s calm and collected manner and the Prime Minister had to change his way of doing things. Corbyn needs to mix it up each week so the Tories can’t prepare. But that’s good for democracy.”

So in week one the new Labour leader has passed the Oscar Wilde test – he is definitely being talked about and that’s certainly better than not being talked about.

But he hasn’t passed the Nicola Sturgeon test. Scotland’s First Minister surgically gutted two Scottish Secretaries last year with a combination of legal questioning skills, ten years’ training as SNP deputy leader and 18 months hand-to-hand combat during the indyref. Jeremy Corbyn, by comparison, is hardly “blooded” at all.

That of course may change.

What won’t change is the way u-turns destroy political leaders – especially politicians of conviction such as Corbyn.

And if this decent, well-meaning politician is simply crushed by the combined weight of the Westminster machine, Middle England and an implacably hostile press, Scots will draw their own conclusions.

One year after the referendum that made Jeremy Corbyn’s election possible, Scots continue to live in interesting and unpredictable times.

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