AN icy wind of discontent was blowing through the Holyrood chamber and MSPs struggled to stop the gloom showing on their faces.

We’re all feeling the strain from the many months we have endured of Covid dominating the airwaves and our daily lives.

Fatigue is growing. We’re all a bit crabbit.

This is usually my favourite time of the year because there’s so much to look forward to. But Christmas is too far away to bring any cheer. The prospect of Halloween is scarier than normal, as we imagine hoards of tiny wee super-spreading monsters chapping at the door. Firework displays will probably be cancelled which means we will have to deal with even more eejits than usual getting in about the Catherine Wheels at 4pm and scaring the dogs.

You can understand why MSPs – like the rest of us – seem so fed up, as they were at FMQs yesterday.

The mood in the chamber could also be attributed to the imminent closure of pubs and restaurants. Half the MSPs were probably hungover and the other half were just wanting it to be over and done with so they could spill out into the Edinburgh streets and get stuck into their last big sesh for a while.

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Ruth Davidson was one of the only MSPs who looked happy to be there. Probably because she was excited to revisit her line of questioning from last week. The Salmond Saga Remix: Vote Douglas Ross for FM.

Willie Rennie’s trademark cheeky grin was nowhere to be seen when he got up to ask his question. That’s how you know it’s going to be a long one.

“‘The aim of Test and Protect is to protect the country from a second peak’ – the words of the First Minister in May when she launched the programme. Back then, 77 people tested positive.

“It’s now, as of today, 1027 when we were supposed to be heading towards elimination. In June, she said the purpose of the elimination strategy was to get more normality back and deal with any flare-ups or clusters or outbreaks in a much more targeted way. But now, as of yesterday, we have limits on travel, pubs and restaurants forced to close, the rule of six, no indoor visiting, no bingo, no bowling.

“That doesn’t seem like a targeted approach.”

No bingo, no bowling, you say? Well that’s Willie Rennie’s traditional wacky election campaign photo out the window. Silver linings and all that.

“I think it’s clear now that the Government got carried away with its language over the summer. The First Minister did not use that time well to prepare adequately. So what would she have done differently to get on top of the virus over the summer?”

When I imagine a politician getting “carried away” with their language it brings to mind images of Nigel Farage giving a spittle-drenched rant about immigration, or Boris Johnson having phone sex with one of his mistresses. Not a leader of a country saying they want to eliminate a deadly virus that’s floating around and killing people.

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Maybe it’s just me though. Maybe it would have been better if Nicola Sturgeon had taken the “don’t be scared of Covid” approach of Donald Trump. Or the “live fearlessly but with common sense” approach of Boris. Maybe Willie Rennie just really loves bowling. Who knows.

Sturgeon, who almost certainly hates bowling AND bingo, replied: “No doubt when I look back on this episode – and we do, regularly – there’s lots of things we would do differently if we had our time again. That’s the nature of dealing with an unprecedented challenge.

“I fundamentally disagree with Willie Rennie’s characterisation. It was essential during the summer that we used that time to drive down the virus as low as possible because if we hadn’t done that then we would see levels of infection right now that were way above what we are seeing already.”

“I absolutely understand people’s frustration. I share people’s frustration,” concluded the First Minister. But that’s enough about Willie Rennie.