The decline of Unionism is shown clearly in Douglas Ross

No, the big question is, why on earth is anyone planning to vote for Douglas Ross?

The Scottish Tory leader is without doubt the most wooden and mesmerizingly inauthentic Scottish party leader of recent times. His habit of talking over everyone else – picked up in the “shout or you’re out” atmosphere of the Commons – is amplified by a Dalek-sounding delivery which suggests no quarter will be given until other speakers have been exterminated, TV interviewers included.

The now-famous “I’ve started so I’ll finish” Ross speaking style raises the hackles of most Yessers. That’s partly because Dougie is so evidently stuck on send not receive, chucking out curved balls and downright porkies aplenty whilst making no attempt to actually answer any questions put to him. And partly because Dougie the relatively youthful Doric loon turns into a sour-faced big ball of anger the minute the “I”-word is even breathed.

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You wonder if he had a bad formative experience at a 1314 re-enactment society or something, so complete is his transformation and so impossible has it been to wheel him back into a normal debate (you know when more than one person speaks) once the red mist has descended.

And it’s not just ordinary anger. Doug does cold, indignant, righteous anger – the kind that fuels so many unpleasant Unionists on the other side of the Sheugh. More on that Ulster connection in a minute.

But perhaps we are all missing something about Douglas Ross.

Perhaps his very lack of appeal to independence supporters and our tendency to publicly express that aversion in print, on TV and on social media may actually be the key to his success.

He really riles us. And if you are old-school enough to believe that the best form of attack is grinding, relentless negativity, accompanied by endless repetition of the same angry unionist argument, then Douglas Ross is unquestionably the right man for the job. No danger that his tank-straddling style will so tantalise the folk at London HQ that he ends up following Ruth Davidson out of the Scottish firing line and into an ermine robe elsewhere. No, quite evidently, Douglas Ross is not destined for greater things and not motivated by other causes. There will be no distractions, no departures and no chance Dougie will settle down for a quiet life as leader of the opposition at Holyrood. Douglas Ross will stay motivated, hyper-alert and awfy angry as long as independence is on the cards. It is his political kryptonite.

So the more the Moray MP gets panned for having no native charm or political depth, the more he seems like the ideal choice for diehard Unionists.

Consider. If your worst nightmare was Scottish independence and you watched that prospect getting ever closer and more popular, how would you react?

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History tells us. Defensive nationalism – defending a contested status quo – is never soft and cuddly and gets more extreme and shrill the more it is challenged. Israel, Northern Ireland and apartheid South Africa, all states with contested territory and contrived majorities, have had some of the most unresponsive, impervious but locally popular leaders in the world.

In Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster has actually proved too “moderate” for loyalists who see the logic of Brexit and the demographics of Northern Ireland shifting inexorably against them. Next year’s elections may see Sinn Fein become the largest party and thus appoint the first ever Republican First Minister. So, you’d think negotiation and conciliation would now be the name of the game. But no. Defensive nationalism under threat just gets more defensive. So, the DUP is likely to pick Edwin Poots, a man who thinks the world was created in 4000 BC and insists Arlene Foster’s most important role was a wife, mother and daughter, not First Minister of Northern Ireland.

Obstinate. Check. Regressive. Check. Bloody minded. Check.

Immune to the persuasive charms of silvery-tongued nationalists (because supporters of aspiring nationalism always have the stories, songs, narrative, optimism and gift of the gab). Check. Perfect for Unionism. Absolutely.

As it is with Edwin Poots so it is with Douglas Ross. His very woodenness is his strength – in the minds of nervous Unionist voters.

Maybe that explains why the Tories are beating Labour for second place in pretty much every Scottish opinion poll, despite the fact Anas Sarwar, fluent and comfortable in his own skin, with a sense of humour, ability to dance and a stack of well-honed, anti-Tory quips, is beating Douglas Ross hands-down for likeability.

DESPITE being in post only two months, Sarwar has seen his approval ratings rise to +20 in the latest YouGov poll, making him the second most popular Scottish party leader after Nicola Sturgeon.

But who wants a likeable chap when independence has the most popular party leader in the UK? Holyrood’s Unionist leader can’t out-compete Nicola Sturgeon in the popularity stakes. He can only look coldly and disapprovingly on every single thing she says and talk over her when possible. He must embody Unionism’s greatest strength - the ability to strike fear and doubt into those who warm instinctively to the idea of Home Rule. So even if No voters warm to Labour’s National Care Service or Sarwar’s Kumbaya approach to politics, that won’t be enough to win their votes. Put bluntly, an outlook that depends on fear of the unknown to keep a nation’s voters in thrall needs a scary looking leader to deliver. And scary Anas ain’t.

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Perhaps he is planning a rapid about-turn on the legitimacy of indyref2 when the election results are in, hoping that he can head the No campaign while Messrs Ross and Rennie take a “we’re not even recognising your mandate” huff on the sidelines. Who knows? The certain thing is that the imperative to protect the Union is bending our politics all out of shape.

The inevitable election of Douglas Ross on the Highlands and Islands list may take a slight sheen off the imminent success of pro-independence parties.

But every silver lining has a cloud. So dinnae fash. Unionists are opting for the most dour, unforgiving candidate in town, because their cause is in such terminal decline.

It’s a sure sign Scotland’s political climate is ripe for change. At last.