As forced choices go, this one isn't the most promising

We're used to Labour politicians desperately trying to defuse the SNP threat with the claim that the general election is a straight choice between Labour and the Tories, which is a well-worn line that may or may not still have some mileage in it.  But I was absolutely baffled to see Anas Sarwar go a step further and say that "the people of Scotland know" the choice is between Mr Miliband as PM and Mr Cameron as PM.

He'd better hope the people of Scotland "know" no such thing, in the light of the absolutely unambiguous opinion poll evidence we've seen on this subject for years now -

Which of these would make the best Prime Minister? (Respondents in Scotland)

David Cameron : 26%
Ed Miliband : 15%
Nick Clegg : 4%
Don't Know : 55%

That's from the most recent YouGov poll to ask that question, on 2nd-3rd December.  The Don't Know figure was much higher than in any other region of Britain, so it seems reasonable to suppose that many people were using it as a de facto 'none of the above' option.

Sarwar notoriously said within minutes of the referendum result becoming clear that we could all get back to normal politics now (and presumably eat some cereal).  The tragedy is that he still honestly seems to believe that - even with the benefit of the last ten weeks of hard truths, he's yet to notice that Scottish politics as "normal" is now utterly dead.  It's not that people in Scotland want David Cameron as Prime Minister for a single moment - it's just that they think the Labour alternative would be even worse, and are determined to escape altogether from such a grim false choice.