Poor Nicol Stephen illustrated the old adage about the balance of power in the Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition when he got up to reject Tommy Sheridan’s free school meals Bill.
The Deputy Education Minister was wheeled out to explain why there would be no such thing as a free lunch. Mike Russell, the SNP’s man, was quick to note that, whenever there is a difficulty, Stephen is “sent out to bat”.
“Lib Dems are, by definition, champions of hopeless causes and clauses,” Russell jeered.
Now which party was it that coined “Free by ‘93”?