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Hello and welcome to Spectator Out Loud. Every week, a few of our favourite writers read out their pieces.

This week we have for you the leading article of The Spectator on what's

going on in Scotland right now. Then we'll hear from Kate Andrews on her cover feature, and finally,

Rod Liddell on his column about Radio 4. First up is the spectator's leading article.

The campaign for a Scottish Parliament was rooted in the notion of a democratic

deficit. Scotland kept voting labour, but the UK kept getting Conservative governments. DeVolution,

so the logic ran, would give Scotland a more responsive government. Two decades on,

and a new democratic deficit is emerging. The chasm between

the minimum accountability demanded by the Parliament and the maximum Nicola Sturgeon's government

is prepared to give. A new establishment has taken root in Edinburgh, more powerful and less

accountable than the old one.

The Alex Salmond inquiry, which began as a recondite tale about a failed attempt by Sturgeon's

government to probe sexual misconduct claims against the former Scottish National Party leader,

has narrowed to three stark questions.

Did Sturgeon lie to Parliament about what she knew and when?

Did she break the ministerial code in failing to inform civil servants of a secret meeting with Samund

held at her private home until two months after the fact.

And is there any credence in Saman's incendiary allegation that people around Sturgeon,

including her husband, the SMP chief executive Peter Morrill, conspired to have him imprisoned?

...