NEVER before in the short 17-year history of the current Scottish Parliament has an impending election been met with so much apathy by the farming community.

One reason, of course, is that election seems to follow election these days - and we still have the Brexit one to come in Highland Show week.

Another reason is that, this time round, the result seems to be a foregone conclusion. And that can only be a bad thing for Scotland, irrespective of whether you support or loathe the SNP.

All governments require checks and balances and it is to be hoped that some level of credible opposition emerges.

However, the prospective 'also ran' parties only have themselves to blame for the mire they find themselves currently in - a situation which is likely to continue well into the life of the next parliament at the very least.

The rural hustings debate - as it is - has been dominated by the undoubted debacle over the SNP administration's inability to spend £178m on a computer system that actually does what it says on the tin!

For its part the SNP, has claimed that lessons will be learned and that it will do much better next time round. That wouldn't be hard, though, as it is well nigh impossible for the computer system to be worse than what has happened with it this past year.

Some opposition parties have pledged an official inquiry into the matter. However, to reiterate the point The Scottish Farmer made last week, these parties would be better trying to concentrate on what they can possibly achieve and bin their 'pie in the sky' promises which they know they will never be required to try to implement.

The best we can hope for this time round, is that the inevitable influx of new MSPs are - like the vast majority of Scottish farmers and farmworkers - capable, trustworthy and blessed with a high work ethic.

If that is the case, then the political party they represent should be of secondary importance!

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