Except that Sturgeon is a member of the Scottish parliament, but is not at Westminster. Salmond is an MP and is likely to be the leader of an expanded and powerful SNP bloc at Westminster next year.

Sturgeon would not do a deal with Cameron, but Salmond is much more sympathetic to Tory messaging. So the internal politics of the SNP might be a bit fraught next May.

That said, everybody has seen what happened to the LibDems in a Tory coalition, so potential partners are going to be a lot more wary going in.

keep to the Fen Causeway