Henry McLeish, an underwhelming former Labour MP whose reign in Bute House was short-lived and ended in ignominy, and who has since kind-of, sort-of given his support to independence, is little respected on either side of the constitutional debate. Alex Salmond is both unlamented and not much more these days than an extremist darkling. The early loss of Donald Dewar means that McConnell pretty much has the role of distinguished grandee to himself, at least until Nicola Sturgeon leaves office.