Back to the past, if you please

Something of a personal highlight on the General Election campaign trail this morning when - shock, horror - someone gave a very straight answer.

Jovial Sky News Political Editor Faisal Islam was in Edinburgh chewing the fat with a selection of Scottish political players and observers, including esteemed historian Sir Tom Divine.

Sir Tom Divine

Sir Tom Divine

With just two weeks to go until polling day, minds are beginning to turn to just how many seats the Scottish National Party will take from the Labour Party north of the border. So, understandably, our Faisal wanted to pick Uncle Tom's big brain.

"You're a historian," the Sky man reminded viewers, before asking Sir Tom, "what's your forecast for the future?"

With a hint of rudeness, the great man responded  blandly: "The future is not my period."

Wonderful.  The future seems like a scary place in any case.