The National:

QUESTION Time tonight includes a guest that will surprise you!

It's a bit early to suggest that the mounting pressure has actually resulted in a change in the BBC show's habits, but this will be one of the rare occasions a Scottish politician appears on the show when broadcast from England.

Fiona Bruce, having taken over from David Dimbleby last week, will be presenting the debate from Derby.

Here's who will appear:

  • Rory Stewart, justice minister and Tory MP for Penrith and The Border
  • Diane Abbott, Labour MP and shadow home secretary
  • Kirsty Blackman, SNP MP and the party's deputy Westminster leader
  • Anand Menon, professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs
  • Isabel Oakeshott, journalist and commentator

It was only three episodes ago that SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford appeared, which makes a welcome change from the usual wait.

Still, with the SNP the third biggest party at Westminster and the possibility of a fresh second independence referendum due to Brexit, it's an entirely common sense move. That it needs praised is unfortunate.

It should work out to be another three episodes for the next Scottish representatives, too. The show is due to come to Motherwell on February 7.

The next nine episodes after that will all be in England, however. That goes right up until April 11.

Our thoughts with our independence allies in Wales ... with the most recent visit of the BBC's "flagship political debate show" to that country on November 15.

(Though Scottish Labour seem to think Scotland and Wales are interchangeable.)

With a Question Time-style show coming to the new BBC Scotland channel, we'll be keeping an eye on how their record keeps up.