I had the misfortune of hearing Kenny MacAskills acceptance rant, when he was elected for Edinburgh East. He had an evangelical air about him then that gave anyone who didn’t share his devotion to the independence cause a look of really uncomfortable embarrassment. With hindsight, it's clear Kenny always had it in him to become a fire and brimstone preacher.

In government, Kenny has been busy ‘facing down’ Scotland’s drink problem, apparently trying to pursue the irresponsible drinkers with missionary zeal. Kenny believes that if he bans 18-21 year olds from buying alcohol in off-licenses, that’ll work - even though they’d still be able to go to the pub for a pint or eleven. An idea that is, in the words of Iain Gray, ‘frankly daft.’ Therefore, I’m delighted to see that Holyrood has pulled together and faced the SNP down on this measure. And strangely, I find myself agreeing with Tory leader, Annabel Goldie, who argues that we have enough laws to tackle Scotland’s problem drink culture – we just have to apply them properly. Sadly, ‘Holyrood makes no new laws on drink’ isn’t the tough headline Kenny was probably looking for.

However puritanical the SNP might seem on drink, it is nothing compared to their proposals to criminalise teenage Mums. Now, currently the law treats males and females differently if they have underage sex with someone who is also underage. It’s only a criminal matter if you’re a boy. However, the SNP proposals would make it a criminal matter if you’re a girl too.

This can only add to the social stigma underage Mums face, by adding a police investigation and the possibility of a criminal record to the ordeals they’d have to go through, a record they’d carry with them for the rest of their lives. Only the most ardent religious bigots could possible argue that it is in the best interests of the youngsters to get the police involved in these matters.

However, this is exactly what the SNP are proposing, no doubt in the misguided belief that the threat of police action will somehow act as a deterrent to curious kids. Let’s face it, if you’re not savvy enough to figure out how babies are made aged 15, you’re unlikely to understand that what you’re doing is illegal either.

I, for one, agree with the views of the children’s commissioner who said ‘If you want to make things equal, let’s make things equally better, not equally worse.’ There may be cases where sex between two underage kids is abusive, but this should be a matter for social work, not the police.

All this makes me wonder about the relationship that the SNP has with faith groups? A new Muslim faith school here, a sop to conservative church morality there, and hey look – here’s a property deal the SNP have done with 13 church ‘organisations,’ to provide affordable housing land. It’s great to see that a constructive use has been found for derelict church properties. But if I had the will power, I’d be interested to follow the money on that deal.

My next prediction for SNP policy?

Homeless people will be forced to attend Alpha courses in return for a roof over their heads from the Salmond Church of Salvation Housing Association.