Last night, Nicola Sturgeon appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hall to promote her autobiography Frankly . On stage she was questioned by Cathy Newman of Channel 4, who began with J.K. Rowling’s savage review of the book. On her website Rowling described Sturgeon as ‘Trumpian in her denial of reality and hard facts’.

Sturgeon fired back: ‘Thank you, J.K. Rowling. Anything that brings publicity for my book is great.’ Then a change of tone. She criticised Rowling’s decision to ‘pour vitriol on somebody’s head … I wouldn’t have the time or the inclination to do to J.K. Rowling what she does to me.’ She warned that ‘hyper-personalised’ rhetoric may have unforeseen consequences. ‘I don’t live on a yacht or behind security gates,’ she said, referring to Rowling’s opulent lifestyle. ‘It potentia

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