SCOTTISH National Party defence spokesman Stewart McDonald is right to demand that the government bring forward legislation to “inject some much-needed accountability into the armed forces” in response to accusations of SAS killings of civilians in Afghanistan.

Nothing is more unlikely than it doing so. Boris Johnson sidestepped calls for an inquiry by saying that Parliament does not discuss questions relating to special forces.

A Conservative leadership contest makes the chance of an independent inquiry, as demanded by the SNP and Labour figures including ex-army officer Dan Jarvis, even slimmer.