Drinks bill watered down
Vigour, passion, serious scrutiny - but ultimately little in the shape of substantial change as MSPs finally decided their position on measures to curb alcohol this afternoon.
The health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, was at her blunt, outspoken best.
She had plainly concluded that there was no point in trying to wheedle her opponents into voting for minimum pricing.
So instead she accused them of making up their minds not on the content of the measure - but on the party allegiance of the minister advancing it.
That provoked angry responses from her opponents who said they were against minimum pricing because it was possibly illegal, would not deter problem drinkers and would merely add to supermarket profits.
Ms Sturgeon countered all three points - but the votes went against her.
By contrast with the debate, the declaration of defeat for minimum pricing was greeted with a sussuration rather than a shout, with a mere murmur of discontent from the SNP benches.
Debate farce
Understandable, perhaps. This has been an exceptionally prolonged and bitter argument. At the close, all passion spent.
Indeed, instead of drama, the debate ended in farce.
MSPs contrived to vote to append a "sunset clause" to the minimum pricing plan - which they had just removed from the bill.
Other elements have gone: the proposal to limit off sales to those aged 21 and over was shelved at an earlier stage.
Labour's plan to target high caffeine drinks like Buckfast was defeated.
There are measures in the bill which survive such as a ban on quantity discount offers in off licences.
But the core plan was minimum pricing - and tonight that has gone.
Shame, say supporters. Good thing too, say critics.
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