by Rab Bruce’s Spider

Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement on IndyRef2 didn’t exactly inspire a rush of ardent support. It was measured and pragmatic, and at least sets out some sort of framework, but has anything really changed?

The big concern is that playing by Westminster rules and humbly asking permission to hold another referendum is going to bring only one response. Whatever legislation the SNP are planning, it will produce nothing tangible if Theresa May or whoever replaces her as Brexiteer-in-chief, simply refuses to grant a Section 30 Order. The big question is whether Nicola Sturgeon has a plan as to what to do when that happens. Naturally, she is keeping that secret at the moment because it’s never a good idea to tell your opponents what your next move is going to be before they’ve committed themselves, but that doesn’t really bring us any closer to knowing what is going to happen.

So we need to wait and see. It’s not exactly a rousing cry, is it? But Nicola Sturgeon has clearly decided this patient approach is the one which will work, and the reality is that, for all that many in the Yes movement might disagree, it is the SNP who are in the driving seat when it comes to the major constitutional issue.

The one big positive we can take is that playing for time allows the Tories plenty of scope to convince undecided voters to switch to supporting Yes. Whether it’s May, Johnson or Gove, they are all dancing to Nigel Farage’s tune, and we know this is a path Scotland has rejected.