I think that the signs are already there that the Tories in Westminster would be delighted to see Scotland split off. Conviction politics is dead for at least a few more years and survival in power is the key. Cameron knows that had Scotland not voted in the last general election, he would have had a majority. Isn't it ironic that a United Kingdom is more threatened by having the 'Conservative and UNIONIST Party' in power than Labour or the Lib Dems?
Of the other parties, Labour have the most to lose from independence. However, I have a strong sense that Ed Miliband is never going to be a popular figure North of the Border and as such will have little influence. My sense of him is of a figure that feels most comfortable amongst fellow 'socialists' in a 1970's English university debating the finer points of socialism versus social democracy. If the pseudo intellectuals of the Labour movement during the Blair period were the arty group from Islington, I fear that the pseudo intellectuals of the movement today are far more mundane and frankly offputting.
The Lib Dems seem to be destined for continuous turmoil so lets not worry about them for the time being.
I actually agree with Michael Forsyth in that it would be better for Westminster to take the initiative, and set the terms and timing of the referendum. However, the opportunity for this has passed. Salmond has played a canny political campaign. I am actually shocked how accommodative the UK Govt has been since Thursday with him, which reinforces my sense that Cameron is privately happy with a split. .
Time will tell and much could happen, but as of today, the SNP must be feeling pretty confident. In many ways, this confidence may be the only thing to trip them up!
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