It may seem perverse to claim that the former first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon saved the Union between Scotland and England. She is after all a Scottish nationalist who has dedicated her life to the cause of Scottish independence. But her actions since she resigned exactly one year ago from her post as First Minister have set the independence cause back by at least 20 years, perhaps longer. Labour is back in contention in Scotland; no one is talking about an independence referendum any more; the SNP is now a divided party with a collapsing membership and a weak leader who has presided over a catalogue of policy failures. The dream, it seems, is over.
Unionists couldn’t believe their luck on that fatal February morning last year when Scotland’s greatest political export threw in the towel so casually, saying, in effect, that she’d had enough and wanted a new job. At the time, she commanded all she surveyed.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in