Is another referendum on Scottish independence actually inevitable?

So here we go again. Alex Salmond, popping up on the Andrew Marr show while Nicola Sturgeon is in China, makes news without saying anything new about the circumstances in which the SNP might – or might not! – press for a second referendum on Scottish independence. David Cameron, also overseas, responds saying there’s no need for any such plebiscite at any point in this parliament. Calm down, Jock. This will, I am sure, be well-received.

All of which should surprise precisely no-one. Seventy percent of SNP supporters want another referendum before the end of this parliament; 90 percent want one within ten years. In such circumstances, you can understand why Salmond thinks another referendum is ‘inevitable’. Last September’s referendum was, you should understand, just a temporary stay of execution for the Union; it was no kind of pardon.

Besides, at some deep, deep level, Salmond and those who think like him have not yet accepted the result.