Hamish Macdonell

The SNP is a strong fighting force. Is May prepared for what lies ahead?

Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement may have taken Westminster by surprise but it wasn’t a shock to her party leadership.

Indeed, by the time the First Minister left her Bute House press conference this afternoon, a new Yes campaign website was already up and running with appeals for money, campaign material and a video from Ms Sturgeon explaining her decision.

That should be another sharp reminder to the unionist parties that they are dealing with a very, very competent electoral machine in the SNP.

This is a party, after all, which has wiped the floor with its opponents in all recent elections and which, crucially, has learned its lessons from its failed independence bid in 2014.

One of those lessons was evident on its new website which is called ref.scot. This will not be indyref2, however much the media want to call it that.

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