SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

For the SNP, the salubrious surroundings of the Chequers dining hall was the ideal setting for the Conservatives to reveal their preference for a “hard” Brexit.

The Nationalists have built their success on convincing much of the public that the Tories are a distant and wicked force on Scotland, who at best fail to chime with ordinary Scots and at worst want to condemn them to a miserable existence from their ivory towers.

After the UK cabinet’s Brexit brainstorm in the Prime Minister’s plush country retreat this week, Theresa May’s spokeswoman ruled out the UK retaining full freedom of movement – a fundamental tenet of the EU’s single market – in its departure deal with Brussels.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Ms Sturgeon could have worked with a “soft” Brexit, in which Scotland’s place in the single market was preserved, which may have allowed her to hold off on indyref2 until there was stronger support for secession.

Not now. The red line has been crossed and it looks almost inevitable that we are hurtling towards indyref2 within this parliament.

Ms Sturgeon – previously keen to insist that independence was not the starting point for maintaining Scotland’s relationship with the EU – has unleashed the full force of the SNP movement to win over doubters of secession.

Every signed-up Nationalist from frontbench politicians to grassroot activists is to pound the streets, town halls and social media in what the party is calling the “biggest listening exercise” it has ever made.

Sure, they will be all ears, but let us not pretend that this is anything but a campaign for the Yes movement to talk No and undecided voters into backing the independence cause.

As part of the 90-day campaign, 120,000 SNP members will be required to find at least 15 people to question them about their thoughts on independence.

This is a referendum campaign in all but name, which will be met with strident opposition by pro-Union campaigners in what is poised to be a bitter re-match.

Ms Sturgeon says the independence arguments have changed since the last referendum given the UK that Scotland voted to stay a part of in 2014 no longer exists and in the wake of the Brexit vote.

But you better reach for your tin hats – the tone and rhetoric of the debate will be all too familiar for many.