The significance of the General Election in Scotland is that it might finally after more than a decade give us the chance to move on from debating independence. We have had single issue politics since at least 2011. People have voted not on the basis of party policies or competence but on what stance the party took on independence. Voters continued to support the SNP even when it ruled badly because they cared more about Scottish nationalism than they did about good governance. Naturally they were rewarded by bad governance.

If the SNP can be reduced to 11 seats as a recent poll suggested or still better to single figures, then it will be reasonable to assume that there is no longer a meaningful debate about independence. This will give us all a chance to move on.

Once Scotland ceases to have single issue politics we can go back to left/right politics and issues like the economy, healthcare, education and so on that have largely been neglected because although important they are boring compared to flag waving, revolution and refighting the Battle of Bannockburn.

For this reason, the election in Scotland is quite different from that in the UK overall. Only Labour or the Conservatives can win power at Westminster. The overall battle is between Sunak and Starmer. But in Scotland the battle is between Labour and the SNP.

Want to see Scotland under the SNP?