Gavin Yates (Edinburgh, GYMedia): The SNP will not win an independence vote before the next general election. There, said it. End of. The interesting thing is that Alex Salmond is more than aware of this and his pincer movement with the white paper yesterday is a great example of a politician on top of his game.
The figures just don’t work for a full independence vote at the moment with the three Unionist parties issuing a joint ‘pre-buttal’ of the white paper. However, ther SNP will be pleased that they’ve managed to present the options of increased powers for Holyrood as a positive option that no democrat could disagree with.
The Herald’s leader talks about Salmond
“Boxing the Unionists in, bit by bit. The real consensus he is building will enhance the powers of the parliament from which he governs, and his opponents seem unable to grasp that for the First Minister that will do, for now. It will do very nicely."
An accurate description of the realpolitik of the situation.
The Scotsman looks semantically at the statement and points out that “one of the most revealing snippets from Mr Salmond yesterday was his statement that he 'hoped' to put his referendum to the people of Scotland in 2010. Before the election that idea had been a commitment, now it is an aspiration.”
The BBC’s Brian Taylor senses a change in the wind with the relationship between the SNP and the LibDems. He appears to be mildly suggesting that if the vote on independence gets buried in the coming months then an SNP/LibDem coalition could be a distinct possibility. Stranger things have happened.
The Labour-supporting Daily Record tries to get indignant about the cost of the referendum proposals but struggles and instead buries the story preferring to go on former FM Jack McConnell’s impending resignation. This was well predicted here in OK weeks ago. Jack will be stepping down as Labour leader but staying on the backbenches. His resignation has been timed to take focus away from the SNP proposals but unless the next Labour leader can make an serious impact Alex will have plenty of room to set out his stall.
