In politics, summer offers a chance for reflection. With both Westminster and Holyrood in recess, there's an opportunity for some strategic thinking, away from the political fray. And Scotland's party leaders have a lot to ponder.
Next month will mark 10 years since the independence referendum. As a young journalist, fresh in the door, I was only tangentially involved in covering it, but it remains one of the most electrifying experiences of my career. Such events cast long shadows, and the constitution has defined Scottish politics ever since.
Almost every issue has been viewed through a Yes/No prism. It has dominated elections and provided endless fodder for newspaper columns. But could we be entering a new era? The SNP will gather in Edinburgh for its 90th annual national conference at the end of this month, still smarting from a humiliating general election result that saw the party drop from 48 MPs in 2019 to just nine.
John Swinney, the First Minister and SNP leader, has said the nationalists need to “take stock”. Writing in the pages of The Scotsman, former MP Stewart McDonald called for a "deeper reckoning" . Independence, he said, is not on the "immediate horizon".
The days of Nicola Sturgeon standing behind a podium and announcing October 19, 2023, as the date for a second referendum feel like a very long time ago indeed. Kirsty Blackman, one of the nine SNP MPs to keep her seat, largely dodged questions about the future direction of her party when appearing at .