The departure of Nicola Sturgeon ... makes clear that independence is mothballed for now. But we cannot let this reality dissuade us from challenging power at a national level.
"Shifts in the political landscape can be rapid and unpredictable and so the left must be alert to the next opening. Popular movements may be on the backfoot but the establishments – both Scottish and British – evince real weaknesses with new cracks appearing all the time. To take advantage of these fractures and to build effective oppositional forces we must be constantly and consistently engaged with politics at the national level.
Sturgeon’s exit should be viewed as the finale for the Scottish independence project as a viable enterprise in the short and medium term, and the SNP leadership contest a darkly entertaining epilogue. Even for those desperately holding on to the fantasy of an imminent victory, this will be difficult to sustain for much longer. New fights are coming and the left cannot afford a depoliticised response. Now is the time to reflect honestly on the last nine years and, as new struggles and political opportunities emerge, learn the right lessons from the Scottish independence movement."