This election may prove the death of the union – so be it | Simon Jenkins

There’s no issue of legitimacy for the next government, whether it relies on the SNP or not. But whoever wins will almost certainly have to let Scotland go

There is no legitimacy question in Thursday’s election. A government that wins a confidence vote in the House of Commons is legitimate, period. There may be questions of party loyalty, longevity and popular consent, but they are subsidiary. Britain is not a direct democracy but a parliamentary one. Voters surrender their sovereignty to MPs...