Scottish independence is not inevitable – or not yet | Martin Kettle

The SNP is riding high today, but if pro-union parties think strategically they can regain the initiative

To those of us who think politics is fundamentally about winning power and governing, there are only two interesting political parties in Britain today. One is the Conservatives. The other is the Scottish National party. Both are winners. The others have gone awol.

But the Tories and the SNP have another thing in common. They share a genuine capacity to demolish the political foundations of modern Britain: the Conservatives by bringing the country out of Europe, perhaps by accident; the SNP by breaking the country up, very deliberately. These are imminent destructive realities that cannot be overlooked, however much one may admire Nicola Sturgeon’s brilliance as a leader, which is beyond dispute.

Related: SNP conference: Nicola Sturgeon's speech- Politics live

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