I agree that this has been quite a successful strategy, although it’s also quite disingenuous. One of the great problems I have with the referendum is that we’re voting on a kind of primitive understanding of the word “independence” which implies we can simply sever ties with the rest of the UK and pursue our own course.

In reality we’re being asked to support a kind of confederal arrangement in which we’re still effectively tied to the rest of the UK, and in which UK institutions still make decisions that have a very real impact on local communities in Scotland. I can see why the SNP don’t want to emphasise that, but it’s still an important point. One damaging consequence, for instance, is that if you accept that the rest of the UK’s institutions will still have some impact on our lives it begs the question of why we gain from giving up our representation within those institutions.

Why give up Scottish MPs, for instance, when Westminster will still make decisions that affect our communities? By framing it as “independence” the SNP have managed to push complicated and awkward questions of this nature off the agenda, but I think they’ve somewhat stepped over the boundary of selling an honest vision to the electorate.