Today has seen multiple further hammerblows for the dwindling band of cynics who are inexplicably sceptical about the majority SNP-Green government's cast-iron guarantee that an independence referendum will be held in 2023. When asked if the Scottish Government's new paper about independence meant that she was formally starting the Indyref 2 campaign, Nicola Sturgeon replied "yes". That's crucial, because of course the SNP leadership have started the Indyref 2 campaign on many previous occasions, so the fact that they are doing so "formally" on this occasion is tremendously heartening. That ol' starting gun will actually stay fired this time. And it's also emerged that one of two things will happen "shortly" - either a Referendum Bill will appear, or a timescale for a Referendum Bill appearing will appear. I'm hugely reassured that there's no third possibility that a timescale for a timescale will appear - if that had been the case, I might have worried that we were being strung along. So the only remaining concern is that when we see the timescale shortly, it'll just say that the Referendum Bill will be along shortly or "in due course". But I'm sure there'll be far more specificity than that.
At the third stroke, the time sponsored by the SNP leadership will be Shortly, and In Due Course, precisely.
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) June 13, 2022
BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEEP.#Referendum2023
Let's celebrate this latest thrilling landmark with another update of the #Referendum2023 Countdown Clock.
SCOT GOES POP #Referendum2023 COUNTDOWN CLOCK
There are just 206 days until the earliest possible date for #Referendum2023 (5th January)
There are just 556 days until the last possible date for #Referendum2023 (21st December)
(Note: the Countdown Clock calculations assume that tradition will be maintained by holding #Referendum2023 on a Thursday, and that it will be before Christmas.)