Garvan Walshe: Gloomy Sturgeon projects competence. The Government doesn’t – and the Union may be the price it pays.

The Scottish leader has always tried to temper expectations about the country’s fight with Covid. This could pay off in an independence referendum.

Graham Gudgin: It must take a real majority of the right electorate to break up our Union

In 2014 the rules were almost designed to maximise the independence vote. This time London must take the question much more seriously.

A message from Ross to the Government – and Cummings. They’ve no excuse not to make the Union their top priority.

He is right to suspect value placed on the Union by some senior figures in this government. The Prime Minister must lead by example.

Alliance for Unity, the new movement which could give Galloway his next political life

He has a good eye for political openings, and Labour’s woes might have created a space for an avowedly left-wing, pro-UK figure.

Henry Hill: After decades on the defensive, Westminster is finally gearing up to counter-attack the SNP

The Nationalists’ campaign has been so successful that leading pro-UK campaigners shy away from saying ‘Britain’. That isn’t sustainable.

Graham Gudgin: Now is the time to combat Scottish Nationalism

Throwing money around will not help. A natonal effort is needed to show that the UK is a force for good in a troubled world.

Remainers cannot re-write history: it is Covid-19, not Brexit, that challenges the Union

It is remarkable that even after SNP MPs admitted that they needed to stop us leaving to salvage their project, this self-serving myth endures.

Craig Hoy: We must be ready – the Scottish Nationalists certainly will be

With Holyrood elections probably a year away now, Conservatives north of the border need to be prepared for when the campaign starts.

Salmond’s acquittal makes a bloody SNP civil war much more likely

The former First Minister is a diminished figure, but could still be a potent leader of the Nationalists’ fundamentalist wing.

Henry Hill: Could the Welsh Conservatives go into coalition with Plaid next year?

Also: Carlaw and Johnson meet to discuss tweaks to the points-based immigration system; the SNP make trouble over the Irish Protocol; and more.

Henry Hill: New decade, old story? Smith’s Stormont deal under fire from Tory MPs and Ulster parties

Also: Scottish Conservative leadership candidates set out how they’ll take the fight to the SNP; Jack says no referendum re-run in Sturgeon’s lifetime.

Henry Hill: Carlaw sets out his stall as the Scottish Tory leadership contest begins

Also: Struggle to succeed Corbyn puts spotlight on Labour divisions over Scotland; and Jack has even more reasons to refuse Sturgeon’s referendum demands.

Andy Maciver: Johnson must change the Scottish Conservatives’ policy on a second independence referendum

He will be the Prime Minister who will either lose Scotland, or kill nationalism. There is no longer any in-between option.

WATCH: “Scotland can not be imprisoned within the UK against its will”, Sturgeon tells Johnson

“If Boris Johnson thinks saying no is the end of the matter then he is going to find himself completely and utterly wrong.”

WATCH: Gove – “We were told 2014 was a choice for a generation – we are not going to have an independence referendum in Scotland”

“In this General Election we have just seen what happens when politicians try to overturn a referendum result.”