Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused legal permission for a referendum, but it may not matter.
Scotland is heading towards independence from the UK.
That's the inevitable conclusion to be drawn from the latest opinion polls that show a surge in support for Scottish nationalism.
Crucially Sturgeon pledged to push ahead with a referendum after the coronavirus pandemic, regardless of whether permission is granted by Johnson.
Yet in the intervening years Brexit and the election of Johnson, who is deeply unpopular in Scotland, have massively boosted the prospects for independence.
Johnson would most likely win such a legal fight, given that powers to call referendums are legally reserved by the UK government.
Johnson is likely to find his own attempts to prevent Scottish independence have a very similar ending. »
