What now for indyref2 after the general election result?
- Published
Nicola Sturgeon declared victory but the SNP know they lost a lot on Thursday - including most of their political momentum
The official line from the SNP is that it won this election. It has the largest number of seats in Scotland - more than all the other parties added together. That, they say, has always been the definition of victory.
But it knows that it lost a lot last night. Some of its best known and most effective MPs. And most of their political momentum.
It's almost impossible for the party to now argue that the people of Scotland want another Scottish referendum when 60% of the electorate voted for parties which have vowed to block another vote on independence.
A very sombre-looking Nicola Sturgeon said last night she and the party would now need to reflect on what this result means for indyref2. But you don't have to think very long or very hard to realise it now looks very unlikely to happen.
Inside the SNP members will also now have to consider whether their call for another referendum back in March was a tactical blunder. Even though they did not know at the time that there would be a general election.
Deputy First Minster John Swinney has said this morning: "We will take time and care to reflect on the outcome of this result. But we have to acknowledge that the question of a second independence referendum was a significant motivator of votes against the SNP in this election, and we have to be attentive to that point."
The Scottish Tories' resurgence means people are already talking about Ruth Davidson as a future UK PM
Scottish Tories are much more buoyant than their Conservative colleagues down south.
Ruth Davidson looked delighted as she watched her party unseat the SNP's former leader Alex Salmond and their Westminster leader Angus Robertson.
Ms Davidson immediately declared that the idea of an independence referendum was "dead".
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The 12 seats the Scottish Tories won make a big difference to the overall UK result. Without them Theresa May would not be considering staying on as PM. And the Scottish party's resurgence means people are already talking about Ruth Davidson as a future UK PM herself.
One of the big surprises of the night in Scotland was the comeback of the Scottish Labour Party.
Not only did it win seven seats - up from the one single seat they won in 2015 - it also made significant dents in SNP majorities all over the country as the Corbyn surge swept across the border. Ironic given how opposed the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party is towards Mr Corbyn.
The Lib Dems are also very happy to take four seats, including ousting John Nicolson who was one of the SNP's strongest media performers.
This result could have been even worse for the SNP. Where it did cling on it was often by a single fingernail. It won North East Fife by just two votes, Perth and North Perthshire by 21 and Glasgow South West by 60.
In the heat of the night some SNP sources started briefing against Nicola Sturgeon and her husband who is chief executive of the SNP and mastermind of its campaign.
Her position as SNP leader is safe for now. But her party and her reputation have been damaged.
What remains to be seen is how much influence the SNP's 35 MPs can wield in Westminster. A hung parliament means the third largest parliamentary group may be diminished but could still be very important.