Why the SNP victory isn't all good news for the Nationalists

As the dust begins to settle after a monumental election campaign, many SNP voters may feel buoyed by their Westminster triumphs. Swathes of yellow were painted across Scotland on the electoral maps. They are once again the third party of UK politics. This is a tremendous achievement considering how squeezed every other party became behind the Conservatives and Labour.

However, the sunny uplands of victory already have big grey clouds looming overhead. Nicola Sturgeon constantly argued that her aim in this election was to lock Boris Johnson out of Number 10. The Conservatives have not only seized the keys they seem to be the ones doing the locking out, Labour are a far way off from getting near that iconic doorway anytime soon.  This poses huge difficulties for the SNP. Johnson has no desire to grant an Indyref 2 and there is very little pressure for him to do so. 

For the SNP this is a huge roadblock because any legitimate Independence referendum needs Westminster approval and they need to get it soon because Boris’ potential legislative agenda is a ticking time bomb.

 If Boris sticks to the Brexit plans he has set out, then the UK will begin to diverge from the EU. The potential new US-UK trade agreement could pull the UK away from many of the trading standards that we currently hold.    

This forces the SNP into an unenviable position. The further the UK drifts from the EU the harder it is for the nationalists to argue  that Scotland can be an EU member and still have the open border between England and Scotland. Customs checks could become a necessity for Scotland’s EU membership

If you thought that the Irish border was a tricky problem to solve then the England-Scotland border even a few years down the line could be nigh on impossible.