Last week, I spent an afternoon in the company of Roz Foyer, the general-secretary of the STUC. She’s one of the most interesting people in Scottish public life, completely fearless about speaking her mind on any subject.

Her gutsiness is more than refreshing in this era of self-imposed silence for fear of being cancelled by the pious howling of culture warriors.

The STUC isn’t affiliated to the Labour Party so is neutral on the question of Scottish independence. That doesn’t stop Foyer, though, from making consistently good points on the issue of the constitution.

Broadly, she considers it an affront to democracy that the Scottish Parliament is unable to legislate for another referendum, if, crucially, a majority exists in Holyrood for another vote. Scotland’s future should be a matter for Scotland’s democratically elected representatives.

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Last week, Foyer was mulling over the “likely” prospects of Reform becoming the next UK government. It would clearly put the Yes movement on steroids.

In the last 10 opinion polls, Yes has been in the lead six times, No four, and the sides were tied once. The most recent polling had Yes on 52% to No on 41%.

You don’t need the gift of second sight to know that Farage in Number 10 would create a consistent and stable majority for Yes in the mid-50s at least.

What then? I’m from Northern Ireland, and have suggested before that Scotland deserves by any measure the same constitutional status.

If a majority develops in Northern Ireland in support of reunification, then the terms........

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