For unionists, there was no great victory last year. The celebration in No 10 demonstrated the lack of understanding which led to this mess in the first place. Separation would have been a calamity but the closeness of the result was, still, a disaster; all the more because the “No” side had relied upon relentlessly negative arguments. To Andrew Cooper, formerly David Cameron’s chief strategist, this was the only way to win. Later, he said the only criticism he would allow of his campaign was that it was not negative enough. It was a poison, which had the desired effect against the intended enemy. But it has swirled around the Scottish political bloodstream ever since.