The prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum is more likely if the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn fail to get a majority

Nicola Sturgeon’s hopes of being able to hold a second independence referendum next year would appear to rest on the possibility that a snap general election will produce a hung parliament in which Labour will be reliant on the SNP for support.

Such an outcome would enable the nationalists to offer their support to a Jeremy Corbyn-led minority government in return for Holyrood being given the power to hold an independence ballot.

However, the Conservatives can be expected to highlight the “threat” of such a deal in order to dissuade voters from backing Labour. It is often argued that their portrayal of a diminutive Ed Miliband tucked into Alex Salmond’s shirt pocket helped David Cameron win an overall majority in the 2015 UK election.

However,