THE Brexit saga which has so dominated the political agenda for what seems like a lifetime must surely be reaching its denouement.

The SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford continues to show admirable tenacity in his call to opposition leaders to seize control of the Westminster parliament’s agenda to stop a No-Deal Brexit.

The SNP line has been remarkably consistent in its insistence that the main focus must be on stopping the catastrophe which would be the unavoidable result of leaving the EU without a deal.

In doing so the SNP have built a strong riposte to other Scottish party leaders’ endless claims that the SNP cares for nothing but Scotland’s independence.

Those claims have been shown to be empty by the fact that the SNP have put ending Brexit above all other aims, despite polls consistently showing that a No-Deal Brexit would push support for independence over – sometimes well over – the necessary 51%.

Indeed, many independence supporters have been frustrated by the focus on Brexit when independence clearly offers a better future for our country.Now it looks almost certain that the time to save the UK from itself is running out. It remains possible that an opposition coalition could remove Boris Johnson from Downing Street, either to replace him with Jeremy Corbyn in the short term or some other caretaker prime minister.

SNP MP Tommy Sheppard is right to argue in his column in this paper today that it is in Scotland’s best interests, while it remains a part of the UK, that Britain is ruled by a Government of the left. It follows, therefore, that getting the Tories out of power would be a good thing.

But whether that tactic succeeds or not, and whether we crash out of Europe in October or the deadline is extended, independence is the best outcome for Scotland.

That outcome is tantalisingly within our grasp, and there is some urgency in at last making that dream a reality