FORMER Labour first minister, Henry McLeish, has spoken out on another independence referendum.

He thinks Scottish Labour need to drop their “blanket opposition” to it.

To keep on saying no to a democratic push in this direction “sounds negative”, according to McLeish, and “smacks of political panic ... in the absence of a well-thought-out alternative”.

I wonder what the new leader of Scottish Labour will make of McLeish’s intervention, given Anas Sarwar is strictly against another crack at the ballot box on Scotland’s future sovereignty. I guess his reaction may evolve depending on what happens after May 6.

But then as the late and great cartoonist Ewan Bain used to say, the difference between Labour’s devolution and evolution was that devolution took longer!

Because McLeish is of course correct to accept that another referendum is inevitable or “will happen sometime”, looking at the trajectory of Scottish political opinion and a desire to do things very differently from Westminster and its incumbents.

The former FM is also of the opinion that Alba could well gain seats in the Scottish election this May and come good on our promise to create a super-majority for independence at Holyrood. This would change the dynamic all round.

According to a poll in the Sunday Times last weekend, Scottish voters think that if Alba and the SNP do well at the election, then this super-majority (around 86 MSPs) equals another referendum and Bojo at Number 10 can’t keep holding out against democracy.

READ MORE: Expert says we should be sceptical of poll showing voters don't think indy is important

According to that same publication, senior ministers think it would be better to offer the Scots a referendum sooner rather than later, given the testing times we live in, and not wait until all is more stable and predictable again.

Of course, Johnson has always argued that offering a second independence referendum during a pandemic would be “reckless”, although bulldozing through his chaotic Brexit didn’t seem to give him any sleepless nights. Being reckless is not something that troubles Johnson on the whole, he cares little for consequences as long as they happen to other people.

Hence the rush from those close to the PM to whisper in his ear that it’s time to change tack and let the Scots have their referendum, bang smack in the middle of the virus health crisis, job losses and economic catastrophe. The fact that the latter two have been caused by Westminster hasn’t crossed their minds – but I’m betting it’s crossed Scottish voter’s minds and they know who is to blame.

Cue much jiggery-pokery from the government who sold us the Internal Market Bill as a power surge and not the grab and go that anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see it is. Some clever Trevor has even suggested they quickly amend the Scotland Act to make it crystal clear that only Westminster can approve any legal vote rather than leave it open to challenges at the Supreme Court.

Other ministers are apparently suggesting that they pressurise the EU into telling Scotland that we won’t be welcome once independent or Westminster will bad mouth the EU to every small country in its block in order to encourage them to leave just like glorious Old Blighty. After all, look what a success it’s been for us leaving the European Union, a veritable blueprint for how not to do something well!

Desperate times call for desperate measures if you’re the PM for the Union. But they must be seriously deluded if they think the EU is going to take a blind bit of notice of what they have to say given their pretty despicable behaviour throughout the entire Brexit negotiation period.

Looks like it’s panic stations all round for the opposition in Scotland. The Tories are in a tizz both north and south of the Border and Scottish Labour aren’t much better according to McLeish.

Interestingly, its Labour in Wales that seem to be getting with the programme far better than their Scottish counterparts in terms of understanding the implications for democracy. FM Mark Drakeford has said that a referendum on Welsh independence should go ahead if Plaid Cymru win a majority at the Senedd next month and has committed to holding one by 2026 should this party form the next government after May 6.

Perhaps he should have a word with his colleague in Scotland who has failed to grasp the meaning of democratic choice in a similar way. Perhaps that word should extend to Keir Starmer too and his obstinate, out-of-touch rejection of Scottish voters’ choice.

This would be another headache for Mr Johnson in the push to break up the UK. Pro-independence majorities in Scotland and Wales, super-majorities in fact, may bring some indy-supporting Labour colleagues out into the open.

Lenin once said: “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Whether leaders of all parties like it or not, these coming weeks feel like times of change and destiny for Scotland.