If Sillars is right the National Conversation never mattered

To folks who are not yet decided concerning independence, who still want to see which side and which outcome will treat the Scottish diaspora best in making it easier for them to come home, the more options the better. If independence loses, devo max might still be a way to free Scotland's hand concerning this issue. Probably devo max is not attractive to diehards of independence or of union, but for the rest of us it is an attractive option to have on the table.

So Jim Sillars's rubbishing of it as just a fix for the SNP leadership does not seem the best way to deliver us a vote on what would be a good reform to win if independence does not win.

But he is probably right that winning devo max after losing independence would be a very comfortable option for the SNP leadership.

Such comfort would be a reason for them not really to care what happens in the consultation or what happened in the National Conversation, and to censor some folks' submissions from the record.

They should be remembered as not seriously wanting to win the cause they have pursued for 80 years at all, not really campaigning to try to get it, unless they make the record honest and stop omitting any submissions from it. Certainly unless they do that they will not show they care about getting Yes votes or justifying them.