Sometimes the British media's efforts at sensationalising the constitutional issue wax comically ridiculous. The term "plot" implies a secret plan. But if the intention to continue the independence campaign is a "plot" then it is the least surreptitious bit of plotting in the entire history of politics. As ever, British Labour add to the comedy with talk of phantom cats being let out of non-existent bags. What they are so desperately trying to portray as something devious and underhand is actually totally open and above board. It is simply democracy in action. Perhaps that is why unionists are confused. For those who are ideologically wedded to the concept of parliamentary sovereignty, the idea of policy being driven by popular aspiration must seem alien and frightening. There is no secret here. There is no "plot". The SNP is a democratic party. If a large enough proportion of their huge membership wants the party's 2016 manifesto to include a commitment to a second referendum, that's what will happen. And if a large enough proportion of the electorate approve that manifesto then the SNP will form a government with a democratic mandate to hold another vote on the restoration of Scotland's rightful constitutional status. My personal preference is that the SNP should commit to a further vote in principle, but without specifying a timetable. I accept that I may be outnumbered by those who insist that a date should be set. That's democracy. So why is the unionist camp so troubled by what is simply democracy in action? Why are they so concerned by talk of a second referendum? Why are they intent on undermining a democratic process by presenting it as undemocratic political scheming? At one level, the answer to these questions is obvious. Unionists don't want another referendum. They never wanted the first one. They were fervently opposed to the people of Scotland ever having any say in the matter. They will do anything to prevent another vote. But the main reason unionists are so severely discomfited by talk of a second referendum is that they don't want it to become apparent that they are looking for ways to prevent it. The British establishment got a scare last year and is now intent on devising some means of locking Scotland into their political union in perpetuity. They don't just want to block a second referendum, they want to abolish Scotland's right of self-determination. But they cannot afford to be obvious about it. The political backlash would be too great. Especially when the British parties in Scotland are already facing the prospect of an electoral trouncing in the Scottish Parliament election on a scale similar to that which they suffered in the UK general election. Hence the effort to "bounce" the SNP into ruling out a second referendum now. If it is far enough off the agenda then the British establishment will be better able to work on ways of cheating the people of Scotland out of their democratic rights without attracting attention. There is a plot afoot. But it's not the SNP doing the plotting.