While it is stating the bloody obvious to say that there should be no "fixed time commitment" to a second referendum, Gordon Wilson's insistence that Sturgeon should "take issue off the burner" is just about as wrong-headed as his pronouncements from the rabid religionist perspective. As a general rule, it is never a good idea to do whatever it is that your political opponents want you to do. It is clear that Mundell is fronting an effort to bounce Nicola Sturgeon into either making the timetabled commitment that Wilson advises against or removing the topic from the agenda altogether as Wilson urges. There is no way Sturgeon was ever going to stumble into the foolishness of the former course. She should be just as cautious about following Wilson's other advice. The British parties dread having to fight the 2016 Holyrood elections on a platform of opposing an independence referendum. They did that in 2007 and 2011, and they are painfully aware of the outcome. They would much prefer that the issue was not a topic at all. That way, they could avoid awkward questions about why they are yet again setting their face against something the public wants. And possibly even more difficult questions about how they propose to block a referendum for which the Scottish Government has a decisive mandate. There is a simple solution that seems to have evaded Gordon Wilson. The SNP should include in their 2016 manifesto an affirmation of Scotland's right of self-determination and a commitment to another referendum IN PRINCIPLE ONLY. That is to say, without any commitment to a specified schedule. This is not only desirable but essential. Absent such a commitment, the SNP will stand charged of abandoning the cause of restoring Scotland's rightful constitutional status. More importantly - since "SNP accused...!" headlines no longer have the impact they may once have had - absent an explicit affirmation of the right of the people of Scotland to determine the constitutional status of their nation, backed by voters, unionist efforts to erode or even abolish our right of self-determination will be given a boost. Taking the referendum/independence issue "off the burner" is one of the more seriously bad ideas I've heard of late. As usual, Gordon Wilson's intervention is very much less than helpful.