Have you kept those Yes car flags and No Thanks badges? You’re going to need them.

All the recent events point towards another independence referendum.

With every passing day and each new development the likelihood of Referendum: The Sequel gets stronger.

The vote for Britain to leave the EU with Scots overwhelmingly voting to stay was the first step, supplying one of the potential triggers as stated in the SNP manifesto.

While the result forced David Cameron to resign, ruled out George Osborne as his successor and created an excuse for Labour MPs to stage a coup against Jeremy Corbyn, Nicola Sturgeon has been strengthened.

Glasgow Times:

The outcome of the EU referendum was outwith her control but the mark of a skilled politician is how you react and adapt to events and turn them into an opportunity.

Nicola Sturgeon said all the right things the day after, that all avenues would be explored, meaning if there was a way to stay without a referendum then Scotland would accept it.

Glasgow Times:

Then she immediately embarked on a mission to Brussels to seek out that very avenue.

While she was welcomed to the neighbourhood by the Parliament President and Commission President, it was made clear from key players that there would be road blocks erected further down the line.

Spain and France saying there will be no separate negotiations with Scotland effectively ends that road.

The next step could be to ask the UK government, whoever that may be, for it to seek a separate deal for Scotland in the exit negotiations.

Most likely the UK will say no to that.

So the First Minister will have been as good as her word that she tried to keep Scotland in the EU but it was just not possible.

Therefore the only alternative is to call a referendum and seek to remain as an independent nation before the UK exits and takes Scotland with it.

There were positive noises on this from the former Belgian Prime Minister indicating as Scotland is already in the EU an application as a new member state might not be necessary.

Which explains the swiftness that Nicola Sturgeon has acted while the rest of the UK seems paralysed.

The sooner the first option of Scotland remaining in the EU while in the UK is explored, exhausted and dismissed the sooner the alternatives can be proposed.

Time is of the essence as Scotland would need to be independent before the UK exits or at least have voted for it in a binding referendum.

The SNP will not call another referendum unless it is very confident of a yes vote.

The differences north and south of the border in the EU campaign and in the result could sway many voters over to yes.

The First Minister’s referendum ducks are beginning to align into a neat row.

So dust of those flags, badges and car stickers. And if you’ve changed your mind since 2014 just swap them with a neighbour.