Why Scottish independence was politically useful as an unresolved issue in 2022

Could an independent Scotland offer new allied basing rights, and how likely did independence appear under the party incentives of April 2022?

New basing arrangements were conceivable, but the unresolved independence issue appeared to benefit rival parties more than separation itself.

This is an April 2022 political interpretation rather than a prediction about later elections. In this reading, the SNP could rally supporters around pressure from Westminster while avoiding the full fiscal and administrative costs of separation. Conservatives could benefit when SNP dominance limited Labour's route to a UK majority. A later follow-up suggests that a formal Labour-SNP alliance might gain Scottish seats while losing support in England. The political value of campaigning for independence could therefore differ from the consequences of leaving the United Kingdom.