The Scottish electorate has, once again, elected the SNP to be the largest party in Holyrood and the party of Government. For another five years the direction of Scotland's future will be determined by a party that was, not to long ago, treated as a sideshow.

While falling two seats short of ANOTHER majority Government, the SNP have done something unheard of; the party has won three consecutive terms in Holyrood.

It is also worth noting that this Parliament was designed to prevent majorities and the fact that the SNP has come within two seats of ANOTHER majority is an impressive feat.

In Parliament they will be joined by an emboldened, independent-minded, Green Party who increases their seats in Parliament from two to six seats. This is important if the SNP decides to have a referendum on independence because the SNP's 63 seats plus the Green's six equals 69 seats in favour of independence.

On the unionist side,the Conservative Party(Scotland Branch) has taken the top spot as arch-defenders of Westminster in Scotland with 31 seats and the Labour Party (Scotland Branch) has come in third for the first time ever.

The rise of the Conservative Party(Scotland Branch) to second place in Scotland is more evidence that the "Referendum effect" is not going away any time soon. The indyref redrew the political boundaries in Scotland and it is no longer possible to ignore the independence question. Kezia Dugdale MSP, Labour Party(Scotland Branch) leader acknowledged as much in her victory/concession speech this morning as her party starts yet, another process of introspection.

The Liberal Democrats (Scotland Branch) entered with five seats and came out of the night with five seats but with the massive increase in the Scottish Green Party's seats, they are now in fourth place.

The political divide in Scotland was once, Labour versus the Tories as an extension of the wider UK debate of right versus left but, the people of Scotland are seemingly aware of the consequences of having or not having 100% control over their own economic and political futures. More and more people are landing on the sides of either, "I'm ok with the status quo" or, "Scotland deserves a serious change."

This questions is not going to go away and that, is what the M25 media does not understand. It seems, amongst some in the political and media community that independence was an ephemeral question. A question that did not require serious coverage because it was not a serious issue. After the No vote in 2014. Many thought that the political world would go back to normal.

These past two elections have proven that it has not. These two elections have proven that the question of independence underwrites the legitimacy of a political party in Scotland. It has now become a question that must be seriously addressed; as Labour have learned today,ignore it at your peril.