Polls are still showing upwards of 40% of Scots wanting independence. That's a high enough figure and it's sticky enough that you are going to have a nationalist party for the foreseeable future and there's no obvious reason why that wouldn't be the SNP.
How much of that 40% or more the SNP get depends on the salience of the independence issue, of course.
Indeed, but even if a period of popular Labour government in Westminster can reduce support for independence, and even if the salience of the issue amongst those still supporting it declines (neither of which is close to being assured) that's still going to leave a viable SNP with a floor about as high as the current Tory ceiling.
