“It’s easy to be fooled when you want to believe” – Ferdinand Mount

In the run up to the Scottish independence referendum there’s been a lot of talk about voters being driven by sentiment – and why not? The vast majority of people in the UK want Scotland to remain in the Union. Perhaps not enough of the general public (i.e. non-politicians) have spoken out to express their genuine belief that Scotland is a vital part of our great nation and we want it to remain as such.

The practical issues associated with separation have been well publicised although no-one seems to have focused on the timetable of specific action following a “Yes” vote. The list of matters to be addressed is massive and will directly impact us all. Just consider passports, border control, defence, public sector employment, pensions, currency, the relocation of HBoS and Royal Bank of Scotland, public debt, the BBC and a legion of other consequences arising from Scotland severing links with the rest of the UK.

The perplexing thing is that those seeking for it to leave the UK hope that Scotland can become a member of the European Union. In other words the plan is to replace Westminster (where Scotland is represented) with Brussels (where Scotland or indeed anyone else is not democratically represented).

Far better to remain part of the UK “family” and press for continuing autonomy from within – definitely a nationwide vote winner.