The big breakaway

THE leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, Alex Salmond, has put his case forward for independence. The move is opposed by the British political elite, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party. Now, Salmond, has nailed his colours to the mast and his party will be actively campaigning for the independence vote over the next couple of years. But I haven´t seen any sign of the three major parties who oppose the breakaway of forming a joint unionist campaign.

Now, the opinion polls say that just a third of Scots support independence but this is no excuse for complacency. If Cameron, Clegg and Miliband want Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom then they must start organising their troops. Salmond is an extremely canny politician. If he loses the referendum he will have to resign so I doubt that he would put his career on the line for a vote he can´t win. So he must believe that he can rally Scotland for the break-up. The Labour Party has the most to lose if Scotland breaks away and perhaps it should be Miliband who leads the campaign. However, a growing number of people in England (almost a third, according to the latest opinion polls) want Scotland to leave the Union. As I have said before in this space perhaps the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, should also have their say on Scotland and the union. It is certainly going to be a controversial issue and the outcome is by no means assured.