The debate about the future of our northern cousins rumbles on and on and on……

Politicians have their own galvanised view, none more so than the leader of the SNP, whose remit seems to be: make Scotland independent, whatever the cost financially and corporally. It doesn’t seem as if he has a clear idea of what he wants independence to achieve. Just to break away from the rest of the UK because they’re not Scottish is a specious argument and really doesn’t bear scrutiny. What it appears to me that what Salmond and his cohorts want is just to be Scottish and that’s all. From the point of the rest of the UK Scotland is part of our union and it seems ridiculous to break away from what is, for better or worse, the best arrangement on this small island.

The SNP quote breakaway countries that were behind the iron curtain and other countries like Belgium as being successful small countries once controlled by bigger ones. None of them are islands though and there is a serious point regarding that. If Jihadists rise up and decide to invade the UK post independence(PI), who’s going to defend the northern borders and approaches? Theoretically the RAF and Royal Navy will quit Scotland PI, and all those army regiments associated with Scotland will surely do the same? This is an urgent situation which ain’t going to be resolved in a hurry. No-one in the SNP has an military experience or even interest. Its all very well saying ‘we’ll be better off’ and ‘we don’t need England’, but if we were to be invaded, it might be slightly different. I doubt the Jihadists will treat Scotland as an independent or neutral country, so the rest of us would have to provide defence to protect our borders. I doubt if Salmond and his gang have thought of that. The first responsibility of any government, in any country, is defence of the realm. Defend borders, stop intruders, invasions etc. Yes I know we haven’t been invaded since Roman times, but it could still happen. The only way out is a pact with the rest of the UK to defend Scotland, bailing it out if they get into financial difficulties, supporting their entry in Europe, supporting their free prescriptions, free university places etc. Oh hang on we do that now don’t we?

So what’s the point of Scottish independence? Not to just be ‘Scottish’ as Sean Connery et al want, even though they don’t live there. No, there has to be cogent argument for independence, a good long-term plan which will sustain and support the country for a very long time, not until Salmond and his crew have lost the next Scottish elections, when the population see the folly of voting for separation, and the country without the support of the greater UK, falls into the worst depression and anarchy ever seen on these shores. Couldn’t happen? Couldn’t it? The jury will decide in a weeks time.