David,

As observed in recent years, the attitude of Britain's rulers has been that nothing of value can be learned from Australia.

After all, we're just convicts aren't we?

A great idea, until there was an actual prospect of a yes vote.
All of those things were faced in Ireland decades ago, and they finally worked their way through.
Moreover, David Cameron put the European union at risk by proposing a referendum on that.
England has a very long tradition of using the patently purloined wealth of other nations, i.e., India, to wax fat and grow strong.
Ireland got by without the impositions of a former conquer, so can Scotland, if that's the general consensus!
I think the euro serves the Irish well, and given the similarities, it can also serve Scotland!
And given its resources, far better able to create the very next Celtic tiger, albeit, shouldn't follow the mistake that killed off the first one; i.e., debt funded foreign speculation!
The next time we have a referendum, maybe we should ask N.Z. (also a different nation) to participate, if they are in any way affected? (They were once part of NSW.)
Or maybe those of us with Scots and Irish ancestors, should ask they be allowed to participate, on the same straw-man grounds raised by the author; i.e., they could be affected!?
I hope the yes vote prevails, and Scotland finally gets long overdue home rule.
Perhaps the Welsh will think that's not a bad idea; and Northern Ireland might just consider reunification with its southern half.
After all, England, without its conquests, which it bled white; and for centuries, is nothing!
And given they all remain inside the European union and NATO's defense pact, I don't see what is really lost for the Scots!
Rhrosty.

"Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled
Scots wham Bruce has often led
Welcome to your gory bed
Or to victory."
Burns

Och aye then noo!

I can't help but wonder who paid for this latest poltroonery from "For Sale Flint"?
The author is an intellectual "lady of the night", to put it bluntly, with a RW bent, any articles by him should come with about a kilo of salt!

I can see it now.

A 15Ft high razor wire, electrified fence, going up on the top of Hadrian’s wall.

The real question is who will build it?

Will it be the Pommy government, to try to keep scotty out, or will it be the Scottish government, to try to keep him in, when the welfare money runs out?

If there is a majority YES vote in Scotland what a dreary country Scotland will be.

Population wise:

Glasgow* - 2,850,000

Edinburgh* - 817,800

Total
Scotland - 5,327,700

* this is Greater or Metro

Scotland will be very much influenced by the Glasgow majority. Glasgow being a dreary, wet, cold, sectarian city with a declining revenue base.

Scotland's North Sea oil production is expected to fall to one-third of its peak by 2020. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_oil#Reserves_and_production

Forget the history and bagpipes of Edinburgh. Glasgow will set the pace downwards.

If five million people can't set themselves up with all the remaining royalty revenue from north sea oil for all time by 20/20, even greatly reduced by diminishing production; I'll be a monkey's uncle.
The Celts have lead the world, in recent years, with intellectual inquiry, universities and medicine.
The Irish are famous for their universities, and the Celtic tiger; created by the very simple expediency, of investing in their own people and their better ideas. What could be simpler!?
A productive profitable model the Scots can adopt, and finance solely with their remaining north sea oil revenues.
And given we now know, the wealth and opportunity building Celtic tiger was only killed off, by foreign debt laden speculation, and an inherently stupid government, (inmates in charge of the asylum) that wasted billions in public money, trying to somehow rescue the debt laden foreign speculators! [Another self serving government, who were busy busy serving everyone else, save their very own nationals!]
Avoid that very pitfall, and the ideological, set in concrete mindset that created it/made it possible, almost as if it could wreck the national economy!
Pity our leaders, with their, Australia is again open for business, [read as Australia is open for foreign debt laden speculation,] and you don't have to be Einstein, to see where we're headed.
And indeed, never ever, a sell off the family farm, the family silver, and our economic sovereignty, example to follow, ever!
Rhrosty.

Rhrosty

I gag on me Scotch n haggis larrrddie.

Your claim "The Celts have lead the world, in recent years, with intellectual inquiry, universities and medicine." is defeated by facts mon.

Nope its the Anglo-Saxon English and Americans, Jewish people and/or Chinese.

It be well known that Harvard is on top worldwide while Oxford and Cambridge win the tartan in Britain. see http://www.shanghairanking.com/

Those Scuts who ken reed n spull shud vote NOrr.

Pete
O Clan Hamilton n Begg Scotch Whisky

Wow more spin from the "No Party" Apparently you only live in democracy when you vote the way your elites want you too.

Scotland is a canary in the coal mine in regards to the true state of western democracy if we can still call then that.

While having no dog in the fight other than to let people choose how they live their lives, it is amazing to see the forces marshaled to try and stop them.

After all, we're just convicts aren't we?
The mild Colonial boy,
Well, from my observations many are gradually reverting to that mentality. Decency is being frowned upon & taken as some form of weakness. Stupidity & greed on the other hand are seen as hero material. One just has to look at football & the antics of the boofheads on the field. It's all about gradually making violent behaviour more acceptable. Give it another 50 years & the Gladiators will be in fashion again.

Of course bagpipes don't put food on the table. But countries are often created or returned for illogical and romantic reasons.

Have a listen to this especially a minute 45 seconds in http://youtu.be/frEIIYl4z98 .

This tune "The Gael" is from Dougie MacLean's 1990 album "The Search" http://www.dougiemaclean.com/

Pete
O Clan Hamilton and Begg

Breakaway smaller nations are a good sign of international peace; they indicate that the Scots, for instance, no longer need feel they need to sacrifice self-determination for access to the extra military strength of England. And if the referendum succeeds, the two parties will be independent sovereign nations which can negotiate any kind of arrangement which is acceptable to them both.

I have a lurking suspicion, though, that the recent apparent surge in the Yes vote is just the Scots realising that the more likely they make separation look, the more concessions they can extract from England before the actual event. Yet another example of the citizenry out-gaming their increasingly naive political masters.