There is little doubt that Scotland voting Yes would weaken the United Kingdom on the world stage. On the other hand it might force England to confront reality and see itself in a more self assertive and confident frame. Not since I was a child have I called myself, or heard other people call themselves, English. England and English could have a rebirth and stand for something bigger than losing at football. For these reasons this blog is happy to accept either outcome, Yes or No. This is something for Scots to decide. Each side has a good reason to back its argument; indeed they present many. I have chosen my view the best one for each.
YES. If it gains independence the Scottish government has said there will be a written Constitution. This will enshrine the powers of government, the rights of the people and the obligations of the state and the people to each other. This means that the Scottish State will be fundamentally different to the English, which has no written constitution (there are only three states in the world without, Britain, Israel and New Zealand). The effect of this will be to transfer real power from government to governed. The Establishment in an independent Scotland will no longer rule, unlike England where it is all powerful. This is a very good reason to vote Yes.
NO. Scotland’s golden age has been in the Union. It has punched well above its weight, played a decisive part in the expansion of what was the British Empire and provided a string of leading statesmen, including several prime ministers. To better this with independence requires Scotland to be financially independent and that demands a currency. The proposal to force upon a reluctant remainder of the UK a currency union, would require the ceding of economic sovereignty to the largest economy in the currency union, England. The outcome would be less actual independence than that available anyway in what is known as Devo-Max. That would be the better option and it makes sense to vote No to get it.