Scotland should look to Germany on the question of independence

As a proud Scot, I can fully understand the desire of many of my compatriots for greater independence.

As a child living near Dundee in the early 1950s, I can remember neighbours’ offspring going off on a Saturday morning for elocution lessons. In those days, London was the draw and having an English accent was seen by many as desirable.

Time, of course, has moved on since then, and there is now a real challenge for those who wish to preserve the Union. (Clearly Blair’s hybrid devolution scheme did not do the trick.)