Scottish Independence: Caledonia can only dream of what might have been

THERE will be some people waking up feeling a little glum this morning north of the Border.

For had Scotland voted Yes instead of No two years ago then March 24, 2016, had been marked in the diary as the first day of an independent Scotland. In an age prone to hyperbole it would have actually been a genuinely historic day – the birth of a new nation.

In the end too many waverers got cold feet and 55 per cent of voters opted to remain in the Union. Given the collapse of the global oil price since the referendum some might say such circumspection has been vindicated. Nevertheless, there will still be many Scots ruminating today on what might have been.

It’s true to say that had the Yes vote triumphed then the country would have undergone some profound changes. According to the Scottish Government’s white paper, hailed by former First Minister Alex Salmond as the most comprehensive blueprint for an independent country ever published, Scots would have been eligible to apply for a Scottish passport from the date of independence.

It would also have had an impact on Team GB as sportsmen and women could have competed for Scotland, rather than the UK, at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.

On top of all that, an independent Scotland would have its own army, navy and air force, according to the white paper, with decisions on the size of the forces made by the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government.

In some ways, though, life north of the border would have continued as before. The Queen would have remained head of state of an independent Scotland, and the country would have continued to use the pound – or at least, that is what the Scottish Government proposed.

There were no plans for border crossings at Gretna and viewers north of the border would still have been able to tune into their favourite TV shows.

Crucially, however, the Scottish Government would have assumed responsibility for a range of issues currently decided by Westminster. The white paper on independence also claimed that the Scottish Government and Parliament would be able to use these powers to do more “to improve the quality of life for people across Scotland”.

So what else would have changed? In one sense everything and nothing. A new Scottish Broadcasting Service (SBS), based on BBC Scotland, would have started broadcasting north of the border on January 1, next year, after the expiry of the current BBC charter.

The white paper, however, promised TV fans that the SBS would supply the BBC with programmes from Scotland, and in return “the people of Scotland will still have access to all current programming, including EastEnders, Doctor Who and Strictly Come Dancing”.

In the end, it didn’t matter. But, although today doesn’t mark the beginning of a new independent nation, it does, in a sense, mark a new era for Holyrood ahead of the forthcoming elections in May.

The MSPs who win will sit in the most powerful Scottish Parliament ever, thanks to a package of powers agreed in the wake of the 2014 referendum.

As a result of the Scotland Bill, backed by both Holyrood and Westminster, from April 2017 Scotland will be handed a range of new powers, including control over income tax rates and some responsibility for welfare.

This legislation, according to David Cameron, will make the Scottish Parliament one of the most powerful devolved assemblies anywhere in the world.

So even without achieving full separation from England, it can be argued that the Scots have actually gained a remarkable degree of autonomy.