UK Prime Minister David Cameron travelled north to Edinburgh on Monday to sign a historic agreement with First Minister Alex Salmond to allow a referendum on Scotland’s independence before the end of 2014.
It has taken eight months of intense negotiations to get this far in a process that will ultimately see Scots determine their future place within the United Kingdom by answering with a simple “yes” or “no” to a question. Long-cherished by Scottish nationalists, the notion of an independent nation north of the English border is not entirely unfeasible nor unsustainable. It is rich in natural resources, oil and gas, fishing and has thriving technology and cultural businesses. Whether that is enough to convince a majority of its four million voters that it should go it alone, away from the laws and influence of Westminster, remains to be seen.
For Cameron, this is a brave step, but the referendum itself is a natural step from the devolution of powers where Scotland has its own assembly. For nationalists, they will watch his every move, offering any slip as proof that Scots should walk.
