I LOVE Scotland and have Scottish ancestry. My great, great, great Grandfather, Hamilton Craig, was born in Edinburgh but migrated to England as soon as he reached maturity. I therefore take a lively interest in the political games being played by the Scottish National Party under the leadership of Nichola Sturgeon. I should be very sorry to see the SNP get their wish to break up the United Kingdom and for Scotland to become independent.

Nichola Sturgeon is clearly a very ambitious politician and on something of an ego trip since Prime Minister Theresa May somehow used words that led to the belief that the SNP had the whip hand over what terms would be applied to Brexit or even if the UK’s withdrawal from the EU can go ahead at all unless the SNP’s demands are met.

When the Scottish people voted by a significant majority in their 2014 referendum to re-ject independence, the Scottish economy was in deficit. Since then , the price of North Sea oil has plummeted considerably worsening the deficit.

The people of Scotland have since 1978 benefited from a subsidy from the English tax payers under the terms of the Barnett Formula. This anachronistic piece of nonsense means that the level of public spending per head in Scotland is about 20% higher than in England and it is English tax payers that pick up the tab. The formula was only meant as a temporary measure but for reasons best known to the Government the generous sub-sidy to Scotland continues. Lord Barnett himself before his death in 2014 called for the formula to be scrapped because it is so unfair to England’s tax payers but he was ig-nored.

I am not an economist but I strongly suspect that without the Barnett Formula Scotland would probably be in deep financial trouble and would have to cut benefits (many of which are far more generous than in the rest of the UK) , raise taxes or do both.

It is therefore somewhat ungracious of the SNP to bite the hand that is feeding them. I wonder how many of those eligible to vote in Scotland are aware of how indebted they should feel to the tax payers of England, thanks to the Barnett Formula.

The strong desire by Nichola Sturgeon and the SNP for Scotland to remain in the EU is unlikely to be motivated by a wish to pour money into the EU coffers. It is more likely that the SNP see the possibility of becoming a net receiver of EU funds rather than a con-tributor. I therefore wonder if the EU Commissioners, if they are ever faced with an inde-pendent Scotland hammering on the door to join, will welcome into membership another country that like Greece, Spain and Italy will be bringing a begging bowl and wanting it filled quickly.

I fully understand Theresa May stating that she was prepared to listen to options that the SNP might wish to put before her and the fact that the Barnett Formula could be scrapped if the SNP pushes its luck must surely mean that it is Theresa May that is in a strong position rather than Nichola Sturgeon.

I am convinced that whatever the future holds for England and Scotland, both countries will be in a better position to face it in partnership rather than shouting at each other over the hard border controls that would be required between England and an independ-ent Scotland. England and Scotland need each other and I invite you to toast this thought with a “wee dram”.