The Better Together campaign is stumbling towards failure and could be more accurately renamed as Better Apart. The latest news from Scotland is that their ‘No thanks’ message has been translated by the SNP into ‘Yes please’.

To casual observers from outside Scotland, that is an astounding topsy-turvy world. How the heck has all this happened over only a matter of weeks, and who is to blame? The recriminations haven’t quite started yet, but they will not be far away. In nine days time if the Scots do vote for Independence, the knives will be out with a vengeance (and rightly so?).

To the cynical amongst us, it is obvious that ALL politicians are lying gits, and that is the root of the problem here for the Scottish voters. They think that both sides are being ‘economical with the truth’, so in the end it comes down to who they trust the least, and vote against them – the current indication is that it is the NOs who are going to suffer that fate, isn’t it?

Any betting person would have put their hard earned cash on the Referendum’s outcome being a resounding NO – the statistics seemed to make that a safe bet (but now it’s a gambler’s long shot no less). How could the YES camp have got into a position now to be on the verge of victory? Two main reasons – Passion (unbounded enthusiasm for the Scots as a race) & Hard work (effort on the ground ), and uplifting  Message “vision of an Independent  Scotland regaining its place as an equal in the family of Nations”. Contrast that with the NO opposition – Threats (can’t share the £) & Put-downs (Scotland heading for the knackers yard), and crass poster Messages to women ‘if you love your children you will vote NO’..

The main name in the frame for blame for all that has transpired, and a potential disaster for Britain is carefree, chillax UK Prime Minister David Cameron surely? He has screwed-up from the very start didn’t he? The Scots wanted a Referendum question offering three alternatives – Independence, more Autonomy, or the Status Quo. Cameron refused, calculating that telling the Scots to say simply either YES or NO to Independence, would force them to capitulate. He was wrong wasn’t he? He is regretting it now isn’t he (if he cares)? He is hoping that a twelfth hour unsolicited panic offer of ‘unspecified’ greater autonomy will win the day – perhaps he may be right, but the momentum is against him (because he is not believed).

The worst thing though is that he has abdicated his responsibility to the rest of us Brits, to fight passionately as head of the UK Government, to keep the Union together. It is a fact that the Conservatives are politically sidelined in Scotland (primarily from a thirty five year hatred of Margaret Thatcher and her regime’s effect on Scotland), but that is no excuse is it? There are still probably about a quarter of a million Tory voters in Scotland (compared to a bit more than a third of a million SNP), but this Referendum has never been about simple politics anyway (whether Conservative, Labour, SNP, or LibDems); no it is about self determination or power within the Union, isn’t it?

Unbelievable, the person chosen to front the NO side is one Alistair Darling, a Scot, Labour ex-UK Chancellor of course, so a clinical operator, but one who’s charisma wouldn’t charm a starving tramp. In the last day he has been joined by Labour’s ex PM Gordon Brown, another charisma free zone, who we are told has rejoined ‘front line politics’ from oblivion, to ‘save the Union’. Two respected irrelevant men, permanently out of power, both accused (unfairly?) of causing the British financial crisis, pontificating adversely on Scotland’s finances, promising more devolution for which they have NO ability to deliver; with Brown who LOST Labour the UK Government indeed; also further support coming from Labour Leader Ed Miliband, promising to oust the Tories next year and be the next UK PM, when we all know his chances are less than fifty-fifty – is it any wonder the Scots are voting with their feet?

On the topic of ‘democracy’ in Britain, exactly WHAT MANDATE does Cameron’s Coalition Government , or indeed the Labour Opposition, have to offer ‘devolved powers’ to Scotland?  We didn’t vote for that did we? Parts of the UK are being given extra facilities surely that we English are not – is that right or FAIR?

As previously posted, Scottish Independence will severely hurt the UK and England in particular, constitutionally, economically, culturally, sportingly, and politically. Yesterday the Pound sterling lost a full percentage point and Scottish shares prices dropped dramatically on the news of the YES poll result (some recovery today). The NOs says this PROVES that their scares about independence were justified. But what is the truth? You don’t have to be involved in finance to know ONE thing – the markets don’t like ‘uncertainty’ do they? The unprincipled people in the markets don’t give a hoot though about ANYTHING, right nor wrong, other than can they be making money out of uncertainty. Who has created the uncertainty here then? The NO camp of course – in a long-term attempt to destabilise both our economies to win the vote? You can be certain of something though – next Friday the die will be cast, whatever the Scots’ verdict, and gradually stability will return, markets will recover, and uncertainly will reduce.

It isn’t clear why Salmond has not directly challenged Osborne with the direct question “How do you intend to stop an Independent Scotland from using the Pound Sterling?” – he can’t you see, as he can only block full currency union (an action which will damage the UK economy even further, after losing nearly ten percent of our GDP is Scotland goes!).

[Some bad news though for the ‘Yes’ camp? It is reported that News International’s head boy, Australian and naturalised American Rupert Murdoch is planning to throw his cap into the ring and support the ‘Yes’ campaign in his Scottish newspapers. They need that like a hole in the head surely? An England educated foreign MMMMMM (meddling multinational media megalomaniac magnate manipulator) telling the Scots people how to think & vote – that will go down well not!]