Independence is natural and normal. The vast majority of European countries are independent. They stand on their own two feet, run their own affairs, take responsibility for their own decisions. Is that not a good idea?

And in these other normal countries, there is one thing that people are well agreed on. Whether they are Labour, Conservative, Liberal or whatever - they all want their countries to stay independent.

If you ask Norwegians, for example, if it would not be better for little Norway to be run from bigger Sweden, they would look at you as if you were daft.

Or if you asked the Danes if they thought it would not be better for little Denmark to be run by bigger Germany, again, they would think you were nuts!

Other normal countries all agree, INDEPENDENCE IS GOOD FOR YOU.

Independence is democratic

In these other normal countries, you actually get the government the people voted for. In Scotland on the other hand, we normally get the government we didn't vote for!

Incredible, isn't it? But the facts are there.

In the last 50 years, only one Tory prime minister out of eight has ever won an election in Scotland. And yet Scotland has had a Tory government for 35 of the last 50 years. So while the Tories have hardly ever won, they have actually ruled us for 70 per cent of the time!

Independence works

Even in purely economic terms, independence works. Especially for the small countries of Western Europe.

Did you know that the six wealthiest countries in Europe are all small, and four of them have populations the same as Scotland's or smaller. Take a look at the following table. (Source: 'The Economist', 2000, by GDP per head)

Europe's Wealthiest Top Six
Position	Country	Population
1	Luxembourg	0.4 million
2	Switzerland	7.3 million
3	Norway	4.4 million
4	Denmark	5.3 million
5	Iceland	0.3 million
6	Austria	8.1 million

Britain is currently in 14th position in Europe. In 1960 it was 5th. In the last 40 years the UK has been overtaken by Denmark, Norway, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Holland and Finland. And most recently, of course, by the Republic of Ireland.

Independence brings responsibility

Everyone agrees - it's a good thing for people to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions. And what's good for an individual person, is good for an individual country as well. For responsibility brings a nation dignity.

Independence brings dignity

There is nothing less dignified than when one country has to ask another before it can do anything. Years ago, that's one of the reasons the Scots revolted against John Balliol's subservience to Edward the First of England.

Henry McLeish is now finding himself in a similar position to Balliol.

Only real independence, not devolution, can bring Scotland both responsibility and dignity.