THE chances of a Yes vote for
independence in the referendum next month may have receded slightly in the past
week or so, but they remain worryingly real.
The pro–United Kingdom No campaign may
have been bolstered by the victory of Alistair Darling over Alex Salmond in the
television debate earlier this month, but they are taking nothing for granted.
Mr Salmond has already proved he is
able to execute a last round burst to overtake an opponent seemingly cruising
to victory; no one should forget the last Scottish parliamentary election when
an expected Labour win was turned into a rout by the SNP.
In London, as here, the possibility of
a last–minute surge by the Nationalists is being taken deadly seriously. It is
unlikely the Better Together campaign or the UK Government is going to put a
foot badly wrong within the next five weeks, but you can never tell.
And what is certain is that Mr Salmond
and his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, will become ever more outrageous in their wild
promises of post–independence riches for all, a last–ditch tactic which will be
coupled to their constantly voiced doomwatch scenario should we vote to stay in
the UK.
There is no doubt that the Yes campaign
is badly damaged, probably irrevocably. Even many of the most diehard
Nationalists are all but conceding defeat and looking forward to what can be
done about reviving their long campaign after September.
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