Scotland Independence U turn possible?

Why on earth is SNP leader Alex Salmond now saying that independence is "not a one-way street" and suggesting that if Scotland becomes independent it could later re-join the United Kingdom? Is the old carpet bagger beginning to wonder if the SNP sums really do add up?

The latest YouGov poll (carried out from 17 to 23 April among 1,872 people) puts the SNP on 38% in the constituency vote, eight points ahead of Labour and on 32% in the list vote, five points ahead of Labour. Liberal Democrats were at 15% in the constituency vote and 12% in the regional list.
The Scottish Tories were at 12% and 14%.

The poll shows also that support for independence is at 32%. This is the real story behind Alex Salmond's comments. He and the SNP realise that the support for their party is not so much about independence but about anti-labour sentiment.

They know that to sway uncommitted voters they need to take the fear out of voting for an independence party. Hence the suggestion that post Independence Scots could say "er we made a mistake could we join the club again?" and have their cake and eat it.

The SNP clearly have concerns that there are voters who worry about high tax, turmoil, instability and the risks of independence so they want to give these voters a "get out of jail free" card.

Alex Salmond was asked on the GMTV Sunday Programme if an independent Scotland could in future return to being part of the UK.

He replied "Any nation can do whatever it pleases. It can vote to become independent and it can vote if it so chooses to become un-independent, that's the prerogative of a nation and Scotland, of course, is a nation. It's a country - it has the right of self-determination. So no, it's not a one-way street, theoretically a country could do that."

What Alex Salmond fails to mention is that at that point the rest of the UK which they left will also have a choice and will be unlikely to automatically welcome Scotland back once it has left. Mr Salmond knows this of course and is quite frankly lying through his carpet bagging teeth to the Scottish electorate. He doesn't really care about a "way back" or an insurance policy. He simply wants to create the conditions where independence becomes inevitable and that means persuading fearful voters to take the independence gamble. Only in that way can Salmond become the big fish in the wee pond.

There is no going back once Scotland becomes independent. If it proves to be a costly mistake and the strategy of basing our whole economic future on a bet on our oil doesn't work out what then? Tough shit. Its too late. It will be like a re-run of the Darien adventure when a bankrupt Scotland had to go to England for assistance and the UK was formed. And if the rump of the UK did let Scotland back what do you think the terms would be like?

Think very very carefully and caste your vote with your head and not your heart.