Scottish independence scaremongering increases in volume

Unionist scaremongering continues to increase in shrillness and volume as Conservative leader and UK prime minister David Cameron, home secretary Theresa May and even former Northern Ireland first minister Lord Trimble all lined up this week to add their political tuppence worth to the Scottish independence referendum debate.

As expected, negativity dominated the Scottish Conservative Party conference, held in Troon in Ayrshire, and proved beyond doubt the Tories have learned little from their massive defeat at the hands of the SNP in last year's Scottish Parliament elections.

Of course, the same can be said of  Labour and the Lib Dems, the two other mainstream unionist parties. All three have consistently shown they are little more than parties of fear.

Mr Cameron told the party faithful for too long they had allowed the SNP to claim ownership of patriotism. The Scottish Saltire, he said, the flag of a proud nation, was not the symbol of one party.

He accused the SNP of spreading the idea loving your country meant you had no choice but to go it alone and believing in the Union was somehow treasonous.

Ms May warned an independent Scotland would mean an open border and mass immigration; Lord Trimble attacked separation claiming it was tantamount to "doing violence" to the "British component" of every Scot.

There were other vitriolic anti-SNP voices raised at the conference, too. These included Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson who implored Labour and Lib Dems to put differences aside and join her in a united stand against the SNP.

So there we have it, the whole might and power of the British and Scottish establishments ranged against one solitary party. Stand by for a summer dominated by scare stories, dirty tactics and character assassinations.

However, a word of caution for those hiding behind the scenes, pulling the strings. Should by your conniving and underhanded tactics you actually win, and Scotland votes to retain the Union, don't think for a moment it spells the end of the independence campaign. Far from it. It'll just be the beginning.