In about a week’s time, Scotland will go to the polls to decide whether or not to secede from the United Kingdom.

Scotland and England have been united under the crown for over 300 years. In the early years of the union, Scotland had to make do. But as time went on and the spectacular rise of the British Empire continued unbridled, Scotland benefitted too.

But into the last century, particularly after WII, Scots often complained about being second class citizens within the Europe with the overriding feeling that nothing was coming across the border to the north.

When the depression came about in the 70s and 80s, Scotland was hit the hardest of all the UK. In 1997, a younger but no less vociferous Alex Salmond secured a deal which saw Scotland devolved into self ‘rule’.

Opinion on secession started out with the No camp being ahead and the Yes camp trailing by about 10 points. But all of a sudden, in the last month or so, a surge for the Aye vote has been recorded and that camp has all but overtaken the ‘Better together’ camp.

England’s parliament is now scrambling to give Scotland more powers in a bid to stave off secession. It will not be enough. Scotland – in particular Edinburgh – is heading towards and Aye vote and nothing seems to be able to stop it from gathering more steam.

Of course, this will all create Constitutional chaos in what is left of the United Kingdom. It is also bound to have quite severe repercussions on the financial side of things, oil revenues and in terms of currency.

Scotland is adamant that it will continue to use the pound Sterling. But England has said that is not possible. The prospect of people in the North East of England having to show their passports at the border is also a surreal possibility, which many cannot even fathom.

It will also affect things on an EU level should Scotland secede. Salmond, ever bullish, said it would be ridiculous for Scotland (already a member as a part of the UK) had to reapply for membership – which is not a quick process. But the EU has also said that Scotland would have to renegotiate entry to the Union. So, at the end of the day, if Scotland secedes from the UK, it will also secede from the EU.

On a local level, the issue would eventually affect us in terms of EU budget allocations and the like. But it will also mean that Malta will have to establish full diplomatic relations with an independent Scotland. The will of the people – as we have seen in Malta too – always comes first and foremost. By next week, we could see a fledgling independent state in the far northern reaches of Europe.