The Scots have faced dismal economic times, and it is much easier to champion a brave new future.
They are hiding. It is a strange political campaign when one side is obliged to admit that many of its supporters are too shy to admit their allegiance. That seems to be what is happening in Scotland before this week’s momentous vote on independence.
If the visibility of the two sides were a guide to the outcome, Alex Salmond’s Scottish National party would be heading for a landslide victory. The separatists, festooned with the Saltire, brimming with energy and enthusiasm, are everywhere. Strolling around Edinburgh at the weekend I met more American tourists than I did proud campaigners for the 307-year-old union with England.
One explanation comes in the question on the ballot paper. Framed as it was by Mr Salmond, it asks simply: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”. It invites a yes. The years since the financial crash have been as dismal for Scotland as they have been for most of the rest of Britain. How much easier it is to champion a brave new future than to argue that Scotland should be happy with its present lot.
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