WHAT do the following 56 nations have in common? Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Kingdom of Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia.

Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka.

Caribbean and Americas: Antigua and Bermuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.

Europe: Cyprus, Malta, UK (Commonwealth honcho)

Pacific: Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

All are former colonies of the UK. All are members of the Commonwealth. While some have thrived more than others under independence, not one has ever requested to return to the UK fold.

United States, Ireland, Myanmar (formerly Borneo), Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Israel and Somalia.

All are republics, many of which had to drive the British out from colonial rule. Not a one has expressed any desire to ever return to the Westminster fold.

Scotland, a country with the greatest abundance of renewable natural assets in the whole of Europe is, according to some, peculiarly incapable of self-governance.

Uniquely, Scotland’s democratically elected government cannot be trusted with controlling such an enormous source of natural wealth. Apparently, only a Westminster government has that exceptional expertise and insight to manage such an immense undertaking.

The broad-shouldered UK Government track record over the last thirty-years when, even with the vast bounty of North Sea oil and gas, its national debt has rocketed from half a billion to rapidly approaching two and a half trillion, or, from 20% to 85% of UK GDP.

Then there is UK gold reserves. Labour chancellor Gordon Brown, between 1999 and 2002 auctioned off more than half the UK gold reserves at US $282.40/ounce. The Treasury received US$6.5bn in foreign currency. Today’s gold price is US$1,73.84/ounce.

UK Gold reserves today stand at just 310.29 tonnes.

Compare other European government gold reserves.

Germany 3355.14 tonnes, Italy 2451.84 tonnes, France 2438.50 tonnes, Switzerland 1040.00 tonnes, Netherlands 612.5 tonnes, Portugal 382.57 tonnes, UK 310.29 tonnes, Spain 281.58 tonnes, Belgium 227.40 tonnes, Sweden 125.72 tonnes.

It is understood rUK will be in some strife should Scotland depart their precious Union. Regrettably, after more than 300 years of Westminster’s imperious Union, that time has come when the last remaining vestige of the once massive British Empire finally grasped the nettle and learned to stand on their own feet.

Bob Cotton

Edinburgh

I WAS reminded of how Scotland is a colony, when I recently visited Aberdeen.

The once proud “oil capital of Europe” now looks decidedly run down, a shadow of its former self.

It’s a good example of what happens when you are a colony, as Scotland is.

As in the case of Scotland’s oil, you get continually fleeced by the UK Government with, in the end, nothing much to show for it.

I believe the same thing happens with Welsh water resources.

Of course, Wales is also a colony.

Alastair McLeish

Edinburgh