UNIONISTS would have you believe that Scotland could never be successfully independent.
We could never make currency arrangements work, apparently. Nor could we settle border issues or abolish the monarchy. The "too poor, too wee, too stupid" claim resurfaces, again – *sigh*.
And yet a THIRD of the world’s countries have gained independence from the British Empire or the United Kingdom. No, we’re not joking. From Brunei and Cyprus to Pakistan and Ghana – it amounts to a staggering 65 out of a total of 195 countries worldwide.
For this new series – Independence is Normal – we will explore how these countries got there during each of their independence days. The first in the series is out here!
The circumstances surrounding how they secured independence will be different. Many came off the back of decolonisation and the collapse of the British Empire during the 20th century. Others – like the United States – came much earlier.
But each one may have important lessons for Scotland and the Yes movement.
The National editor Laura Webster said: “This is something I know our readers are really keen for – the specifics of how a country secures its independence. Dozens of countries around the world have left behind British rule and none have asked to come back.
“Telling the stories of how these countries came to be will showcase why absolutely nothing is stopping Scotland from determining its own future.
"Independence needs to be normalised. A third of all countries worldwide gained independence from the British Empire or the United Kingdom. A third!”
The first in our Independence is Normal series is out here and it explores how the Maldives – an island nation now known as one of the world’s foremost tropical paradises – battled for and secured its independence from the British Empire in 1965.
