On Thursday, Scotland decides whether to become an independent nation or remain part of Britain. As an Englishman I have no say in the matter. The Scots have had a great deal to say. No one thought to ask me. If they had they would probably have been extremely surprised by the response.
But what is the background to all this? Even the British are confused about what constitutes Great Britain or the United Kingdom. Many think the “great” is some sort of backwards nod to the greatness of empire. In fact, it is simply a geographical description of the largest British island. This little video neatly sums up all the various bits of the British diaspora. Mug up on this in time for Thursday’s vote.