Two days to go before we head into the possible divorce court. I would like to make a pitch as a half Welsh and half Englishman for not breaking up the family. Like all families there are from time to time tensions whether the kids should be educated in private schools or state, whether private health insurance or depend on the NHS? I should as they say declare and interest - I am divorced - in the past there were some tensions but happily that is all behind us.
So I would like to appeal to our neighbours in Scotland, brothers and sisters not to go we will all be worse off. Those who are left - Wales, Northern Ireland and England will grieve the end of a 411 year marriage - from James VI of Scotland who became James I of England in 1603 - after the death of Elizabeth I. We will all be diminished by the Scots bringing up the draw bridge.
The economic case has not be made by Alex Salmond and more importantly the Better Together campaign have not articulated their case strongly enough. There will be massive cash out flows from the banks, trust funds and pensions companies. Edinburgh will be smaller as a result. Moreover there will be many job losses in the financial services sector according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) based in Paris. In addition Salmond says he wants independence, but Brussels will be a much tougher task master than Blighty will ever be. They will have to join the queue of other nations wanting membership of the EU and Euro. That could take some years to achieve.
So in these last two days lets muster as much passion and commitment to this long and at times very happy and fulfilling marriage of a polyglot family. Don't lets follow the actor Gwyneth Paltrow and do 'conscious uncoupling' whatever that means but stay married - for better or worse, rich or poor, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.
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