Some interesting thoughts on a Scottish independence referendum in this post on the Little Man in a Toque blog. Describing Scotland’s membership of the United Kingdom as “conditional” rather than “integral and perpetual”, the question is posed: how many referendums (referenda?) would be required to effect independence?

Would there be a requirement for one to begin negotiations (a side issue: with whom would Scotland be negotiating, the United Kingdom? England? England, Wales & Northern Ireland?) and another on the concluded terms of those negotiations?

For what it’s worth, it seems to me that there would need to be a second plebiscite, otherwise the first would be the constitutional equivalent of signing a blank cheque.