Panic reigns in the scramble for Scotland

We could have told the Scots that referendums are unpredictable, writes Pat Rabbitte.

The real possibility of Scotland leaving the union was not contemplated.

The scramble for Scotland has begun in earnest. The traditional parties just did not see it coming – two to one against independence was the complacent conventional wisdom in the corridors of power at Westminster.

Suddenly the debate has erupted in a passionate struggle for dominance. The pound is falling, hundreds of millions are flowing out of Scotland, big corporates are threatening to withdraw south of the border and the party leaders are ...