London has sought to undermine Salmond’s claims about the ease of independence, angrily ruling out his proposed currency union with the rest of the UK, while questioning his assumptions on an independent state’s EU status.

Another battle seems to be taking place at the same time over energy policy, specifically renewables.

Green power has long been central to Salmond’s vision of an independent Scotland — the oil reserves might be slowly dwindling, but harnessing the country’s natural resources will ensure that it remains prosperous, he argues.

For