TV historian Neil Oliver has warned that the Scottish independence referendum could lead to a rift with the rest of Britain that may never be healed.
The BBC presentersaid he believed people needed to have a "historical grasp" of Britain in order to make an informed decision.
In an interview in tomorrow's Herald Magazine, he said: "The analogy I would make is that we have been married to the UK for a long time and now we are basically saying, 'I feel like a change. I'm not necessarily going to move out of the house but I want my own bit of the house. I would like to continue to share the bank account. I just don't love you the way I used to.'
"So, no matter what happens as a result of the referendum, whether Scots vote to stay in the Union or not, it's already out there. If a wife had said to her husband, 'I'm thinking about leaving you, I'll tell you in six months' time.' The relationship is not going to be the same."
A spokesman for Yes Scotland said: "After a Yes vote, people can still choose to be British if that is how they feel. While Neil Oliver might wish the referendum was not taking place, the polls shows that there is a very high level of engagement and interest in Scotland's future and that there is likely to be an extremely high turnout on September 18."
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