May you live in interesting times, goes the famous expression. Looking at Britain from the shores of Majorca you get the impression that the country is almost in meltdown. Not only does prime minister Theresa May face long and complicated negotiations with the European Union she also has to keep Northern Ireland and Scotland onside.
But if May needs to find a solution she should look no further than Spain. The Spanish government has given much power to the regional governments and places like Catalonia behave almost as if they were independent states. Giving Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland more power, as former prime minister Gordon Brown suggests, could help keep the United Kingdom together at this most crucial time. In some ways each of the Home Nations could negotiate their own deal with the European Union. Scotland and Northern Ireland are obviously more pro-European than their English and Welsh counterparts and giving them the powers to negotiate their own trade deals would also serve democracy as well.
May must make decisions and quick. I sometimes think that the British government hasn't got a clue what to do about Brexit. The best solution is to negotiate a fair and honest divorce from Brussels which would allow Britain to remain part of the single market. Britain would be out but still in for some aspects. Then the regional assemblies can do their own deals. I think the prime minister needs to set out her vision for the future. Not giving Scotland another independence referendum is a bold move, but the problem is not going to go away as long as the Scottish Nationalists are in power. There is always a danger in these cases that the central administration can appear to be arrogant and dismissive. May needs to work with Scotland for the benefit of the United Kingdom.