What you're describing is a federal alliance. A friendly club of strictly sovereign states co-operating to their mutual advantage on a few key areas where they have a common interest without pooling sovereignty or entering monetary union. In my view it would be entirely beneficial if the UK was replaced by such an arrangement. The EU is often sold falsely as a wayward version of a federation when in truth it was never intended to be anything other than an artificial single-state super-power controlled by anti-democratic central bureaucracy. Europe will never succeed as a federation. Its nations are too numerous, too disparate culturally, politically and economically and have too many conflicting interests. England, Scotland , Wales and Ireland on the other hand, are the perfect candidates. Culturally and historically we are siblings. The United Kingdom is a settlement we have outgrown. We would be happier, healthier and enjoy more harmonious relations if we separated but retained the family ties. Those nations which have a deep historic attachment to the crown could retain that constitutional tradition without compromising their political sovereignty - Australia and Canada manage well enough.
A modern, grown-up federal alliance of formerly conjoined nations would set a thoroughly sound example to our European neighbours and the wider world. I support the concept of Scottish secession for this reason and in this spirit and I deplore the hand-wringing Westminster elite which clings to the past like a child clings to its mother's skirts. But at the same time I am against Salmond and the SNP because his garbled, half-formed vision of independence in which he has encouraged antagonism and grievance to advance his ambitions is set to propel Scotland and the other nations of the British Isles is entirely the opposite direction.
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