In the late 1950s, Malta voted to stay tied to the British yoke until it obtained independence in 1964. Mintoff was right to seek integration at the time. Malta’s economy was geared to the British presence and integration was then a sensible choice as the winds of change were blowing away the remaining vestiges of the British Empire. Integration with the UK offered protection and benefits to Malta and on the surface was an attractive ideal.

However, it would have been detrimental to Maltese aspirations in the long term.

Economic activity in England, as the major hub of the UK, mainly takes place in the South East conurbation. The rest of England, despite efforts to move industries to the regions, still faces structural problems. Scotland, which is now seeking independence, has had enough of being a forgotten outpost of England.

With integration, the same problems involving begging bowl politics for industrial investment would not be dissimilar to those faced by the depressed regions in the UK.

It is up to the people of Scotland to decide where their future lies. They might look at Slovakia to decide. I was recently in Bratislava and since their splitting from Czechoslovakia, one could see no signs of run-down and depressed areas. One saw the opposite; a healthy thriving community of well-maintained buildings, expensive cars and crowded restaurants.

Malta can also show the way. Despite the gloom of merchants who desire to make a name for themselves, we enjoy a standard of living higher than some European states.

One thing the Scottish people should note: Malta had no natural or man-made resources such as fuel oil and an established whisky export industry. In spite of all, we built up what we have got now without relying on a parliament 1,500 miles away.