Without trying to rain on Alex Salmond's parade too much, he should be aware of the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' if the Parti Quebecois referendum experience is anything to go by.

The driving force behind the separatist movement in the Canadian province of Quebec back in the 1980s and nineties, this predominantly French speaking province had a strong public voice for a break away from English speaking Canada.

They got their wish in 1980. Unfortunately for them the vote to secede was defeated by a ratio of 60/40 with the Liberal Party opposition successfully marshalling the no movement. However, despite this setback the Parti Quebecois government was re-elected a year later in the 1981 provincial election. So far so good for the SNP's long term prospects.

Not for long though, during the rest of the 1980s the separatists fragmented and the leader of the 1980 'yes' group Rene Lévesque's resigned from politics in 1985. Not so good a parallel for Mr Salmond then.

However, the seperatists were a tenacious lot and the Parti Québécois clawed its way back to power led by Jacques Parizeau in 1994. Perhaps Nicola Sturgeon to lead the Nats' second charge? It wasn't to be though beaten again by just the narrowest of margins 49.44% said "yes" with just 50.56% saying "no".

Pro Unionists can take heart that after this second defeat interest in the independence issue waned sharply with the Liberals taking back power in 2003 and governing ever since. There are no plans for another independence referendum. What's French Canadian for déjà vu............