There's one good reason for why Scotland should vote yes for independence: the breaking up of the United Kingdom would be an imminently good thing for the sake of world peace.

Anything that lessens the power of the London-centred United Kingdom is bound to be a good thing. So, if Scots walk away from the Union on September 18 by voting to establish their own separate, sovereign nation, that will deliver a positive blow to further weaken Britain's legacy as an imperial power.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said so himself, albeit indirectly. This week Cameron has run up the Scottish flag over Downing Street and begged the Scots that he will be heartbroken if they should leave the “family of nations” that he euphemistically calls the United Kingdom. His desperation reflects the deep concern among the British ruling establishment over the impact Scottish independence will have on their power.

If the No campaign should lose the referendum, the Conservative Party has the knives out for its leader. That’s how serious the London government is taking the potential loss of Scotland.

Cameron has previously warned that Britain's standing in the world will be much diminished if Scotland goes independent. That's why the No campaign, spearheaded by the British prime minister, is called “Better Together.” Yes, better together, but for whom? The London-based British establishment, not “the plebs” north of the border.

Cameron's view has been backed by other NATO allies. US President Barack Obama and Canada's premier Stephen Harper have both come out to endorse the British status quo and to hamper Scotland's independence. Anything these warmongers wish for, then the opposite is bound to be the right choice.

Historically, the English ruling class has used the nations of Scotland, Wales and Ireland to expand their power base centred in London. That's why the English conquered and colonized its neighbouring nations first before setting out on its global conquest as the British Empire. The English rulers forced those nations through a series of “unions” into the so-called United Kingdom. Scotland was nailed in 1707, as was Ireland in 1801. The Irish partly seceded in 1922 but only after a cruel and bloody War of Independence. Britain still clings on to the territory of Northern Ireland.

There is a searing reason why the London government has fought tooth and nail to maintain the Union down through the centuries and latterly over the upcoming Scottish referendum next week. London knows that without the outer territories its power will be greatly diminished. It will no longer be able to “punch above its weight” in the world, as the English establishment likes to put it.

Great Britain lost its allure long ago, but with Scotland taking its leave that will surely deliver a crippling blow and reality-check to British pretensions. The Scots will also enliven separatist sentiments in the remainder of the UK: Northern Ireland, Wales and the remote English regions, such as Newcastle in the far northeast and Cornwall in the far southwest. All these regions have suffered economically and culturally from the centralizing power of the English establishment based in London.

Scotland's oil wealth from the North Sea has been siphoned off for the past 40 years by a London government that has squandered it on tax cuts for the rich and reckless, criminal overseas wars of conquest. It's time for the Scots to harness that wealth for their own development.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. Millions of Scots, Irish and Welsh were slaughtered in that war, sent into battle by English rulers. Many other wars have since been fought to prop up imperial Britain and give it a much-undeserved global status as is manifested by its position today on the Security Council of the United Nations.

Britain is a warmongering, destructive entity that continually destabilizes world peace through its “special relationship” with the United States. Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan, Iran, Libya, Syria, Ukraine... anywhere you care to look in the world to see people suffering from conflict or duress you will see the nefarious presence of Britain.

There are many positive reasons for why the Scottish nation should now create its own destiny. After centuries of subjugation under the English yoke, they deserve to chart their own path of freedom.

But one good reason, among others, is this: Scottish independence is a vote for peace by delivering a hammer blow to Britain's imperial pretensions and warmongering. William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Bonnie Prince Charlie would be proud of ye!

Finian Cunningham (born 1963) has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Master’s graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.

Scotland: Vote yes for world peace