After the second world war ended the United Nations comprised 51
independent nations. Today that figure has risen to 193.
Globalisation has gone hand in hand with a growing desire for
nations to take responsibility for their own affairs and make a
full contribution as a member of that global family of nations.
I write as the leader of a nation which is not yet a member of
that family in its own right, but I lead a government which
aspires to that status. Scotland will hold a referendum on
independence before the end of this parliament in 2016, and in
2012 we will lay the foundations by wielding the powers we
currently have to boost economic growth.  Global focus may be on
the BRIC nations, but there is another success story which needs
to be told: that of smaller states championing change. In Spain
the dynamic regions are Catalonia and the Basque country, which
enjoy degrees of fiscal autonomy from Madrid. To the north of
Europe the Danes thrive, the Norwegians are world-beaters while
Finland excels in many