Sean Connery Says Scotland Better Off Outside UK, ‘Chance Too Good To Miss’

Sean Connery has spoken out in favor of an independent Scotland, saying the opportunity is simply “to good to miss.”

The original “007” thinks that if Scotland were no longer part of The United Kingdom it would help to encourage and develop artistic talent north of the border.

Although Sean Connery’s gateway to fame was playing role of the quintessential English spy, James Bond, Connery,83, was actually born in Scotland and now resides in the Bahamas.

He has always been a supporter of the idea of an independent Scotland and says that if the referendum, due to take place in six months, results in separation, then he would be willing to return to his homeland.

Connery wrote in an article due to be published on the New Statesman website on Tuesday, “As a Scot and as someone with a lifelong love for both Scotland and the arts, I believe the opportunity of independence is too good to miss,”

Connery is not alone in speaking out on this subject; some other well known celebrities have also joined the debate – but not on the same side.

Last month, rock star David Bowie conveyed a message via Kate Moss, which she read out at the Brit awards ceremony, saying “Scotland, stay with us.”

Connery does accept that the decision on independence is a matter for the people who live and work in Scotland. But he wrote:

“More than anything else, culture defines a country. It provides international visibility and stimulates global interest more than a nation’s politics, business or economy ever can.

So, with our colorful history, strong identity, deep rooted traditions, a commitment to artistic innovation and diverse and beautiful landscapes, Scotland is truly blessed.”

Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, will deliver a lecture in London on Tuesday about independence.

Salmond is spearheading the secession campaign and fighting David Cameron’s efforts to prevent a “yes” verdict by undermining his Scottish National Party’s main contention that oil-rich Scotland could be a prosperous independent nation.

However, financial institutions, like Edinburgh-based Standard Life and the Royal Bank of Scotland, have expressed their fears about uncertainties over currency, regulation, and tax regimes should Scottish independence ever come about.

On the other hand, the head of the International Airlines Group – which owns British Airways – said it could be good for business.

The referendum on whether to end the 307-year union with England will be held on September 18, 2014.

If the outcome is independence, then Sean Connery (A.K.A James Bond) may yet spend his twilight years sipping Martinis in the land of his birth.

Shaken, but not stirred – of course.

Images: 20th Century Fox / 007 – Eon productions