Scottish independence: TV presenter Neil Oliver warns against knee-jerk decisions By BRIAN FERGUSON Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 00:00 BBC PRESENTER Neil Oliver has waded into the debate over the future of the Union, expressing fears about Scots "sleepwalking" into independence. The presenter of A History of Scotland and Coast told a BBC interview of concerns about Scots making a "knee-jerk" referendum decision based on something that happened "last year or five years ago, or ten years ago." He said people needed to have a "historical grasp" of Britain in order to make an informed decision on the best interests of Scotland in the poll, which is expected to be held in 2014. Oliver's comments on Radio Five Live, while promoting his latest TV show, have come in the wake of mounting concerns about the impartiality of the BBC from the SNP. However, last night the Nationalists said they welcomed his intervention. Oliver, a historian, archaeologist, author and broadcaster, said he felt support for independence had grown to the extent that the result of the referendum was now on "a knife-edge." There are very strong feelings. You stop one person and they are strongly in favour of Scottish independence and you talk to the next person and they are strongly in favour of the Union continuing as it has done for the last 300 years. It would be the biggest constitutional decision facing Britain certainly in the last 300 years, since the parliaments were brought together as one. "I think everyone should be absolutely aware of how big a deal it is," the historian said. Heaven forbid that anyone, or any part of the nation, should sleepwalk into a decision. It is hoped that through history - not just of Scotland, but a history of the whole of the British Isles - that people have to understand how the status quo came about in order to make a proper decision about what, if anything should happen in the future. You certainly would not want people making knee-jerk reactions based on something that happened last year, or five years ago, or ten years ago. You have to see the big picture. The story of the people of the British Isles has been unfolding for hundreds and thousands of years. The more historical grasp you have, then the better and able you are to make an informed decision on the best interests of everyone living here. Another leading historian, Professor Tom Devine, of Edinburgh University, said: "If Neil Oliver is arguing that one of the important aspects of the independence debate is that people should have a knowledge of the historical context, I would agree with him. That is absolutely vital. We need to have a sense of how the Union has developed over the last three centuries, but it is also important to look at how Scotland existed before the Union, although I don't see any need to go back thousands of years. A spokesman for the SNP said: "Neil Oliver is a talented and celebrated historian and it is encouraging that he recognises that the referendum in 2014 is the biggest and most important decision that the nation will have ever had to make. We are confident that the momentum for independence will continue and that the people of Scotland will back a vote Yes at the referendum.