Denying the Catalans a vote may well do more harm than good

Barcelona’s Barri Gotic is ablaze with banners. Virtually every balcony in the gothic quarter seems to be adorned with some sort of flag. Some people fly La Senyera, the state-sanctioned flag of Catalonia, but far more fly L’Estelada, the rebel flag of independence. Eight months since Catalans voted for secession from Spain in an unofficial referendum which wasn’t endorsed by the Spanish government, Madrid and Barcelona have never been further apart.

Wandering the narrow alleys of Barcelona’s labyrinthine city centre, it’s easy to be swayed by the populist, separatist mood. As David Cameron discovered during the Scottish referendum, independence campaigners have all the best tunes. ‘Free all political prisoners!’ declare the slogans on the Barrio walls. These are Catalan politicians, languishing in Spanish prisons. Naturally, their imprisonment has been a godsend for the separatists. There’s even a yellow ribbon you can wear (as worn by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola) to show your solidarity with these heroic martyrs of democracy.