STANLEY Baxter only has to think for half a second when asked if he's in favour of an independent Scotland.

"Why would I be?" says the 88 year-old comedy legend.

"I've lived in London longer than I have in Glasgow, moving south in 1959 and returning only for brief stints to make comedy shows.

"And I owe so much to England for my career."

That's not to say Maryhill-born Stanley, back with a new series of radio plays in July, is dismissing the impact Scotland, and indeed Scots talent, has played in his success.

He admits he owes the Citizens Theatre a great deal, giving him his professional start in the business, allowing him the chance to work alongside the likes of Roddy McMillan and Duncan Macrae.

And Jimmy Gilbert, of course. Jimmy Gilbert was an actor/writer at the Citz during Stanley's three year stint, who would go on to produce some of the BBC's most iconic shows, such as The Two Ronnies.

The pair became great friends, and still are to this day.

But back in 1959, Stanley had no idea his chum would play a big part in his future.

At this point, the comedy actor had left the Citz and 'legit' theatre to go work in variety.

However, Stanley realised the likes of the Five Past Eight Shows were in the wane.

And he decided, Dick Whittington-like, to seek his fortune in London. By pure chance, right at that time, Jimmy Gilbert called Stanley.

"Jimmy, who had become a television producer, rang to find out what I was up to," Stanley recalls.

"And in total disbelief he learned that I had no job to go to. He offered me a television review, On The Bright Side, in which I worked with the likes of Amanda Barrie, Una Stubbs and Ronnie Barker.

"And I did so well I had a film offer and two West End shows."

Stanley's career down south was set.

"But I took some abuse from some newspapers for going to England," he sighs.

"The reason for it really was I was no longer using a Scots accent and the papers thought I had turned my back on Scotland.

"But it wasn't that I was ashamed of being Scots or anything like that, it was just that I didn't want to be seen as a Parliamo Glasgow comedian for ever. So what I did with Jimmy's show was make sure I did a whole range of accents. And of course the rest of Britain had no idea I'd been born in Glasgow."

Stanley's role models were the likes of Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. And the TV review show gave Stanley the chance to show the world his talent, appearing as females, cleaners, soldiers . . . whatever it took."

It wasn't long before he was a West End star and had a film career with Rank Pictures.

But far from turn his back on his Scottishness, Stanley highlights how important his Scottish DNA was.

"It kept me grounded," he says. "And don't forget, during my time in London I was part of the Scottish mafia of talent.

"I worked at LWT with my old friend David Bell, who had been with STV, with Bruce McClure the choreographer and Murray McDonald, the West End theatre director. The Scots looked after me."

Stanley went on to become a household name in Britain, but he could have followed the likes of Sellers and Guinness to Hollywood, given his talent.

But the less-confident side of Stanley, a complex, confused mix of fear of failure and fastidiousness, saw him say 'no' more often than 'yes'.

He certainly didn't work as often as his talent merited.

Stanley, for example, was once offered the lead role on a Broadway show, but refused to follow on from old army pal Kenneth Williams, a part sure to have opened Hollywood doors.

"The dominant emotion in my life has been anxiety," he says. "And I was feart."

However, the slightly obessional Stanley chose his own career path. And it's not to say showbiz has been unkind to him. While he didn't make fortunes during his career - his TV specials were so expensive to make, and he wouldn't make many series', given his need (to remain in control) to come up with all the ideas.

But he earned a comfortable living, thanks to his panto stints. He lives in a large art deco house in the same street as George Michael and a beautiful villa in Cyprus, to where he's headed, straight after recording his new radio series.

"I'm so glad I came south to work," he says. "Scotland formed me, but I needed to work here in London. And I'm so glad to have been given that chance.

"That's why the idea of separate Scotland doesn't work for me. As an artistic community we're all the same. We are better together."

l Stanley Baxter's Comedy Playhouse returns to Radio Four on July 4