Scottish Independence?

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So now the SNP has its overall majority, it can hold a referendum on independence.

Do you think the Scottish people will vote to become independent? Do you think independence would be good for Scotland, good for the rest of the UK?

As a half Scot who lives in England, I would be sad to see the Union break up. Although I think there are difficulties with the current system, like not having an English parliament, it seems like the beginning of the inevitable break up of the UK. But if the Scots want it, then obviously it is their right. Or should be.

Looking at past polls its hard to know if Scots will vote Yes or No. I can imagine campaigning could get quite dirty, judging by the AV campaign which was really badly run on both sides.

As for whether or not the country will be better off independent, I'm not sure. If they had been independent over the last few years, they could have ended up in a similar situation to Ireland, especially with the downfall of RBS. Or am I just believing propaganda from the media?

I have never [being rather into selfdetermination] had principled objections to Scottish or Welsh independence, or to Quebec separatism or the secession of the southern states. I do not understand how the Swiss handle ethnic mishmash which has worked worse with less provocation in Yugoslavia [at least THEY are all Slavs except for Shqipish Kosovars.] Britain has not been so great at building an overriding national identity, perhaps because of the attitudes to non-English of people like a woman I knew in London [she was married to a Goan, but don't mind that]. Do you know the Flanders and Swan song on the English?

However, the one question is, can it be made to work. Can an independent Scotland, or Quebec, or Texas maintain a success rate equal or better or not too much less than what they have now?

Tequila will be along soon.

as I have said before I am for English separation from the Union.
it would be a much better country that way.

Of course one big issue for the English is losing a huge chunk of non tory vote. Does this mean we will be under tory control for the forseeable future, especially now the libdems have been sent to sit in the corner with a dunce hat on?

Do you mean separation of England, or separation of the English?

Given Jamaicans, Pakistanis, the Mitteleuropaeisch, the odd Boer and all, the two would be very different.

You can only survive if the english give you the oil and gas from the northsea.
If not, the Malt and sheep will have to do.
Maybe Sean Connery as president, if he is still alive.

But I'm thinking of Frazer from Dads Army: "we're doomed, doomed!"

Last I saw the North sea hydrocarbon industry was based in Aberdeen, Garden City by the Sea.

Garden city always made me laugh. The architecture!

I would not vote were I a Scot for Connery. Two many geezers producing directing and starring rotten films because they can.

Let them hold their referendum. Let them be a tiny socialist state subsumed into the EU.

The Fish will lose because I doubt the Scots want it.

But let them have their referendum, by all means. I would welcome it.

@I think the north sea comes with Scotland
@philogos England should be separate
the Queen should give up Balmoral
the prince should give up Wales
england could be a little Tory enclave and let everyone else alone

You can always see how much the Scots like the English when they're playing a football match. It's like the US Red Socks playing the Taliban Galaxy, but worse.

I mean that at the moment, in General Elections, there is a north south divide. Northern England being a mix of Labour and Tory, Scotland being Labour plus SNP/Libdem and most of mid and southern England being Tory. This is a generalisation of course, but if the General Elections are decided by the English, Welsh and Northern Irish I'm pretty sure Labour would rarely get into power and the Tories would have control at Westminster.

While I am not the greatest fan of Labour, I would dread having the Tories run this country for decades at a time.

@JakobVirgil The North Sea doesn't just belong to Scotland, I am only 8 or so miles away from it, in Eastern England.

But yes, I lived in Aberdeen for a year, and the trains were always full of burly men drinking lager, off to work on the oil rigs.
They call it the silver city, but the place just seemed grey to me. I was ill the whole time I was there.

I wish we could find a way to maintain a Scottish/English/Welsh/Cornish identity and still maintain a Union, but on a completely equal footing. And yes, I wish we could all leave the EU, as it currently is now.

I thought Sean Connery spent all his days playing golf in the Bahamas? I think he's a bit doddery for Scottish PM. I wouldn't mind seeing him and Alex Salmond scrapping over it though.

Football isn't necessarily the greatest representation of how two peoples view each other. Besides have you ever been to a Celtic v Rangers match?

I haven't, but that's more or less catholic/irish vs. protestant.

Last edited by Lefebvre on 07 May 2011, 10:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm for self-determination. I just hope its for the right reasons and not equivalent to the Bloc Quebecois over here. The SNP isn't scary and Orwellian, is it? Anyone? As a half Scot I'm definitely interested in anything about this situation

Henbane - never lived in Aberdeen, but visited extensively at one time. The climate is not something that makes you ewish you didn't take a return ticket. It was a good compromise in other respects between Glasgow [scary] and Edinburgh [artsy but socially cold] - but my last time the oil thing had just barely started and they were all complaining about the influx of Texans.

Still, I miss mealy pudding and rowies.