Scottish independence

Rather ridiculous take in fairness.

Aus/Can/NZ are British settlers who really did not break from Britain (they ruled the natives for them)

Belize too small,

Malta and Caribbean did not ask to leave.

Cyprus were occupied and had its rebels imprisoned (with Irish people in fact), Britain ran out and left them too weak to defend themselves form Turkey

China told Thatcher if she did not get out of Hong Kong, they were taking it back, so she got out, hopped back in her ship

Problem is Britain defines itself as a country as one that invades, anti-Catholic and anti- French/Europe - almost a unifying force in their “culture”

SNP have really forced modernity into British politics citing nuclear disarmament, good international relations, anti-imperialism, reason, culture and, of course, democracy

Britain is facing its only ever existential threat which they certainly brought on themselves no one will feel sorry for them

Ulster was planted to divide Gaels of Ireland and the North and west of Scotland . Ulster was the most Gaelic part of the Island because of that and earlier invasions into Leinster and Munster by the English.

It was also intended to split Scotland by rewarding Lowlanders against the Highland Gaels.

Divide and conquer

Doesn't help my feverish suspicions that there are those in England who are deliberatley trying to encourage a split in the Union so England can go it alone, without being blatanly seen to be doing it.

I saw this earlier:

I hope that Scotland never goes independent. It'll be a on the brink as a failed state soon.

They wouldn't get the Euro anyway and wouldn't be able to use the British pound as well, and to date they are vague on that, - same as on military and defence or citizenship or how soon they'd be part of the EU. And then there is the question of finance, how to pay from free universities to free menstrual products for women. There is neither an answer nor a guarantee to any of these points.

The SNP has a lot of domestic issues which they can't even handle today, and yet, they still speak about independence.

I'd argue that their continued membership of the UK has effectively rendered them a failed state reliant on a few industries and smaller growth, in comparison to somewhere like Ireland.

The Bank of Scotland can peg itself to sterling and make a decision later on about the Euro or not, or tie to a basket of currencies. Scotland itself will be able to set itself up for growth independent of what England decides (and set it's own sustainable tax policies to pay for it). They can also pretty quickly join EFTA and get all the benefits the NI is currently enjoying but without crazy westminster politicians wanting to tear it down.

There is very few downsides to independence and a lot of upsides, most of the downsides (sterling, pensions) end up being scaremongering and factually untrue.

I only see downsides to Scottish independence and very few upsides.

But again, opinions will differ very much on this but this is only natural and bound to be controversial. Sadly, it's also a 50% - 50% decision, or nearly ( I think currently it's 48 for yes, 52 for no ) , and sadly one can toss a coin on this. One part of the population will decide over the other.

Part of the problem is the SNP, - in their attitude everything bad goes to England, everything good goes, or better stays, in Scotland.

Would the Royal Navy stay? the Royal Air Force? The SNP much hated submarines? How would Scotland compensate? Shipbuilding takes massive orders from London as well.

I also wouldn't listen too much on what the SNP says on currency, in the end, this subject will be up to economists and international rating agencies. Of course they are all wrong in the eyes of the SNP....

Those Scots who want an independent Scotland should better get used to an NHS which is on the level of the HSE in Ireland, or supermarket prices like in Ireland, if they are on the Euro same as chronically underfunded military like in Ireland. Would an Air Force of an independent Scotland afford fighter jets? Would university stay free? I doubt that massively.

I didn't say everyone admired her. There's room for everyone.

How are you holding her solely responsible for the Scottish independence movement?

Impossible indeed.

Similar rules applied to the Scottish Devolution referendum in 1979 - it was stipulated that more than 40% of the registered electorate was required for the vote to pass. In the end, 51 of a 64% turnout voted in favour, so just 32% of electorate.

That of course included dead people, those registered at multiple addresses and non-voters. Would at least make a good case for mandatory voting, as in Australia.

It would presumably be very similar to the ROI-GB border i.e. the one we have at our ports and airports. Probably a very similar 'common travel area' to our one, but customs checks for goods and livestock etc.

You would imagine there would have to be border posts and the need to bring photo ID with you, so definitely messy alright.

The Scotland-England border is shorter than that in Ireland and much of it is sparsely populated. There is less interchange generally as a conseqence. As Scotland had its own NHS and its own income tax then I expect that there is data on the number of people commuting. It requires attention, but probably is is not the hardest issue to address.