They absolutely have the right, I don't disagree with you at all. But I see no good that will come from distancing ourselves from one another. Our government is rubbish, it's awful, but it's our government, it's not an English government, it belongs to us all, so let's stand together and remove it. If you go alone, you'll get your own awful government and you'll not have the strength to rid yourself of it, where as right now you do. Give me one good reason why shunning friendship is better than embracing it. I can give you a million to the contrary.
The currency issue is not really that tricky...Scotland could still continue to use the Pound, linked to the UK Pound as was the Irish Punt. If Scotland then decided to join the EU they would be required to adopt the Euro...although that need not happen from moment one. As to NATO membership, SNP policy since 2012 is to remain as members but without nuclear weapons on Scottish soil. I think the 2% minimum of GDP might prove hard on the economy though...having said that, the Germans.... the main beneficiary of NATO protection can't be arsed to spend it and there doesn't seem to be any penalties.
Much like Brexit, the cause of Scottish independence is primarily fuelled by narrow-minded nationalism. Most that are in favour have very little understanding of what it would take to extricate the country after more than 300 years of union. It would be an absolute sh*t show.
Having devolved governments surely gives a head start though. They control a lot of their own affairs already
They are there though Ian....not to us on a practical, local level as Scotland as a purely independent country, but if Scotland were to join the EU, the same problem as the Irish border is writ large ( although without the sectarian issues).
I think you can have the friendships but if you have to countries like England and Scotland who have such a different value system - which have increased enormously over the last thirty years - and where one can absolutely dominate the other, then an amicable parting of the ways is best for all concerned. Incidentally I don’t make those comments as a Scot - I was born in Barnsley - I make them as a left leaning human being who thinks that 2020 is very different to 1945. One last comment. I genuinely believe that Scottish independence and Irish unity (which will surely follow and may come first) is good news for the North of England in that it will be the push behind much more genuine autonomy for English regions. We can’t go on in Country of 60 million people where all the decisions that determine the quality of people’s lives are made by three fat blokes sat behind a desk in Whitehall. Madness.
Leaving a small Union Union to rejoin a bigger Union doesn’t t look like narrow mindedness to me. If they were condemning Foreigners as the cause of all their woes like our own Govts did then I could agree with you but the only rallying call I can see is to condemn the idiots in Downing Street as a reason to leave and I can more than sympathise with that . Boris doing Nicolas job for her in that regards . Nothing for anybody in this Union imo only division and hate and filling the pockets of the rich even more , I envy them tbh everyday we’re stuck with this lot what middle England and now even people in the North believing their obvious lies .
Absolutely correct Mr Brewer. I asked my friend about the currency situation back in 2014 because that was pushed as a huge stumbling block at the time. My friend is Stewart Hosie SNP MP. And he explained exactly what you posted mate but I couldn’t be bothered to put it down in print. It was all scare tactics by the establishment at the time. Just like the broken record of once in a generation. But that nonsense was never put in front of the electorate.
I disagree...I completely understand an SNP member's wish for complete political self determination ( although I hope a majority wish to stay)...I dont regard that as narrow minded. I would though disagree to some extent with Marlon, my view is that if Scotland leaves the UK it needs to keep control of its own interest rates, state aid and taxation rules...Scotland is not the economic basket case that most EU countries are, it doesn't have to rush headlong into someone else determining the important bits.
I’d normally agree with you re the North of England but after the last election I’ve gone further into despair that the very people this lot have kicked lied and snarled at over many years have voted for them WTAF
I'm ignorant of the scale tbh, large or small. I'm just not religious, so cant really "get it" only to the historical problems its caused. Sometimes being ignorant can have advantages I suppose, in that i'd probably stand between 2 folk giving it the scouser calm down job, in the middle of a standoff lol
You are right to say we have a sectarian problem and it starts with 5 year old kids when pals are separated to attend either a Protestant state school or a Catholic school. Those instigating this horrible situation are in my opinion all brain dead. There is no sane reason for this to happen
ha ha. I get that. It was the most depressing aspect of the last election for me. But, it brings into very stark prospect the problem Labour faces going forward which one poster tried to illustrate yesterday. What do they stand for and where do they get their support in future? The (falling) traditional vote or a more progressive coalition? In recent elections Labour’s vote has continued to rise in the South of England while falling in the North (outside of the cities) I don’t think too many of those Southern lefties are hardy sons of toil from the mines!