Re: What if Scotland got their independence?
Oh dear, as soon as I saw this title, I thought:" where's your tin helmet" May and weedeek will be onto you!!.
I guess with my own feelings on Scottish Independence, I am going to make someone's eyes roll, but continue I will.
I think I understand the SNP's yearning for independence. ( I blame Mel Gibson making that Braveheart film!)
Seriously though, it cannot possibly be anything less than our own long painful waiting game to be free of the shackles of the EU. On that one single thing, I think both sides can agree.
Where the discord seems to start is over two of the most contentious things for the English, Welsh and Northern Irish side of the border.
The Barnett Formula, plus of course the free University tuition fees for Scottish students and European students, but not for those of us part of the Union - England, Wales and NI.
What we should realise however, is that if Scotland does gain independence and becomes a separate member of the EU, these two things would disappear at a stroke. Barnet Formula - gone, It could also be argued that England, Wales and NI then becoming "part of the rest of Europe" hence Scotland would be obliged to include us in free tutition fees.
This would cause problems for Scotland surely? At the moment, distance plus language barriers, plus other factors helps to limit EU students travelling to Scotland for their free tuition education, but this wouldn't be an issue for English, Welsh and NI students. Pay £9,000 plus this side of the border or get tutition for free by hopping on a once an hour train or 1/2 hour on a plane.Scottish Uni's would be flooded, hence perhaps of even preventing Scottish students from finding a place!
If this happened, I could also see Scotland appealing to the EU to try and stop this, other countries have tried and failed though, but it would all depend on how friendly England, Wales and NI were with the EU if and when that time came. (HELP!)
Maybe someone knows more about this if it was to happen.
I personally would be sad if Scotland broke away. not that that means anything to those wanting independence. We have shared a rich history between us, both in wars and peacetime, but then I am not Scottish, I know how I feel about the EU though, so I would not dare to assume how wrong SNP members feel about their quest. If it does happen, England, Wales and NI will carry on. Wales and NI could gain eventual independence. England would still happily carry on. That's life.
No-one really knows how Scotland would fare if they did go their own way, it's all supposition and goading by both sides whenever we try to discuss or debate it on OFF.
Who knows, Scotland could become a successful state on it's own. But the one thing they would have to realise is that they would be completely on their own. Once separated, just as with us and the EU, there would be no turning back, Scotland would be a member of the EU, and the Union just a long-ago memory.
It's the Scottish people's choice if there is another Indepedence referendum. One can only hope they make the right choice.