Do you think Scotland will secede?

[sapi]

I can't see Scotland succeeding as a soverign nation after so long under British rule.

It has no reason to leave, and probably wouldn't succeed if it did...

[InsaneApache]

Under British rule?

It's mindsets such as this that has brought us to the point of the break up of the Union.

I fear that the Scots will vote for the SNP and their odious leader Salmond. It would be a disaster for Scotland and would hand us over to the EU piecemeal.

This will be Blairs legacy. A breakup of the Union, the regionalisation of England, a Welsh and Ulster hive off. The UK is like a big cake. Too big to be eaten in one sitting, so slice it up and hey presto....

Well done Tony. History will surely judge you more harshly than I ever could.

[sapi]

Forgive my mindset - I'm looking in from one of the 'colonies' and see things slightly differently

It probably was a bad turn of phrase in these circumstances

[InsaneApache]

I'll let you off, this time.

Think of it like this. Western Australia decides to leave the federation. Now, how would you feel?

[sapi]

Hmmm....I suppose they do bring in some money....

[Samurai Waki]

Ya know, I do see how it could be beneficial for Scotland to leave to the Union. Especially if they get to hold onto the North Sea Oil Platforms. But, its risky... and now they won't have a fall back if times get tough. I do suppose though, that Scotland can somehow Reinvent itself through Investment Banking and the like, where Restrictions would be similar to those in Switzerland. I do however see this as bad tidings for the rest of the UK, if Scotland departs whose to stop Wales, and North Ireland to assume that they no longer have an obligation to uphold the State of the Union, Each to horde what little scraps they have as individuals. Of course, an Independent Ulster would also do much to inflame Ireland again.

[JR-]

Under British rule?

It's mindsets such as this that has brought us to the point of the break up of the Union.

I fear that the Scots will vote for the SNP and their odious leader Salmond. It would be a disaster for Scotland and would hand us over to the EU piecemeal.

This will be Blairs legacy. A breakup of the Union, the regionalisation of England, a Welsh and Ulster hive off. The UK is like a big cake. Too big to be eaten in one sitting, so slice it up and hey presto....

Well done Tony. History will surely judge you more harshly than I ever could.

what is wrong with that statement? England, Scotland, Wales and NI all exist under 'British Rule'..........?

It will be a great shame if Scotland leaves the Union, not least because i define myself as British, not English.

It is less than certain that Scotland would, as there has not in recent history been more than about 25% of Scottish people who are in favour of Independence.

[caravel]

Under British rule?

Well technically we're all under Scottish rule anyway, as Blair, Brown, Reid etc etc etc are all Scots. So if the SNP win we can send that lot swiftly northwards to join them.

[Lorenzo_H]

I don't really mind if Scotland split from the Union, as long as they don't do it like Ireland did.

It will show them how life is without being behind old England and it will make people leave the country in droves (it already has a high level of emigration).

[Duke Malcolm]

People have been leaving Scotland in droves since people first inhabited the place. I doubt that England being independent will mean people leave Scotland anymore then they previously have.

[scotchedpommes]

Well, the polls have closed, and my bit is done. What astonishing turnout will
there have been this time?

Extra points for those of you who voted for "Christ's Lordship".

[InsaneApache]

I'd love to be a fly on Bliars ceiling, this evening.

[Agent Smith]

People have been leaving Scotland in droves since people first inhabited the place. I doubt that England being independent will mean people leave Scotland anymore then they previously have.

I thought Scotland became overpopulated when the blamanges from the planet Skyron in the galaxy Andromeda turned everyone in England into Scotsmen so they could win Wimbledon?

Kidding aside, this kind of news never ceases to amaze me. I try to keep up as best as I can on international news, but this is the first I've ever heard of this issue. I grow so tired of the news and media over here in the United States. Instead, you get top headlines on CNN like "Cop roughs up woman racing to dad in hospital," and "Hasselhoff: I have learned from drunk video." Maybe its because the US is so isolated from the rest of the world and only really borders two other countries, but I grow tired of our major news being dominated by Hollywood and meaningless drivel.

As for the Scots independence, I can somewhat understand. My grandmother is a direct decendent of a British family, who was given land in Virginia for military service in the colonies, and one of her relatives was a Civil War soldier named Robert Gaines Haile, Jr. He kept a diary and wrote home frequently during the war, and he actually has the only written account of certain events (he personally led Robert E. Lee's wife across the Chickahominy River from Federal lines, for instance). Anyway, the point is that he talked a lot about his reasons for fighting, and the over-arching theme is a right to self-governance, one which he thought would be taken away under Federal rule. Nationalism is really an offshoot of that personal freedom that individuals seek.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in Civil War stuff, all of his writings were compiled in a book that you can buy. It's called "Tell the Children I'll be Home When the Peaches Get Ripe." It's a really interesting look into the life of a soldier during the War.

[Myrddraal]

I don't understand where the idea of English oppression comes from. I visited Wales recently, around the end of the Six Nations. Something that really suprised me was the low level anti English feeling.

If France or Italy play Scotland or Wales at Rugby, English people pretty much unanimously support Scotland and Wales. If France or Italy play England though...

It's all about hating the English. It's certainly not a feeling which is returned, the English don't oppress the Scots. Like people have previously mentioned, the Scots if anything have more rights than the English (the ability to pass laws for Scotland alone, whilst still having the same vote as the next man in National elections).

Well I find it a bit sad. We share a lot of history, we have a lot of shared culture (as well as our own independent history and culture). If anything, it's to honour the heritage we share that the Union exists, if it was all about economy, England would have seceded long ago.

Just remember this, being British doesn't make you less Scottish, just as being English doesn't make you more British. It really doesn't.

PS, Braveheart is the most ahistorical, anglo-phobic film ever, I really like the fact that the Scots are wearing Kilts!
PPS, rdeče.jabolko I found this and thought you might be interested:
http://www.braveheart.info/news/2005...-31/51063.html

[Duke of Gloucester]

I thought Scotland became overpopulated when the blamanges from the planet Skyron in the galaxy Andromeda turned everyone in England into Scotsmen so they could win Wimbledon?

Kidding aside, this kind of news never ceases to amaze me. I try to keep up as best as I can on international news, but this is the first I've ever heard of this issue. I grow so tired of the news and media over here in the United States. Instead, you get top headlines on CNN like "Cop roughs up woman racing to dad in hospital," and "Hasselhoff: I have learned from drunk video." Maybe its because the US is so isolated from the rest of the world and only really borders two other countries, but I grow tired of our major news being dominated by Hollywood and meaningless drivel.

As for the Scots independence, I can somewhat understand. My grandmother is a direct decendent of a British family, who was given land in Virginia for military service in the colonies, and one of her relatives was a Civil War soldier named Robert Gaines Haile, Jr. He kept a diary and wrote home frequently during the war, and he actually has the only written account of certain events (he personally led Robert E. Lee's wife across the Chickahominy River from Federal lines, for instance). Anyway, the point is that he talked a lot about his reasons for fighting, and the over-arching theme is a right to self-governance, one which he thought would be taken away under Federal rule. Nationalism is really an offshoot of that personal freedom that individuals seek.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in Civil War stuff, all of his writings were compiled in a book that you can buy. It's called "Tell the Children I'll be Home When the Peaches Get Ripe." It's a really interesting look into the life of a soldier during the War.

The example of R G Haile is an interesting one. Although there were legal, political and financial causes to the Civil War, the psychological causes were all based on mutual dislike and distrust, similar to the anti-English feeling North of the border. Actually North of the border may be inaccurate because the Scots who live in England seem to be more anti-English than those who live at "home". He felt he was doing his patriotic duty in opposing the north, and whilst losing the Civil war was bad for the South, winning it would have been a disaster. The confederacy would have continued (for a while at least) as and agrarian economy whilst the Federal states would have rushed ahead into industrialisation. Worst case would the Federal states now arguing for a huge fence along the Mason-Dixon line rather than the Rio Grande to keep out the inhabitants of their less developed Southern neighbour.

If he really wanted to keep his homeland free and prosperous his best bet would have been to join McClellan's forces and help his wife across the river instead. (Mind you Robert E Lee was a much better general to follow).

Both halves of the US are stronger because they remained together. Perhaps Alex Salmond should reflect on this before he starts to stir up trouble in the UK.

Incidentally US nationalism may spring from the desire for personal freedom but that is to do with US history. In other nations nationalism can be used as a screen to remove personal freedom.