First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond is due to publish a white paper on Scotland’s constitutional future, which could pave the way for an independence referendum.
What do we think?
Max
First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond is due to publish a white paper on Scotland’s constitutional future, which could pave the way for an independence referendum.
What do we think?
Max
While it’s not particularly the best time to ask this question. The majority of the Scotts oppose independance though, so when the time is right (i.e. out of the recession) why not? Certainly nothing wrong with devolving further powers, particulary so to the Welsh Assembly.
I think firstly, Scottish independance would be hugely damaging to the Scottish economy due to the British forces having to move the building of aircraft carriers out of the Clyde and down to Portsmouth. This would leave several thousand out of work and damage the local economy in Glasgow considerably. Secondly, the Scottish people would have very reduced influence in Europe/worldwide on their own (assuming they are bothered about Europe – which they should be in terms of trade).
Also personally, half my family is Scottish and it would be irritating having to go through passport control on the border every time I go to visit them.
I think that an independent Scotland wouldn’t be able to maintain zero tuiton fees, free prescriptions, free eye tests, free school meals, free healthcare and everything else. In fact England would probably benefit more as it puts quite a lot more money into Scotland than it gains through Scottish taxes. Besides, Scotland’s already sort of semi-autonomous as things are now, which seems a happy compromise – Scotland gets to make it’s own laws but still receives the money from London. I could perhaps understand people in Scotland wanting Scottish indpendence when the North Sea oil was still going strong, after all, virtually (if not the) only oil left in Europe equals large suitcases full of cash which they would really rather prefer all stayed within their own borders, the taxes at the very least going to their own government. But North Sea oil went past it’s peak more than a decade ago and now’s very much in decline so I no longer see much of a reason for Scottish independence, at least not in an economical sense. In a political sense? There’s the Scottish Parliament, which is probably alright, and unless there’s quite a number of things, big things, they want changed or would have handled completely differently I can find no reason from this point of view either.
If they wish to become Britain’s equivalent to the DDR, I say let ‘em. Of course, it’ll be our grandchildren who have to pay the painful cost of reunification – hopefully by then we’ll have found a way to turn badgers into oil or something…