Referendum on Scottish Independence

[really]

A referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country will take place on Thursday 18 September 2014

We have discussed this before but are getting closer to the date now.

BBC section on Scotland's future

A couple of touch points so far (from an outsiders point of view) have been on what currency an independent Scotland would use:
Scottish independence: ‘Currency union too risky’

A TREASURY analysis paper published yesterday concluded there is “no evidence” a currency union between the rest of the UK and Scotland post-independence could work.

The report concludes that the rest of the UK would be exposed to greater financial risk if it shared a sterling zone with an independent Scotland.

And Scotland's position in the EU:
Scottish independence: Barroso says joining EU would be 'difficult'

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said it would be "extremely difficult, if not impossible" for an independent Scotland to join the European Union.

Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr he said an independent Scotland would have to apply for membership and get the approval of all current member states.

So what say you CFC-OT?

If the Scots vote to leave the UK I would support them. A currency can be created if needed. Membership of the EU would come eventually.

 

[PhroX]

I'm English and my reaction is...don't really care. If they want to leave, I'm not bothered, if they'd rather stay, they're welcome to.

 

[Quackers]

SNP are coming out quite stupid in regard to those issues in the OP.

Barraso's comments were just reaffirmations of what everybody knew but the SNP chose to ignore it. Blithely going on about how EU membership would be simple.
On the issue of currency, it is only with the UK's permission that they can share the pound. And now there is a cross party consensus against a currency union. So those comments put an end to that.

 

[Cutlass]

I'm generally against it. I can't see any real benefit from doing so.

 

[Synobun]

I'm generally against it. I can't see any real benefit from doing so.

That's my viewpoint. I have a Scottish friend currently in Canada and she identifies as a flat "British" and apparently so does the rest of her family and hometown. I can't imagine any objective benefit to becoming independent.

 

[classical_hero]

Their should be a "who cares option?"

 

[Kyriakos]

I voted for FREEDOM (Rest of the World:Yes).

I mostly voted so because i meant to note that it is not for me to decide what the Scottish people do. Also wanted to say that the eu com ( ) president has said a few days ago that the eu is highly unlikely to accept any country into it, if it was part of another country already in the eu and then got independent... (when you are as stable as the eu, you get to be really picky ).

I am not sure if Scotland will be better as its own nation, but i can always accept that any local entity which is pretty much a country (and Scotland is a very good example of that) has loads of reasons to want to be formally one as well. If they do it i hope they will see better days, and not suffer due to this change.

It also would seem that some in the English government are far more worried that if Scotland is not in the UK, then their claim on northern Ireland may seem even more dubious.

 

[bhsup]

Not really my place one way or the other to tell them what to do as I am neither Scottish nor a citizen of the UK. That said, it is my hope they will stay in the UK... unless they also choose to make Kan their first King, then I'm all for it.

 

[luiz]

Leaving the UK is a bad idea on so many levels that it's hard to believe this whole deal got this far.

Funny anecdote, when I was living in Aberdeen I was frequently approached on thr streets by people trying to convince me to sign something in support of Scottish independence. No idea what it was. I never told them I'm not Scottish, I just told them "it's a dumb idea, mate". My accent probably gave me away, though.

 

[Traitorfish]

I'm generally pro-independence.

I don't think it will, or can, improve things all that much.

I don't trust the SNP, and I tend to think that their social democratic promises will give way to the need to court foreign capital as soon as independence is achieved.

I don't think that the economic case for independence is particularly strong, if no weaker than the case for union.

But if it puts a bit of distance between me and Westminster, a wretched hive of scum and villainy by any measure, I'm all for it.

---

Incidentally, I've noticed that most of the British right, usually so deeply concerned with British sovereignty, with preventing the swarthy hordes of Foreign from interfering in our domestic affairs, are quite happy for Madrid and Moscow to intervene in the debate for their own purposes.

Funny, that.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I'll be voting for independence in September if I'm still here.

 

[Quackers]

I'm generally pro-independence.

I don't think it will, or can, improve things all that much.

I don't trust the SNP, and I tend to think that their social democratic promises will give way to the need to court foreign capital as soon as independence is achieved.

I don't think that the economic case for independence is particularly strong, if no weaker than the case for union.

But if it puts a bit of distance between me and Westminster, a wretched hive of scum and villainy by any measure, I'm all for it.

---

Incidentally, I've noticed that most of the British right, usually so deeply concerned with British sovereignty, with preventing the swarthy hordes of Foreign from interfering in our domestic affairs, are quite happy for Madrid and Moscow to intervene in the debate for their own purposes.

Funny, that.

If you aren't too fond of SNP or Westminster aren't you just bringing the hive of scum and villainy just a few miles closer?

 

[warpus]

If this happens, what will happen to the GB team at the olympics? Will it be replaced by 4 teams? Or will the GB continue competing, while Scotland compete as well?

So I guess my question is, will the GB at the olympics turn into 2 teams or 4?

As for independence itself, I'll support whatever the Scots decide they want to do, even though it sort of seems like a bad move.

 

[Quackers]

I'll be voting for independence in September if I'm still here.

To register to vote, you must:

• be resident in Scotland. There are special provisions for some voters who live abroad or do not have a fixed address. If you are unsure whether you are resident in Scotland, contact your Electoral Registration Officer; and

• be aged 16 or over on 18 September 2014. This means that a person will be able to register to vote if their date of birth is 18 September 1998 or earlier; and

• be a British, Irish, other European Union or qualifying Commonwealth citizen. Qualifying Commonwealth citizens are those who have leave to enter or remain in the UK or do not require such leave; and

• not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote
- See more at: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/the_in...ntlyasked_questions.aspx#sthash.fHh8redK.dpuf

If i'm reading this correctly you need to fullfull all of these points to vote. Unless you have a sneaky commonwealth/EU/British citizenship; you cannot vote?

 

[Gucumatz]

Just take the re-vassalize Scotland mission that's sure to pop up.

 

[Traitorfish]

If you aren't too fond of SNP or Westminster aren't you just bringing the hive of scum and villainy just a few miles closer?

I don't believe so, no. Any gathering of politicians is inherently suspicious, that much is true, but Westminster is rotten even by those standards. It is a deeply anti-democratic institution, and while I don't have a great deal much more faith in Edinburgh, it at least does not have quite the same weight of history behind it.

It is worth stating, this opposition could be realised through means other than Scottish independence. A serious federal project could achieve much the same thing, and would probably be better for everybody. What matters is the overthrow of Westminster.

But, the English and the Welsh aren't interested in that. So what can we do?

 

[Domen]

I'll be voting for independence in September if I'm still here.

It turns out that American-Australians and American-Scots are Scottish patriots even more than many of Scottish-Scots.

I voted for FREEDOM (Rest of the World:Yes).

I also voted like this. But the citizens of Scotland should decide. I don't know what is better for them.

 

[Antilogic]

So what horrendous tyranny has Westminster forced on the poor Scots?

 

[Kyriakos]

So what horrendous tyranny has Westminster forced on the poor Scots?

For starters, Prima Noctis?

 

[Antilogic]

Are you referencing Braveheart?