h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As you may know, I am an English person living in Scotland. I like it here and would like to stay. On a personal level if I could change my nationality to Scottish from English I would. Soon I may have to vote in a Referendum on Scottish Independence.

What would happen if Scotland became independent?

How should I vote?

(Ed and SWL take it away...)

Of course the opinions of other researchers are welcome. I'm just using my psychic skills to predict who will reply.


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Depends what you are being offered Dr Z!

If you're being offered the european social democratic model, while England drifts off towards something like the US, I'd say go for it (or devomax, much the same).

But it's not totally clear that's the long term project... (AFAIK)

sprout

Where's Edward I when you need him?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16050269

I cant find the link I actually wanted, but this is close enough. Scotland aims to break away from the UK and join the Scandinavian circle of countries.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly with the link.

mini

http://www.independent.co.uk/hei-fi/news/snp-would-join-the-scandinavian-circle-if-country-was-independent-6272464.html

There seems to be a greater sense of what it is to be a Scot amongst Scots, than what is to be English amongst the English. That is the Scots seem to have a greater sense of national identity than the English. Consequently, it wouldn't be too much of a psychological step for Scots to have their own "independent" country. Politically it seems the Scots are moving towards independence.

Even though I live in Englandshire and will not at any point in the forseeable future have the means to up sticks and move north of the border I'm generally supportive of Scottish independance.

I'm all for Scottish Independance provided it doesn't cost the English taxpayer any money.

in fact if they sat back and did the sums I'm sure the country is not economically viable to be a independant country with a population of around 5.2 million in total then take out all those who don't contribute to taxes etc.

it's we English that prop them up.

sorry i think you will find that is a generally thought bit of propaganda also known as a lie

Can someone explain what people would gain by Scottish independence?

I'm not sure that's true... Tourism is a huge moneymaker in Scotland, and though I've been informed it's not a lucrative as it used to be there's still got to be a lot of revenue coming out of the North Sea oil and gas fields. Plus there are such possibilities as revivication of heavy industry (which I'd actually like to see across the UK as both a maker of money and of jobs).

Isn't it the traditional way... the English take money from the Scots then complain when they ask for some of it back?

"Can someone explain what people would gain by Scottish independence?"

Keeping the revenue generated by tourism and North Sea oil/gas... true self-determination... not having to endure patronising the patronising notion that the English prop up Scotland...

Can you explain what people would lose by Scottish independence? England would lose quite a bit that's for sure, hence the Scotland Act allowing the possibility that even in the event of a wholly conclusive referendum supporting independance Westminster could just turn around and say "no".

YES

Now I know Ireland maybe isn't the best example here, but the populations are about the same, they both have geographic and historical connections to the rest of the UK, similar economies especially agriculture and tourism, plus Scotland has The Oil Industry....I see no reason why it couldn't be economically viable as an independent country.

Surely it'd be more economic to have fewer governing bodies, each one costs, and inevitably wastes moneys, yet it seems all trendy to try and split governance down into smaller and smaller regions, districts assemblys, each one costing a small fortune to run and admister... But I think Scottish independance might be good, if nothing else iit'll make the heart disease stats look a lot better for the rest of the country

That's very true 2legs... Scottish independance would be quite literally healthier for the UK!

>> it's we English that prop them up.

I say this as an Englishwoman; but how have the Oil revenues bween divvied up since 1970 or so? How are they currently divvied up?

B

How have the oil reserves been divvied up? Exactly the same way as they would have been if the oil fields had been found off Folkestone or Bristol - to the UK Treasury to be spent by UK politicians on UK projects.

>in fact if they sat back and did the sums I'm sure the country is not economically viable to be a independant country with a population of around 5.2 million in total then take out all those who don't contribute to taxes etc.<

List of countries by population:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population

Those under 6 million (the majority it seems) include such luminaries as Denmark, FInland, Norway, Ireland, New Zealand, Croatia, Uruguay and Mongolia.

It seems having that level of population is relatively OK for a self sustaining country.


Anyway, back to the question:

I sit in a weird niche on this one. My family are all Scottish but I was born and brought up in England and so have had kind of Scottish chip on my shoulder all my life. I don't really like the idea of my family being sequestered away to become a 'foreign land' plus I don't really think that the grass would be all that much greener on other other side as it were should they go independent. Although I am well aware of the way the government has tended to run the UK for the general benefit of the south-east of England largely for as long as I've been alive.
I also now live in Wales and they too want to devolve away and become independent. But the reasons here are, as far as I can tell, largely racist - based on a long term dislike of the 'English' whoever they may be. Welsh members of parliament are scandalised that you can't drive from North Wales to South Wales very easily without going through england - well they can try and bulldoze Snowdonia and The Brecons if they like but geographics are geographics. That's the sort of logic I don't really get at all and it often can be as simple as that. I've seen some terrible xenophobic stuff on the welsh telly that wouldn't be legal in England as far as I can tell - or would at least be coming out of the mouths of people like Nick Griffin.

So as long as there are good viable reasons and not just some dark background of general dislike for the English then I say fine if that's what they want.
Personally I would vote no up north and if I get the chance I'll vote no here too. I don't really see anything to be gained and I can see much to be lost.