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Referendum on Scottish Independence

commandlinegamer

Philosopher
commandlinegamer
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Due to be announced tomorrow, is anyone particularly excited by the SNP White Paper on independence?

I don't think it's great timing. and would have been better brought in during the first year of an SNP administration given that it's pretty much their raison-d'être. We're in the middle of a recession and I think most people priorities are focused on paying bills, keeping their job, etc.

Personally, I'm don't think the status quo is so bad, I'd be more interested in seeing the dissolution of the monarchy than independence.
 
so, I guess Scottish independence is sorta like banning gay marriage in the USA?

an unnecessary agenda at a very bad time.
 
I think we've got a much better chance of ditching the monarchy post independence than we do right now, anyway.

Rolfe.
 
I still think that if a minority of people manage to destroy the UK then they should get the Royals as their prize!
 
Do the Scots even want independence from the UK? I guess some must if it's coming up. Seems like it's been a done deal for so long, the persistence of the idea seems strange. Mind you, I'm from a country comprised of states that joined willingly, if not of states whose indigeonous people were included in the formation of the state to begin with. The US didn't conquer to grow so much as spread like an infection.
 
Cynic said:
Do the Scots even want independence from the UK? I guess some must if it's coming up. Seems like it's been a done deal for so long, the persistence of the idea seems strange. Mind you, I'm from a country comprised of states that joined willingly, if not of states whose indigeonous people were included in the formation of the state to begin with. The US didn't conquer to grow so much as spread like an infection.
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Well a lot of them vote SNP, so you would presume so. I'd like Scotland to be independent because then there would be not great reason to have the SNP in charge anymore*.






*Don't ask me about this if you don't want a big rant about the massive underfunding in education that is going on under the SNP.
 
Cynic said:
Do the Scots even want independence from the UK? I guess some must if it's coming up. Seems like it's been a done deal for so long, the persistence of the idea seems strange. Mind you, I'm from a country comprised of states that joined willingly, if not of states whose indigeonous people were included in the formation of the state to begin with. The US didn't conquer to grow so much as spread like an infection.
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The SNP are the largest party in the Scots Govt. They were elected on a ticket that they would hold a referendum. The English based parties seem to be scared to give the people of this country a free vote on the subject. At the moment support is not enough to get a yes vote I suspect but a Tory govt next year may increase that. Although a lot of people do not support independence they support a referendum.

The English based parties are hypocritical jackasses.
 
I wonder if it's similar (though reversed) to the occasional referendums that Puerto Rico has on the subject of becoming an official US state, where the status quo is largely seen as being more advantageous. I'm not sure what exactly Scottish independence would resemble though. Is it suggested that they become wholly independent, or just sort of more autonomous?
 
Cynic said:
I wonder if it's similar (though reversed) to the occasional referendums that Puerto Rico has on the subject of becoming an official US state, where the status quo is largely seen as being more advantageous. I'm not sure what exactly Scottish independence would resemble though. Is it suggested that they become wholly independent, or just sort of more autonomous?
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Ideally, a separate state within the EU. Similar to Denmark, Ireland and so on. Though there are moves to split the vote by introducing various half-way-house options as well.

Rolfe.
 
Rolfe said:
Though there are moves to split the vote by introducing various half-way-house options as well.
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How would that work? Surely in a question like this you can't choose an which has received less than half the votes cast. Would each voter also get to pick a second choice?

Who would be eligible for citizenship in an independent Scotland? Anyone who's currently a British citizen? Only those currently living in Scotland? Would dual citizenship be allowed?

I realise the answers to all of these questions might be in the white paper, but it's rather long...

I also read somewhere that the SNP don't want an independent Scotland to be part of NATO. Might that not make the remainder of the UK rather nervous? Could we eventually see a heavily fortified Scottish/English border?
 
funk de fino said:
The SNP are the largest party in the Scots Govt.
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Only by one seat, mind.

At the moment support is not enough to get a yes vote
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No, it doesn't seem to be, does it? When the SNP first took power it seemed to me like it was inevitable that independence would follow, especially since the SNP seemed to be right on the ball. It doesn't feel quite so much like that now, though. Perhaps it's because Salmond was of the opinion that delaying the referendum would give the best chance of a Yes vote, when people saw how well the country was going, but unfortunately instead people got to see small countries like e.g. Iceland going to the wall and I think it's made them nervous. Maybe he'd have done better to strike while the iron was hot.

The English based parties are hypocritical jackasses.
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Maybe, but still popular enough to pull in three times the votes the SNP did in Glasgow North East. I think we'd probably all get along a lot better if the arguments weren't characterised as Evil English people stopping the Brave Scots from having their freedom, because it's not like that at all. As Rolfe says, the Scots are not a monolithic group (and she's as SNP as they come)

mbp said:
I also read somewhere that the SNP don't want an independent Scotland to be part of NATO. Might that not make the remainder of the UK rather nervous? Could we eventually see a heavily fortified Scottish/English border?
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Probably not. What does the border between Norway and Sweden look like? They're in the same situation aren't they?
 
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