SNP plan 2014 Independence referendum

[maclyn]

Alex Salmond insists on independence referendum mandate

Comments

[atomic_joe2]

Can we in England get to vote too as well as those in Wales and Northern Ireland? It's our United Kingdom too and it'll impact on our lives if there's a split.

[maclyn]

Would you let everyone else in the EU vote on whether the UK would leave or join?

[theciz]

Eh, not quite the same situation, but they let people in the Republic vote when they were holding the Good Friday Agreement referendum. Yes, that was probably to appease Nationalists/because any change to the Irish constitution requires a referendum, but just saying it isn't a prima facie stupid suggestion.

[maclyn]

It's the nearest vaguely analagous situation I could think of - I think tbh that if in any referendum on independence you always let people in the wider state a country wants to break away from vote, nobody would ever get independence when they wanted it.

[benihime99]

I can understand why people would like to get out but is that really a smart move politically and economically?
Moreover Scotland would probably loose its EU membership and would have to submit a personal candidacy if they want to join and I'm not sure that they'd fill the requirement.

[lyssna]

I can't really see any area where Scotland would find it harder to fill EU's requirements on its own than, say, Lithuania or Hungary.

[benihime99]

Lithuania and Hungary are already in so the question doesn't stand anymore for them. And just because they got in doesn't mean any look alike country would.

Any candidates to the membership has to fill specific requirements.
I'm pretty sure that Scotland would easily fill political or judicial conditions but what does the Scotish economy rely on, for instance?

Moreover, according to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement. So we can wonder whether the UK wouls hold a grudge or not...

I don't know whether or not they'd be able to join I'm simply wondering.

[anna_sg1]

As for the economy condition, if my country can get in (and we will next year) then Scotland can, too.

As for a member state preventing you to get in because they're holding a grudge - we've been there and it is very much possible sadly. So, IMO that would be their bigger problem.

[mephisto5]

Cameron is the worst argument for the union ever tbh. If he has any sense he'll keep his trap shut except to repeat that it's entirely up to the scots once or twice a month to make sure it doesn't look like he's forgotten about it.

[x_butterfly19_x]

It's true.
Labour just gets put in an awkward position. They're the SNP's natural enemies and over this they have to side with the Unionists.

[mephisto5]

Eh, pretty sure that Labour's problems stem more from having a leader with no clear policies and negative charisma, he loses on both style and substance, than having to buddy up with the Tories. It's not like they were massively opposed to the latter during the AV referendum, after all. [/not at all bitter]

[x_butterfly19_x]

oh absolutely! This is just one more thing~ on the list

[ladypolitik]

Mod request: cut, pls

[tabaqui]

And why is the font so *huge*??

[tabaqui]

I always thought it was silly for any country to force another to continue to be part of it when they repeatedly showed they *did not want to be*.

Plus, that whole Stone of Scone thing.

So good luck, Scotland!

[xforge]

Hey yeah if they split does the next Royal have to sit on something else to get the crown put on their head?

[mingemonster]

nah, i think scotland would still be in the commonwealth, i.e with the same monarch