Posted on 07/15/2012 11:03:50 AM PDT by robowombat
Scotland's 'explosive' push to secede from the U.K. Scotland's first minister promises to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. Could it really succeed? POSTED ON JANUARY 13, 2012, AT 5:21 PM
Scottish nationalists have dreamed of independence for centuries, and now, Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond is really trying to pull it off. Salmond has announced plans to hold a referendum in fall 2014 on breaking away from the United Kingdom, setting off a week of friction between Edinburgh and London. Will Scotland and the U.K. really part ways? Here's what you should know:
What exactly is Scotland's relationship to the U.K.? More than 300 years ago, Scotland and England were joined by the Act of Union that formally created the U.K. (the two nations, though separate, had already been ruled by one king for more than a century). Today, Queen Elizabeth II is still Scotland's head of state. Scotland has a government, legal system, and parliament of its own, in addition to representatives in the U.K. Parliament.
And Scotland wants independence? Some Scots do. Such talk has been percolating ever since 1707, when the U.K. was formed. But over the centuries, there didn't seem to be much chance that the split would actually happen. Now, says Alex Massie at The Daily Beast, "for the first time since Bonnie Prince Charlie led an army of Highland Scots into England in 1745, the survival of the United Kingdom is in doubt."
What's driving this latest push? In the 1980s, conservative Tories failed to deliver a promised referendum to establish a Scottish assembly and faced a brutal backlash from voters. The Labor party didn't want to make the same mistake, and in 1997, a referendum passed leading to the creation of the Scottish Parliament. There, resurgent Scottish national sentiment has thrived. One major driver: The common wisdom that unity with its larger neighbor was essential for Scotland's prosperity has eroded over the last few decades, particularly as Scotland's heavy industry declined.
But why now? Last May, Salmond's Scottish National Party won 69 of Parliament's 129 seats. It was "a thumping, astonishing victory" when you consider there are five parties in the system, Massie says, and the seemingly clear and overwhelming mandate made a referendum on independence "inevitable." Indeed, it makes perfect sense that this would be happening now, says Heather Horn at The Atlantic. Europe is in the grip of a painful economic crisis, and "nationalism surges as economies stagnate."
So is this the end of the union? Not necessarily. A referendum is bound to be "explosive," says Anna Tomforde at Monsters and Critics. And its success or failure could depend on many variables — such as whether it's a yes-or-no vote on full independence, or a multi-question ballot with a middle-ground option maintaining an element of unity. Despite Salmond's popularity, polls suggest most Scots don't actually support full independence. Thirty-five percent want to be a completely separate nation, while 55 percent remain opposed. So the government in London, which at first insisted that British Parliament would have to OK any vote, is now pushing for a referendum as soon as possible, says Agence France Presse, so Salmond won't have time to win over a majority.
Sources: AFP, Atlantic, Daily Beast, Guardian, Monsters and Critics, Telegraph
Most American’s don’t know how bad Scotland is. (I suggest that they watch “Trainspotting”.) Seriously though, it is a socialist wreck living off the welfare they vote on to steal from the English. I don’t believe that there is a single “Conservative” constituency in Scotland anymore.
“If I had the only choices of living in Scotland or England today, it would be no contest.
Scotland.”
Well, it’s not often on Freerepublic someone admits to wanting to live in an entirely socialist country!
The polls on this topic are interesting - every poll shows the English are far more keen for Scotland to become independent than the scots are. Scottish independence would be great news for British conservatives - the scots have 1 conservative and 50 socialist MP’s at Westminster. When Scotland is gone it will be much harder for labour to win a general election.
Of course independence is a relative thing - the nationalists still want to keep the queen as their head of state and the pound as their currency but of course pretty soon they’ll get swallowed up by the EU and become just another Ireland on the balance sheets.
Still fancy it?
That’s because the best of the Scots emigrated to the US long ago.
Aye, Laddie...as with me.
Scotland is it. If they were to set up an environment that enticed business and manufacturing, it could do well.
The mountains are most beautiful...
“Scotland is a beautiful country, and deserves to be independent.”
Hmmm, only if you can build a high, containing wall around glasgow. The rest of Scotland might then become a reasonable place to be.
Wall on hot standby...LOL.
I can’t think of anything that Scotland alone can offer the world in exchange for money and food.
The best bagpipe concerts........well, I guess Canada puts on the best concerts, so.....I'm not sure. Great wool?
The Scots most likely will pick up ownership of the oil fields of their coast.
The Scots most likely will pick up ownership of the oil fields of their coast.
They got thrown out in the Highland clearances to make pastures for sheep owned by English lords.
That is probably most likely, however most are outside the Twelve mile territorial limit.
Should be an interesting bun-fight.
and promptly surrender them to their new masters in Brussels....
Well since the brave Scots would no longer be feeding the Inland Revenue Service I would say they will come out ahead. Now where is my bottle of Dewars?
Well one would think that the Scots would be MORE free than in the UK. It wouldn’t make sense to leave one set of political /economical constraints for even more constraints and less freedom. A Scotland unencumbered by the rigors of Central govt might prosper. Showing us the way. Couldn’t hurt, what’s happening now isn’t sustainable.
Their current laws are actually more supportive of freedom than Englands already,eg right to roam.
If they do achieve even half of what you have stated then i for one will be moving north.
We will keep an eye on proceedings with interest, in the mean time must go ,goodnight.
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