Let me say that I'm not at all sure staying part of the EU is a good idea, there are other options, all of which I hope will be explored fully beforehand.
I'm not sure what you mean by not sharing the cake, but I see no point having cake and not eating it, that goes against the principles of cake!
I asked earlier I think...would ex pats living outside Scotland get a vote on Independence? Does it make a difference?
No m8 I don't think so, only Scottish residents (of any nationality or creed) would get to vote.
So all the 'English' folk living there can vote on Scottish independence?
big soft moose said:Come to than an independent england might choose to leave the EU - at which point scots ex pats living south of the border wouldnt have an automatic right of residency
I do think the Labour party would be bricking it over Independence, without the Scots vote I don't think there would be a Labour led government in Westminster before hell freezes over.
So now you admit that Scots have had the biggest influence on the british government ! make your mind up !
we11ingon said:and another thing who gets to vote?? I live in Scotland and was born in England. But I wouldnt want some tit living in London who was born in Scotland telling us what to do... OOps sorry mr Cameron..
David Cameron was born in London......
we11ingon said:Should a said "Brown".. I got my mucking words fuddled..
I seem to remember it was a scottish king that united the UK in the first place.... Did the english complain about having a scottish king..?
Snip
Defence is another. We were the strongest nation in the history of the world when we were united now it seems we are rushing towards being a tiny unimportant principality. We would also be the most highly taxed nation on earth per capita. Look to Norway for comparisons.... Ultra high taxes. Expensive luxury goods and misery ensues. No thanks, I do not want to live in a third world country
you get TOLD by France and Germany what to do.
I seem to remember it was a scottish king that united the UK in the first place.... Did the english complain about having a scottish king..? Prime minister.. ? No, and we elected him too. Sure, I'd like more even more autonomy for Scotland! What we have got just now is proving pretty successful. I just cant imagine its a good idea to be fully independent. The health service alone is one reason. Defence is another. We were the strongest nation in the history of the world when we were united now it seems we are rushing towards being a tiny unimportant principality. We would also be the most highly taxed nation on earth per capita. Look to Norway for comparisons.... Ultra high taxes. Expensive luxury goods and misery ensues. No thanks, I do not want to live in a third world country
What currency would they have, and who would be the lender of last resort.
The Neep.
1 Neep = £1.10
100 Tatties = 1 Neep
The reason why I am posting so much is that I don't want The UK to be split up and I am proud of our conglomerate. I even like the Isle of Man.
Sorry Tom but the IOM is not part of the UK.
You missed my post earlier, both Scotland and the remaining UK would keep their EU membership as "Successor States".
Spain could wield veto over Scotland's EU membership
Spain is standing in the way of Scotland's ambitions to become an independent nation within the European Union because of fears that it could spark the break-up of the Spanish state.
Spanish officials have registered concerns with counterparts in the United Kingdom over the Scottish government's independence blueprint, senior Whitehall sources confirmed yesterday.
Spain has indicated it could block an independent Scotland's accession to the European Union, sources said. It has already refused to recognise Kosovo's existence as an independent state. Madrid fears such moves will encourage separatist ambitions in Spanish regions, particularly Catalonia and the Basque region. Spain's refusal to recognise Kosovo has frustrated the former Serbian province's ambitions to enter the union.
The Catalan premier, Artur Mas, last week drew parallels with Scotland as he argued for a new financial deal with Madrid. "Spain refuses to speak publicly about Scotland at this stage," a senior Foreign Office source said yesterday. "But they have been making it clear for a number of years they are apprehensive about the prospect of Scotland becoming independent. The renewed debate about the referendum has started it all again."
A senior UK minister said: "We understand the Scottish view is they would wish to join the UN but they would not wish to join Nato. They might wish to join the EU, but we fully expect Spain to block it, fearing it might encourage the separatist spirit on their doorstep."
A Spanish veto would undermine claims an independent Scotland could immediately operate as a viable state. Although Alex Salmond insists Scotland would be able to join the EU following a "yes" vote in a referendum, experts maintain membership would not come automatically.
An official House of Commons briefing paper on the subject points out decisions on membership must be agreed unanimously by all EU member states. It added: "It is worth considering, if there is a continuing UK, it would have a vote on an independent Scotland's accession application, as would other member states with their own internal regional independence issues, such as Spain."
Dave1 said:I wouldn't be too sure of that, it seems possible other EU states could veto any EU application made by Scotland (and have done so in the past with Kosovo).
Mr Salmond and Scotland might well find themselves all alone in the cold if they do manage to force independence through.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/spain-could-wield-veto-over-scotlands-eu-membership-6292846.html
I wouldn't worry about Spain, by the time the referendum comes around they'll be destitute and there's no way the EU would throw away the chance of another source of revenue on the say so of a country that will probably by then have defaulted on it's loan repayments....
Dave1 said:It wouldn't matter what the EU stance was (just like when Cameron vetoed the financial package a few weeks back), accession to the EU requires unanimous approval of ALL EU countries.
Theoretically even the "new" UK minus Scotland could veto Scotlands application. And you are mistaken if you think Spain won't be party to the decision, they could very well veto it rather than give their own nationalistic little nations encouragement to head down the same path as Scotland they will, it will be a lesson to their own and Scotland would be the one to suffer. Visas for Europe, no common market, import taxes into the EU (and therefore into the "new" UK as well).
There is a lot more to the story than "Braveheart" Salmond would like to think (or get the the people of Scotland to believe).
If England did leave the EU it would become the Travis Bickle of nations, remember you no longer have an empire to rely on as trading partners.....
simon44 said:I hope the Scottish say no. No reason other than more borders are a bad thing.