Scottish Referendum

The border for territorial waters conventionally follows a straight line from the land border which lies at a sharp angle between Scotland and England. Would all the oilfields be on the Scottish side? Just curious.

I thought that the EU "master-of-ceremonies" – both his name and his title escape me – had already state categorically that an independent Scotland would have to apply for membership of the EU if it wanted to be a member. Also don't all new members now have to sign up to the euro?

Lily I am in agreement with you that as Scottish independence would affect the other countries of the Union constitutionally, all should be able to vote on it. Would unilateral independence even be legal? I suspect that David Cameron, who is opposed to breaking up the Union, would be most unwilling to allow the English to vote because it is more than likely that they would vote in favour of Scottish independence. I think that there is a lot of simmering resentment towards the Scots among some English people.

When someone says does history really matter, you have only got to look at how chippy some folk can be in other parts of the British Isles can be over what took place often many centuries ago!

Thank you for the informative answers granny23. Electricity easy to export, water less so, unless you happen to be in the severn catchment in mid wales etc with a large english conurbation downstream.
Would E continue to be queen of both I wonder?
Not sure that there would be a quick and amicable division of assets in this case. Still wondering what they might be.

The Queen would still be Head of State of an independent Scotland. The move towards a republic, if that's what Salmond wants, wouldn't be achieved through independence.

HM was crowned in Scotland after the big 'do' in Westminster Abbey, so she is Queen of Scotland. The 'Honours of Scotland' are very fine crown jewels, kept in Edinburgh Castle. The Union of the Crowns in 1603 was a takeover by Scotland of the English throne!

A pity thatMary's son was more taken with ruling from Westminster than with dividing his time and attention equally between his two realms. He could have made his Scottish capital equal to his centralised English one and Scotland more wealthy, and saved a lot of hassle.

I assume, an independent Scotland would remain in the Commonwealth. All the different parts of the UK - even the Isle of Man and the different Channel Islands - have their own teams in the Commonwealth Games.

Nfk - understandably, Glaswegian is a foreign tongue to you, as was the English of West Norfolk to us when we went to live there. I'd also have a problem with the dialect of Aberdeenshire, being a native of SW Scotland. Long live diversity.

Elegran, as far as I remember, James VI had good cause to detest the Scottish nobility who had been his 'minders'. His ascension to the English throne was an escape for him.

Having read all what's been said by people far more knowledgeable than I, it seems that if the result is yes it's highly unlikely to actually happen in any of our life times. It's far too complex. By the time those in charge have agreed to joint defence, fishing rights, currency etc, etc we'll practically be back where we started. It'll just have kept a lot of civil servants employed chasing their tails.

(What if we all had independence with our own parliaments or assemblies and then joined up to share some stuff like defense in a sort of united kingdom?)

Nfk How many politicians does it take to run the UK? I honestly don't think we want of more of them than we have already.

Nfk, of course you're welcome here. You say you were proud to be British; so was I (my mother is half English) but 2 things made me think about that. The first was many, many years ago when I was listening to the last Night of the Proms and enjoying the excitement of it and Richard Baker said what a great English occasion it was. I still remember the sudden feeling of being unwelcome in what I had thought was my own country. The second was, of course, Mrs Thatcher, who did more for Scottish independence than anyone else, ever.

Granny23, thank you for explaining so many things so much better than I could and in such a calm and sensible manner. I fear that the arguments will get quite heated over the next 2 years, but let's hope that GNers can remain friendly and interested in each others' views.

I can't see why anyone should be proud of being any nationality simply as an accident of birth.

Wheniwasyourage But the proms are English; they were created in London. I don't understand why that comment upset you.

Yes wheniwas the English do have a lot to answer for in terms of assuming all citizens are English. And southerners to boot. A long and inglorious heritage.
I thought the Olympics did a lot to bring us together and to reclaim the flag from the extreme (English) right wing.
Of course us welsh did not even make it onto the flag, something that I noted when I was a Brownie and had to learn about its components.

JessM …and, as several people noticed at the time, Northern Irish athletes didn't get a mention in Team GB.

Back from shopping and pleased to see such interest in this topic.
Absent Lawyers are still working on it but the conscensus seems to be that if Scotland secedes both Scotland and rump UK will be deemed to be 'successor states' and both would remain in the EU - at least until either country decides to withdraw. However other European Countries e.g. Spain, which have significant nationalist parties within their borders might object to this because it would set a precedent. If Scotland had to reapply then rump UK, as a new country, would also need to reapply. Which reminds me that the rump would need a whole new name as it would no longer comprise a UNITED Kingdom + NI - thinking caps on for that one as E,W&NI does not have a great ring to it.

Do you really think that it is democratic for the rest of the UK to have over 90% of the voting power in a referendum, called by the Scottish Parliament, about Scotland's future. What would be the outcome if a big majority of voters in Scotland voted one way and the RUK outvoted them another way? Would Scots be either booted out of forced to stay in against there democratically expressed will? Surely we ALL want to see the matter resolved democratically without use of force.

Jess We already export Gallons of Scottish Water all over the world in bottles. We certainly have a massive surplus of the stuff - maybe we could export (by Air) Scottish Clouds to drought hit areas.

First Minister Salmond does not want a republic although some Nationalists do. The Queen (Sorry Anno) was not crowned in Scotland after the Westminster Abbey ceremony, there was quite a furore about it because she was unable to accept the Scottish Regalia which was to be presented to her in Edinburgh, because she was dressed in her civvies and carrying a HANDBAG . A bit of the same resentment came out when she attended the [re]opening of the Scottish Parliament following devolution, when she turned up at Holyrood in an actually very lovely, heather coloured dress, coat, and hat, instead of the robes and Scottish Crown which many people had expected for the opening of Parliament.

Another point to ponder - do you realise that North Sea (or Scottish?) oil is the biggest chunk of the assets/surety that enabled Gordon Brown and Alaister Darling to secure enormous international loans? Might that be at the back of DC's mind when he is so keen to keep Scotland in the UK?

We should be united in our loathing of Mrs Thatcher; not divided. As an English person I don't feel responsible for anything the awful woman did, and can only apologise for it, even though I didn't vote for her.

Granny23 Potential Scottish independence affects the rest of the UK too so I do think the rest of us should have a vote.

I am actually very glad that I shall be leaving this lousy country whether it remains the full UK or becomes the Kingdom of a Bit of Britain and a Bit of Ireland.

Please see www.telegraph.co.uk/news/matt/

I have made my view known, that I am saddened Scotland may choose to leave the union.

I was also shocked that Tesco in Scotland would not sell the Union Jack produce for the Queens Diamond Jubilee. I saw that in the papers and heard it from those on Question Time when it was recorded in Scotland.

I think this sort of thing will inevitably make those outside Scotland wonder if we are all so wrong to have thought for all these years we were 'a family' so to speak.

I do understand how the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish feel they are run by Westminster and don't have a say, I truly do. What they never think of is the English probably have the same feeling. That is the system though and I honestly think it is the safest and most beneficial for all of the countries.

AS is a political beast and if you think in years to come after gaining independance that the political wheel will be any different, then I think that may prove to be a naive one. I hope for all our sakes I am wrong.

POGS It's not a feeling. The Welsh, Scottish and Irish (as well as the English) are mainly run by Westminster.

absent

I know. I was obviously trying to say something, maybe in a poor way, that I hope others will understand.

There were loads of union flags up around where I live, pogs – in Scotland – on houses and shops and cars, etc.

We are all run by the London Parliament but there are MPs there representing every country of the UK. Even now, when three have separate parliaments/assemblies. England doesn't. Who is running what?

As a newcomer to this discussion I'm amazed at the content of this thread. Its very informative. Living abroad I see the independence of Scotland as something the Scots have always wanted. I have an exptat friend living near me from Edinborough and have been corrected several times when I said England when talking of 'our' homeland.

I seem to remember AS said on Andrew Marr 's Sunday morning programme that he would want to be part of the Euro. I think this is convenient for the Scots as not having the pound will make them feel really seperate from England. You would then have to change money at the border.
Then they would have the benefits of being part of a large group at least until they got sorted. AS also said they would keep allegience to the Queen but only the queen. Not Charles and William etc. Rather like Australia.

Even if 16 and 17 year olds vote and say they will vote for independence, and all the others that intend to take this step, you shouldn't forget that the enormity of the step may be apparent only at the moment when they are alone in the poling booth with the pencil in their hand. I think that many will lose heart at this moment.
If Scotland becomes independent then the England stands to be the loser. With the Welsh and Irish and everyone being 'so proud' being Welsh or Irish, only England is left to be Great. But are we anymore?

Our Tescos certainly had the Union Flags in Scotland (only Jacks when on a ship with Jack Tars). Where did you hear that they were not going to have them.