I certainly don’t agree with many of the points raised by Mike700 as I’m afraid those comments are based on a lot of outdated misconceptions. Countries should have the right to control their own affairs, isn’t that what Ukraine are fighting for? As far as the UK subsiding Scotland that is certainly one of the urban myths mentioned . Richard Murphy an internationally acclaimed English Chartered accountant checked the treasury figures and found that they were inaccurate as well as sloppy and that the Scottish fiscal deficit was on a par with most of the other Western European Countries. Dont forget Scotland got dragged out of the EU by the same tory government that before the Independence referendum had stated that the only way the Scots could remain in the EU was for them to reject Independence. The current Westminster government has to be one of the most corrupt and incompetent bunch of carpetbaggers ever. Brexit is costing the UK £100 Billion per year and dwarfs the total contributions paid to the EU over the time we were members. Mike700 says he loves the Scots, well if that’s true perhaps we should trust the Scots to make their own decisions over their future. I for one have no doubt they can become as successful as their Scandinavian neighbours with a new relationship with the rest of the UK based on respect rather than the current condescending attitude from Westminster. It is the height of hypocrisy for the very people who were so keen for dear old Blighty to get its freedom from the EU to be most vociferous in their opposition to Scotland gaining its own Independence. The fact is that if Scotland really was the financial burden as implied by Westminster then why haven’t they been dumped ? Please don’t answer with the twaddle about”special relationships” as Scotland is treated as a colony of the UK, If Scotland is to remain in the UK then the relationship between the constituent parts needs to change radically and I don’t see that happening any time soon.
I started my post by stating that we are all entitled to an opinion , and I stick by that, as well as my point about emotions and urban myths, and perhaps I should add ‘misconceptions ‘ to the mix
One of the misconceptions in Daf’s post is that Scotland is a ‘ Country’ whereas actually it is part of a larger Country ie the UK.
The first sentence of the Act of Union as passed by the Scottish Parliament is the foundation doctrine of the new entity: “That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England shall upon the first day of May next ensuing the date hereof and forever after be United into One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain.”
Two points to this –
1 the two Kingdoms- United into one Kingdom, and
2. Forever after.
So, Scotland is not a separate Country, irrespective of urban myth!
The Ukraine is already a country which has been invaded by another – completely and utterly different from the Scotland situation!
Using Daf’ s argument about Countries should be able to determine their own future, the Act of Union clearly describes the United Kingdom to be one entity/ country , therefore surely if one part of that country wants to break away, it will affect the rest of that Country, just the same as amputation of a limb from a human,or animal will affect the whole of the body.
This being the case, surely we should all be required to vote on whether or not Scotland should break away from the UK because so called Scottish Independence is not just about the Scots , or Scotland, it is about breaking up the U.K. and therefore we are all in it together, just like in any other family?
The Barnet formula is no myth, it is undisputed fact which is part of the UK Government Audited accounts !
Ask the SNP for their meaning of the word ‘Audit’?
As far as Brexit is concerned, Scotland did not vote to leave, nor was Scotland dragged out of the EU against the wishes of the electorate.
Scotland did not have a separate referendum, it was part of the United Kingdom referendum- hypocrisy comes into play here also in that the SNP complain that in the EU referendum more voted to stay than leave, therefore the majority vote should apply, YET, they will not accept that the majority vote against Independence should apply .
Brexit was a vote by the electorate not the Tories, as such.!
As was the election- like it or not!
People came out in their millions, the very same people who, even with a dire Tory election campaign still voted Tory , more votes than Labour could muster in England, more than Labour in Scotland, more DUP than SDLP in NI, and the Tories were only 200,000 votes short of Labour in Wales , at the 2015 General Election.
This translated to 327 Tory Seats Inc NI and 262 Labour Seats – by any stretch of the imagination Labour lost the election, whereas the Tories exceptionally, and unusually, as they were the incumbent party in Government ,won the right to represent the U.K., especially in the EU/ Brexit negotiations.
BTW.,
I am not putting an argument forward supporting any political party, rather i am supporting the centuries old system of ‘ majority ‘ rules!
,