The last few weeks have seen the strength of the union crumbled by rhetoric. A year ago I would have said let Scotland go, but with the reality dawning, my feelings have changed.
Scotland brings more to the UK than just North Sea oil and Karen Gillan. It brings tourism, industry, natural resources, educational excellence and most of all, unity. What would Scotland be without England, and what would England and Wales be without Scotland? Britain mustn’t allow itself to be divided into one island and two nations in the way that Ireland was.
We have ties that span thousands of years. We are an inter-related group of islands, whether we choose to admit it or not. How many ‘English’ people are McDonalds, Morgans or Murphys? The reality is nationalists hark back to a bygone age that is no longer relevant. Why would we throw all this history away for the sake of jumped up Alex Salmond and his bitter pride?
Which other nations can boast to have even a slither of what we have with England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland?
What benefits are there for Scotland to be independent? They would be a small country with none of the status and power of the UK, without any presence on the international stage. They would have two options – be a non-aligned nonentity like Norway and Iceland or a minor member of the EU. As the EU looks set for a two-tiered, two-speed system, Scotland would definitely be in the slow lane with Greece and Portugal.
It is astonishing that it is not just a small handful of SNP activists who would support a move from the UK – a third of Scots would happily close off their border. They fail to realise that they would be throwing the country to the dogs.
Maybe the SNP, and Salmond especially, are simply lusting for more power. They have had a taste with devolution, and now they want more – and independence is the only way they can get it.
But our bond shouldn’t be broken so easily. A referendum is not just for Christmas, as Sir Ming rightfully said earlier this week. The SNP have seized upon the fears of people in Scotland, insisting that they could escape debts. The reality is that they would be throwing their lot in with the basket cases of the eurozone, and the government would hardly allow them to leave the rest of us with the whole UK debt tab.
It is saddening that this chat has come up right as Jamaica and Australia openly call to end their connection with the UK. It seems to be fashionable at the moment. Hopefully 2012 will bring a strengthening of the union, not only the Olympics but the Queen’s celebration of 60 years on the throne can remind Scots of our shared ties as an island. It’s not too late to bring back the UK spirit.
Comments
Richard Lucas / January 13 2012 1:07pm
Plenty of sentiment, not much coherent argument in this article. A democratic Scotland will go the way its people choose.
fran / January 14 2012 9:42pm
Francesca - you are as you say new to this argument . I am an ex Labour supporter who has had years to move from the party of the people to the SNP. Scottish Labour were the party here for years - they were a dynasty more than a political party - they ruled everywhere that was anywhere in scotland - local, national, north, south and central. Politics was Labour and if any political grouping in my country knew about power, how to use power, keep power, transfer power to and between themselves it was Scottish Labour. What we had here was a hegemony and we are just coming out from under that and quite like what we see in the world beyond. Salmond has a positive message of Scotland and for Scots - the bitterest folk up here are not the SNP but the shrinking Labour group who as a self interested group are in denial about their own loss of power - assumptive power - which was less often used to benefit Scots than to benefit themselves first and the party second. That's the reality up here not from a crazed nat but from a scot who knows exactly what she had before and knows this future will be better - not separating but moving on.
Adam Bruce / January 18 2012 4:34am
But Scotland is not doing this for no reason. England and Scotland are not the same nation, and despite emigration between the two, do not have a homogenous cultural and racial makeup. Westminster bleeds the Scots dry every time they need to save some valuable asset in England, and the SNP wants the power to provide for their own people rather than let a whole different country fail to do so. Have you been to the highlands? To the small villages and the islands? People are living in poverty, not because they are stupid or lazy, but because the Westminster government is denying those regions the basic economic support ANY government should give it's people. Why are people like you so paranoid about Scotland leaving? it's not as if we will pick up our country and row it away or build a giant wall to divide England and Scotland!
Philip Lynch / February 20 2012 3:34am
I'm not sure I like what you said about Ireland not allowing itself to become divided nation.
"Britain mustn’t allow itself to be divided into one island and two nations in the way that Ireland was."
Did they have a choice it was more or less forced on them the majority wanted to be one nation and the English govt. did the same thing in India i.e they created Pakistan as England can never help but meddle in other's affairs.
You tell me how would you feel if you had a house and your neighbour kept coming over and telling you when to eat, how to do things and when to do it and not only that took your money off you and doled it out to you like child.
This is how it feels to be Scottish and I don't are what anyone says nobody can feel pride in themselves or look themselves in the mirror in the knowledge that they are in servitude to another country and another countries queen.
Philip Lynch / February 20 2012 3:39am
Not to the mention the fact that those masters of the Universe in the City couldn't manage a schoolboys pocket money and are the main reason why we are falling out now as you England gambled away the housekeeping with your free and easy financial policy which in short means let's have no policy or rules at all as we are too smart to adhere to mere rules and now you expect us to help you pay for it.
Darline / March 07 2012 9:56am
I appreciate the feforts to foresee problems for the way ahead, but Im afraid I dont see this being one of them. First of all, rUK would be well within it's rights to reject any official monetary union where Scotland would like representation at the BoE. I have no problem with that.However, it would surely be for sound, justifiable reason where the Scottish economy destabilises Sterling that is, that Scotland would be a basketcase economy that rUK want nothing to do with. Fortunately, that's not really very likely. The very reason rUK do not want to lose Scotland is that it is a solid economy with great potential and it's unlikely (although possible I guess through poor governance) we'd regress to the point where the Scottish economy was unstable and harmful to Sterling. I doubt this to be the case in the short term though. If the Scottish economy was strong and stable, why wouldnt rUK want Scotland to contribute to Sterling's strength?And crucially, this decision would be taken based on raw, economic data. David Cameron is not about to throw his toys out the pram on the international stage and say he's just not going to allow it in order to prevent independence, and it wont reflect well on rUK at all if he tries to argue the Scottish economy is in such a dire mess while in the UK, it would be toxic as soon as it left.We'll have far bigger hurdles to clear than this IMO.