to ask how you feel about Scottish Independence?

[PierreBourdieu]

Particularly looking for opinions from South of the Border, but all opinions welcome. My FB is awash with Independence fever after the rally in Edinburgh yesterday. As a Scotwoman I am always interested to hear the views of the English and get that perspective. I'll not disclose whether I'm pro or anti as I suppose it's not relevant here, also not looking for a bunfight! Care to share?

Erm, you're English and I'm Scottish. We're as culturally and socially different as you and I are from the French. In my opinion. That's not to say I don't like you or anything, I just don't identify as having the same nationality as you. Identity is the key word here. You identify as 'nominally English'. I identify as completely Scottish, if I considered myself British, I'm sure a desire for Unionism would accompany that. I don't, which is why I am 100% pro indy.

No I didn't, strangely enough I haven't spent my life preoccupied with nationhood. Maybe you have, maybe that is the difference between the scots and the rest of Britain! However I brief look at history suggests that an obsession with nationalism rarely ends well!

Penny please could you list these social and cultural differences?

English and Scottish people are as socially and culturally different from each other as the English and the French??

As a foreigner living in Scotland I can categorically say that is not true! That has made me laugh.

Guffaw in fact.

Uni only lasts 4 years (3 in England) last time I checked, hardly a lifelong preoccupation with nationhood. Not that I consider that something to be sneered at after 300 years of oppression.

I think there are differences. I dont think they are large though.

Why do people insist on generalising a nation on one opinion?

The idea that you think everyone should/would study Renan regardless of what they are reading does suggest a slight preoccupation on your part? Of course maybe you don't think that, in which case I can't imagine why you would bring it up.

Yes squoosh, I have very little in common with the French and very little in common with the English. I don't see how that is funny?

Eats- definitely differences, same as differences between different regions.

Perhaps you coud give us some examples penny

I was alluding to the fact that you don't seem to know what constitutes a 'nation'. Passports?! Are you serious?!

Yep are you?

A Scottish person living in the Highlands has more in common with someone living in Cumbria for example than someone living in Glasgow or Edinburgh. To say that Scottish culture and English culture are poles apart is farcical.

Millions of Scots would disagree.

They'd be wrong.

This is getting boring now. I'm Scottish and therefore will get to have my say. You won't so I don't see the point in going round in circles here. There are Scots to persuade and I only have 2 years to do it. Carry on.

Still waiting for some examples!

I am a scot living in Scotland. There is no way I would ever vote for independence. It really worries me that by some fluke and by stirring up the electorate with some parochial crap that Alec Salmond could pull this off.

I live in Glasgow and don't know anyone who thinks it is a good idea. To be honest though I think that the snp have missed their chance. They might have pulled it off in the days of the high performing Celtic tigers, Iceland etc but I think most people these days are realistic to know that we are just too small an economy to survive independently.

There is a culture in Scotland of being the underdogs and seeing the English as the oppressors and this has an impact.

There is a strong history of left wing trade union action in Scotland amongst working class alongside valuing education.

There is a strong anti authoritarian culture.

A strong culture of laughing at yourself and friends.

You don't live in Scotland though nulgirl.
You live in an imaginary place according to Londone.

I live in the Highlands, I moved here from just outside of Glasgow.

I identify with most of the people I have met all over Scotland as I have with most English people hut there will always be exceptions to the rule.

I think that many inhabitants of many northern cities would consider the same to apply to them.

Be the most rabid supporter of Independence that you want, go for it. But try to be sensible. Scottish culture and English culture is very much intermingled. Culture isn't a solid thing that remains in a box and never changes. Think of the differences between someone from London and someone from Cornwall, or someone from Dumfries and someone from Glasgow. Culture can even change from one postcode to the next but overall as nations England and Scotland have far more things in common than they have differences.

Oh and by the way I'm not Scottish but I get as much of a say as you do. I'm on the electoral register you see.