To want to keep my UK passport if Scotland votes YES in the 2014 referendum?

[SittingBull1]

If the majority of people actually voting votes YES in the 2014 referendum, Scotland will leave the UK. As Scots living in Scotland, will my family and I lose our UK passports? Along with a very large number of NO voters, my family and I will want to retain our UK passports, and I'm sure that a huge percentage of the non-voters will also want to keep theirs. I think that the UK government should offer to allow Scots living in Scotland to retain their UK passports. Is that unreasonable?

I agree too.
I'm all for Scotland being a fully-fledged grown-up country that looks after its own affairs. Devo Max hasn't been offered as an option though, even though the no campaign would benefit.

lol @ Salmond and pointless politics,the SNP government have done a great job in Scotland.

I dread to think what would have happened if Labour had been in charge these last years.

Labours MP's won't even turn up to vote against the bedroom tax FFS!
90% of people in Scotland affected by it are disabled.
The likes of Gordon Brown, Anas Sarwar & Jim Murphy don't even deem it important enough to vote against.

the SNP government have done a great job in Scotland.

It's far too early to judge this IMO.

Look at the SNP's flagship policies:
Curriculum for Excellence- a shambles
free tuition fees- unsustainable in the longterm
free prescriptions- again, too early to tell on its long term effects. It could be argued that the poorest people are losing out on the extra money being spent on prescriptions for those who could afford them.

But you can't be certain how staying I the union will affect Scotland's future either.

I would rather take my chances with a future which means all the decisions are made in Scotland for Scotland.

100% of my friends and family are voting yes, that's like 1762 people

Did you actually sit down with a list & count all your family who are voting No, maybe you put a questionnaire out?

Bizzare and totally unbelievable.

I would rather take my chances with a future which means all the decisions are made in Scotland for Scotland.

They won't be though. The currency affects everything.

Or it could be argued that the poorest people can actually afford to collect their prescriptions.

It would cost more to means test than continue as we are.

The NHS is meant to be free at the point of need, founding principles.

Thank feck our NHS is separate & being protected unlike in England where it's being sold off to Cameron's friends.
Is that a future that people want?

The poorest people were already getting their prescriptions free under the old system anyway.

It's not a future you can guarantee anyway. Whoever would get into power in an independent Scotland would have their own policy.

I would imagine protecting the NHS will be written into constitution.

The poorest people are not always those entitled to free prescriptions.

I lived in Ireland. Was not entitled to free prescriptions, was just over the thresh-hold, couldn't always afford prescriptions or to pay to see a Dr on the first place.

'You imagine' does not equal 'will', does it?

Fannyfifer, totally agree about not knowing what a no vote will throw up too. Apparently being in the union means we'll all be able to predict the future with certainty!

I don't understand not wanting to take responsibility and look after your own affairs as a country, fundamentally. I'm not nationalist in inclination (hate petty lines in the sand) but also think fair's fair. Not sure that anyone except a handful is getting a good deal out of the union.

I don't understand not wanting to take responsibility and look after your own affairs as a country, fundamentally.

An independent Scotland will not be completely independent though- that's the crucial bit! The currency problem will determine everything, and Scotland does not have the weight to be able to have a huge influence on an international level.

I agree a 'no' vote doesn't mean everything will be rosy.

The currency affects everything

Not really. The only options are:

1.a Retain the pound (currency union with rUK)
b Retain the pound (no currency union with rUK)

1. Join the Euro
2. Create new currency

All options cede some control over currency, but no-one expects an independent Scotland to be literally entirely independent - that would be an impossibility. At least with option 1a/2/3 we would have some control over currency.

Perhaps more important than currency is a countries ability to show it can back that currency with its GDP/natural resources etc. In an independent Scotland this would not be an issue.

Scotland does not have the weight to be able to have a huge influence on an international level

Agreed. An independent Scotland will never have the same influence as say China or the US or Russia. But it will have the same influence as any other country of equivalent size (of which there are many)

I don't believe the majority will be yes.

I do find it quite amazing so many questions remain unanswered at this stage.

The first thing I ever voted in was the first referendum and I voted no; I voted no in the second one and will be voting no on independence.

So far as making decisions, you really think an " independent" Scotland with the Bank of England as the bank of last resort and, assuming it's even allowed in to the EU, ranking somewhere alongside Kosova and Albania will be determining its own destiny ?

I cannot see any benefits in leaving the Union.

But there are just as many unanswered questions if the vote is no...

If the vote is No then Westminster continues to control the answers to these questions.

If the vote is Yes then Scotland controls the answers to these questions.

Both governments are (arguably) equally capable of governance. The big question is which government would answer these questions more in the interests of Scotland rather than the UK as a whole.

we would have some control over currency.

How much control? Virtually none.

Apparently the White Paper will not even cover currency- scandalous.

So far as making decisions, you really think an " independent" Scotland with the Bank of England as the bank of last resort and, assuming it's even allowed in to the EU, ranking somewhere alongside Kosova and Albania will be determining its own destiny

Umm, yes?

How much control? Virtually none.

But what do you mean by control over currency? If we are in a currency union with someone then obvious you hold negotiations, try and find best solutions for all, but still subject to the vagaries of the international money markets.

If we had our own currency, still subject to the vagaries of the international markets.

Look at the pound, nominally controlled by the UK, but didn't exactly manage to avoid world wide crash.

Why Westminster needs an indy Scotland to keep the £.

Interesting thread. I dont know all the ins and outs of the pro/ anti independance debate, but ultimately it's for the people pf scotland to decide.
The promise of free prescriptions though could be a double edged sword. I wonder if it's been used to try to attract the yes vote!
I live in Wales where precriptions are free, and feel that this was a huge mistake as the system is openly abused.

I know people who are high earners who go to their gp for prescriptions for paracetomol

Meanwhile essential services are being cut with devastating effect. Lots of money wasted in wales throwing money at the welsh language as well which only a tiny minority have a vested interest in.

At least you dont have that problem in Scotland.

The promise of free prescriptions though could be a double edged sword. I wonder if it's been used to try to attract the yes vote!
I live in Wales where precriptions are free, and feel that this was a huge mistake as the system is openly abused.

I don't have a link, but I believe that free prescriptions have been shown to be cheaper overall as it vastly cuts down on admin costs (which is huge in the NHS), and all cuts down on illness from people choosing not to "buy" their prescriptions.

Lots of money wasted in wales throwing money at the welsh language as well which only a tiny minority have a vested interest in

I think there is a fair amount in Scotland too, and at least in Wales lots of people actually speak Welsh, you'd be unlikely to hear gaelic spoken on the street in Scotland.