to wonder what English MNers think of the Scottish referendum?

[OTheHugeManatee]

I'm English. I quite want Scotland to vote Yes. Personally I'm not sure the financial arguments stack up but I think you can argue it either way. I want a Yes vote not because I think Scotland should eff off or anything puerile like that, but because I think we're long overdue a serious constitutional shakeup in the British Isles and a Yes vote might well be the thing to trigger it.

Also I'm quietly (and, I hope non-xenophobically) quite firmly Eurosceptic. One of my main objections to rule from Brussels is the lack of democratic legitimacy: I don't feel that my vote counts for much in deciding who gets into power there. So I can sympathise with Scottish complaints that they feel the Westminster government doesn't represent their views and never really will. Given that I want freedom from Brussels so as to go back to self-determination as a democratic nation, logically I can't object to Scotland wanting the same thing.

But other English MNers seem to feel quite strongly the other way. If you're English, what's your view?

I think it's odd that only one side of the union gets a vote on the future of that union. I suspect that's because if the English were given the vote, Scotland would be independent before you could say "Anybody But England"

Also to bolster what was said about London and the SE which also plays host to the most deprived area in Britain in jaywick which is in the most deprived town of Clacton in one of the most deprived districts of Tendring. An area that has recently hit the news for swinging it's vote majorly to UKIP

Don't want to hijack the thread but, do want to join the, 'I wish London would sod off camp'!

Not London-centric?? Public sector transport infrastructure spending in London - £2595.68 per head of population, in the north-east - £5.01 per head.

I often have to drive 100+ miles to an airport to get the flights I want, londoners get yet another airport! Need the underground extending? No problem! Need the M25 widening? Sure, how many lanes do you want? Etc, etc

If London would sod off the Scots would probably vote to stay and we'd all live together quite happily!

I'm a no voter. Well I say I am but having seen some of the charming comments on this thread I'm having second thoughts

I'm very glad Scottish people abroad aren't getting a vote. Too many of them would vote with their heart not their head. I can't believe the number of Americans I've seen on FB with the Yes logo on their profile and saying how much Scotland 'deserves' it's independence

lurkernowposter a lot of folk up here would agree!

Sorry with the statement:
If London would sod off the Scots would probably vote to stay and we'd all live together quite happily

Just had a look at the stats, London gets £9435 per head- 7% higher than the UK average. BUT Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland both get higher than that (Scotland more than £10k etc) and the SE gets the lowest amount spent on it. I would say that is due to the different needs of the communities and the poverty rates- where London, Scotland, NI and Wales both rate at the top end.

But this isn't a London thread that's for another day. I think it's a way to distract from the referendum...it feels quite surreal.

Ididntseeitsoitdidnthappen Wed 03-Sep-14 16:29:57
Because they've made such a song and dance about it.

Erm yes because it's the biggest decision our country will ever make!

Neart, if we are such a millstone the. Ask yourself why Davey boy is so scared of losing us. Could it be that we actually so put £1,700 into the pot each in tax and only get £1,200 each back? That money would no longer be available to rUK along with oil and gas revenue.

To the pp who said 90% of rangers fans cause the problem that is strange. I do not support either team but the people who spat on me on a train were wearing 'sellick taps' my crime was turning down a date with one of them. Also anytime I see any hassle there is usually a 'sellick tap' involved. Please let me know where you got your statistics of the 90/10 split, interesting reading for me. I've never seen a rangers top abroad but seen plenty of Celtic ones from drunk yobs!

I live in Dorset so the Scottish Referendum feels very remote from my life; however a 'Yes' vote may affect my Uncle who is English & lives in Glasgow with his Scottish girlfriend. Would he be like an ex-pat or an immigrant to Scotland? It's confusing.

I think it is very sad that things have come to this point.
However, I have hated the feeling that changes are being voted on that will probably have a direct impact on my family and we have to sit idly by and wait for other people to make their choice. So I will have a sense of relief when it is all over and the UK (or what is left if it) can prioritise what is in our national interest instead of being in the limbo that we have been in for the last couple of years.

I'm English not British living in the US, so technically this doesn't affect me either way, but all other things being equal anything that UKIP, the BNP, and the Orange Order all agree on feels like something I should oppose on principle. Which would put me in the Yes camp.

Even if Scotland votes yes, the UK will continue to exist, just as they continued to exist after Ireland left, although I'm not at all sure who actually, materially, benefits from their continued existence or what the point of it is.
Needless to say, I'm in favour of as much localized government as possible.

I will be voting no. A decision which I don't share in RL in certain places because I get abuse for it .

It feels wrong to see a scattering of comments calling England 'the other side' partly because it isn't a competition and partly because the UK isn't made of 2 parts, it's made of 4, the question is Scotland becoming independent of Wales and Northern Ireland too.

The current government wouldn't want the rest of the UK to vote too because then it would be an ejection from the union and the international rules about how the spilt would happen would have different terms.

To go back to the one country (to rule them all - sorry!) discussion, when I say I see us as one country, I don't personally think that in an ENGLAND ARE ALL POWERFUL way, I see it more like the USA, we're separate states but all ultimately the same country.

However, I can see why Scots see it otherwise. And I imagine there are English who see it otherwise. And maybe I only have the opinion I do because I'm English?

I don't think we'll ever have real change in the way our country is run by Westminster whilst everyone is busy trying to be totally individual countries.

United we stand, divided we fall and all that.

Oh and I don't think Davey Boy is that scared of Scotland going. I really do think it's win-win for him. And it doesn't matter what happens after the vote, no matter what the outcome, because he can just say "well, it's what they voted for"

To me salmond behaves like a toddler, if a yes vote I certainly would not want a currancy union where the English would be lender of last resort to a country we had no financial say over!

It's like he wants the best of all worlds, end of the day independence is independence it's like he's having a teen age strop but wants to keep mum and dad there to bail them out if his utopia doesn't work out. A spilt means the Scots take there part of the debt end of it's their debt.

To me it's all speculation as no one has ever lived through a separation like this so it's a suck it and see, if I had a vote it would be a definite NO, on the basis that with two weeks left to go the yes side economics don't stack up

If I lived in Scotland I would vote yes. However, as an English person I find it horrific that, if Scotland becomes independent we are pretty much stuck with a permanent Tory government.

To go back to the one country (to rule them all - sorry!) discussion, when I say I see us as one country, I don't personally think that in an ENGLAND ARE ALL POWERFUL way, I see it more like the USA, we're separate states but all ultimately the same country.

I'm afraid its attitudes like that which makes me (some) Scots want to vote YES.

It does seem very ironic that the dissenting Yes voters are the ones that some English people (myself included) are most keen to hold on to

Why though? Why not say to those in Westminster, hang on, we're as much part of this country as anyone else and we want change for everybody.

I do understand why it makes some Scots want to vote yes, but being so keen to be recognized as anything but English seems a bit like cutting your nose off to spite your face.

However, I still stand by the fact that I would vote yes.

To be fair on the "responsibility" of Scots to "save" England from Tory rule, that myth has pretty much been out to bed at least in Scotland

In the last 60+ years, only twice have the Scottish MPs made a difference (and not significantly enough to form a stable government). To be fair, one of those times was the last election, when without the Scottish MPs, the Tories would've had a very small majority. But there again, the coalition with the LibDems have left them in a stable government anyway .

It's Middle England that decides the colour of the Westminster Government.

I went to Glasgow once. Didn't realise an old firm game was due that weekend. Xenophobia at it's finest.*

I lived in Glasgow (I'm English) for many years through many old firm games. There is the occasional arsehole who will spout xenophobic views no doubt about it but lets not kid ourselves that England is devoid of xenophobic arseholes (UKIP anyone?) I am English, I live in Scotland because I like it. I have Scottish friends, English friends, Australian and American friends and guess what you can't judge entire swathes of people the way some on this thread are. It is a ridiculously reductive way to approach anything let alone politics and frankly people be careful now because your ignorance is showing.

I'd rather we remain part of Britain personally although I sympathise with the YES voters. What I am irritated and a little sickened by is the hate which has sprung up on either side and the ignorant generalisations. Despite knowing plenty on this topic it is the reason I've avoided being drawn into such emotive debates.

I think it would be interesting to see the result of a yes vote. Will the EU allow them in? What will happen regarding currency? What about when the offshore resources run out - what is the financial plan to prepare?

The first line in the post above was supposed to be bolded I'm not sure why it wasn't it was a quotation. * fail

I rather hope it will be Yes, sick to death of the "all Englands fault" shite from generations of Scots.

You want a divorce - fine, but no way am I going to let you continue to use the joint account/credit card. I wish Scotland well but lets sever all ties and go our seperate ways.

In the event I think it will be No - I believe there is a huge non vocal silent majority. At least Salmond and co may STFU for a while.

sigh

And people say it's opinions like mine that make them want to vote yes!