First of all Scotland has never been colonised so let's get rid of that old turkey. Wales yes, Ireland yes, but not Scotland. I'm sure you all know the history on this thread, but it's perhaps worth repeating for anyone chancing by this goes right back to Elizabeth I remaining childless and unmarried and the invitation to James VI of Scotland taking the throne of England upon her death and the 'joining' of he two kingdoms in 1603 - The Union of Crowns. A century later after the execution of a King, Civil Wars and the restoration of the monarchy - the two parliaments of Scotland and England united to form The Union of Parliaments under Queen Anne in 1707. Yes, there was dissent and reluctance of the part of many Scots and yes, there was no doubt bribery and arm beinding involved, but nevertheless the Union happened.
Now half of the Scottish population it seems, want to bring the Union to an end, and I understand that - as a Welsh speaking Welsh woman whose family in Wales go back generations. When it comes to my Welshness, it comes first and foremost over my Britishness, and I have and perhaps would again, vote Plaid - but my decision for doing so would not be based on any desire for Welsh 'independence' from the UK (but that's an entirely different thread), but because the Plaid candidate was the best candidate and most suited to deal with local issues and represent us at a national (as in Welsh Assembly) and British (as in Westminster) level.
If the Scots want to go it alone then they should. But it is a decision that should be based on facts rather than the utopian nonsense that is currently being spouted. I have yet to read one sensible, factual, coherent argument from a single separatist politician or supporter. It is all based on nationalist pride, a desire to get out from under the perceived yoke of Westminster oppression, a desire to 'govern ourselves' and yes, a desire to stick one up to the English - and anyone who denies the latter is deluding themselves. There is a gloating triumphalism from some quarters of the separatist movement that makes it clear what the underlying motivation for Scottish secession from the Union really is for a significant proportion of those voting 'yes’.
There seems to be little thought or concern or caution regarding the actual practicalities of a split. The seismic effect that this will have, not just on Scotland itself, but on the whole of the UK who have had no say, but have had to stand by and watch the future of all of us on this island of Britain (and outlying) being held in the balance by Scottish schoolchildren and recent arrivals to Scotland, some of whom it would seem have no concept or understanding of British history. The tearing down and ripping apart of virtually every single 'British' institution and the whole foundation on which our constitution is based, the effects of which will be felt by everyone, and will last for years. Lots of Saltire waving and smug, smiling politicians who promise everything and gloss over the specifics with platitudes of 'it will all be wonderful' and denouncing everything that doesn't chime with their promise of this utopian Scotland as 'scaremongering' and 'a Westminster conspiracy'.
What astounds me even further is that this small country having freed itself from the yoke of Union with the rest of the UK, is going to go cap in hand to the European Union - a federalist institution that despises nationalism, that actively seeks to erode the nation state, that will eat Scotland for breakfast. All this 'desire to govern ourselves' will all fall by the wayside, when the diktats start coming in from Brussels as they will, because the conditions that Scotland will have to agree to to even get themselves into the EU will be strident - Spain and others with separatist issues of their own to contend with will make absolutely sure of that. A small country like a newly independent Scotland will have no leverage, no muscle - Salmond's demands for this, and that, his pronouncements about what Scotland will and won't take from the UK when it departs, will not be replicated when he signs Scotland up to that larger Union. The demands and conditions of entry will be dictated by others.
And let's get to England. At the moment it all seems very much as if the Scots are leaving England behind and the chickens are coming home to roost for the old colonial power (of which Scotland was very much a part of course - something that seems to be conveniently overlooked). The poor old hapless English, who no-one loves and no-one wants, living on past glories and watching the UK shrink and diminish around them.
Well jolly olde England is still a going concern and an extremely viable one at that. Larger geographically than its breakaway neighbour, with more than 10 times the population, with the financial capital of the world at its centre. There are many English people who are fast reaching the conclusion that perhaps its time for England to start flexing its muscles and start thinking about 'England' and the remainder of the UK, what is best for it and that won't involve giving Salmond and the Scots everything they seem to think they are going to take with them, on a plate.
The pound for starters. It has been made clear repeatedly from numerous sources that there will be no currency union, that such a union is incompatible with sovereignty and it is simply not an option. This is blithely ignored - Nicola Sturgeon's intelligent, informed and considered response when challenged on that very point 'It's our pound too'.
Er no Nicola its not. It's the British pound and the lender of last resort is the Bank of England - the clue is in the name. The governor of that institution has made it clear that a currency union is 'impossible'. His words - simply ignored by Scottish politicians. You cannot share a currency successfully without fiscal integration - which requires political union of some kind - something the Scots do not want. They want total independence, but still have currency union? It's ludicrous - but it seems as if a fair proportion of those voting yes are oblivious to the consequences of what they are doing.
Then there are the 'billions of barrels of oil' that apparently exist. Disputed by various independent experts as a vast over-estimation, Sturgeon again, when challenged , simply retorts that she is right and they are wrong. That's it. End of discussion. They are 'scare-mongering' Ignore them. This is the level of the debate and the premise on which people are voting for Scottish independence. The assurances of separatist politicians that they are right, everyone else is wrong, the British Government will cave in to every Scottish demand and hand over everything they perceive to be theirs for the taking, and if they don't, we'll just default on our debt. It's like playground politics and the fact than people are basing their futures and the futures of their children on the platitudes and pronouncements of these people is beyond my comprehension.
Sadly however, my own view is that as hard as it is for all of us, it is time for Scotland to go, and it is better to do it now than keep kicking the can down the road so future generations have to live with this ever present resentment and uncertainty.
But if they think their neighbour is simply going to roll over, cave in and give them everything they want is nothing short of delusional, no matter how much they shout and scream about oppression and Westminster conspiracies and Eton toffs. It's gone way beyond all that now and there are nearly 60 million people south of the border who are starting to question how such a small percentage of the population of the UK are allowed to wreak such havoc on the rest of us. Attitudes are hardening, and there will be a consolidation of opinion as events unfold over the coming days, weeks and years that will not be favourable to Scottish demands.
My sympathies lie with the 50% or so of the Scottish population who don't want this. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be in your shoes at the present time. The rest of the UK will be fine I have no doubt about that, but for the breakaway Scotland I fear the future will be nowhere near as rosy as some of those voting ‘yes’ seem to imagine it might be.