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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to move to Scotland because England is now officially shit?

190 replies

BoffinMum · 29/06/2016 22:33

Just that really.
Where's a good place to live to escape all the Brexit madness?
I prefer Nicola Sturgeon to any of the psychopaths allegedly 'running' the country down here.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Shouldwestayorshouldwegonow · 29/06/2016 23:58

Hoose

You have your few just like we do chick.

JassyRadlett · 30/06/2016 00:11

I disagree, manic - I'd say it's seeking a home where the local politics and political climate best suit you (in this case OP feels the SG is a good fit) as well as a secondary benefit of hedging your bets for if the UK breaks up. But the potential breakup of the UK isn't the only impact of Brexit.

And then, I don't think the UK would really be the UK without Scotland. Or NI. So even if a person was moving solely in case of independence, aren't they just picking what side they want to be on afterwards?

manicinsomniac · 30/06/2016 00:18

Oh, I don't know, maybe. I can't see it that way but I can't see much rationally at the moment. It's just too sad and unsettling to really know what to think. But my gut says that moving, or joking about moving, to Scotland or London just heightens division and infighting and makes everything worse. Loads of Scottish people voted to leave. Loads of English people voted to stay. The ratios were different but not massively so. Promoting difference can't, imo, be a good thing.

JassyRadlett · 30/06/2016 00:48

I can absolutely see that. I don't have the emotional stake to one or the other, obviously - I've been here 11 years and have been based in London, mostly, where people are always moving in and out.

Given that in most places, at least 4 in 10 people voted Remain, I agree that it's massively unhelpful to treat certain parts of the country as pariah areas simply because of how the majority voted in those areas, just as it would be silly to claim that London is some kind of multicultural nirvana because we had a majority Remain. That said I would be lying if I didn't admit that I would now think twice about living permanently in some of the very strong Leave areas, as an immigrant, in the current climate.

But that's where the emotional and the rational conflict, I guess. If being a European citizen is an important part of someone's identity, they may well see it as worthwhile to move to Scotland if they see that as their best chance of retaining that aspect of their citizenship even if it means distance from England (though still in our current conception of Britain). I have friends who run a business that does better being in the EU, they are talking about relocating from London to Edinburgh if it looks like Scotland will retain/gain EU membership. It's a complicated picture I guess, made all the more complicated by the fractured conception of citizenship - English/British/European, and each of those will be weighted differently for different people.

todayitstarts · 30/06/2016 01:01

Scotland is fabulous. Come. You will be welcome

MrEBear · 30/06/2016 07:32

Your welcome to Scotland as long as you don't mind living in a nanny state. Your children will have a named person. Who is apparently more concerned about their wellbeing (happiness) than their parents!

Lots of policies that are vote winners but other services cut to the bone to pay for them. Free uni & meals for P1-P3 but colleges & schools are running on a shoestring.

FledglingFridge · 30/06/2016 07:45

Seriously that free shit pisses me right off

Maybe ask your MPs for free shit? It's cheaper just to give out the prescriptions than to pay to have a system to tell who needs them free. Plus when someone's skint but don't fall into the chronic illness prescription pass you guys have, or can't afford it up front people don't don't pick and choose which medicines they need and end up ill as a result. I like that system.

Why when someone has something they want to they just want to take it away from the other person than pushing to get it too?

LunaLoveg00d · 30/06/2016 07:48

You are welcome to Ms Sturgeon - we will even throw in the rest of the SNP government for free. Lots of us are sick to the back teeth of them. They talk a good fight, make grandiose statements such as "Scotland will not leave the EU" or "Scotland will use the pound in an independent country" but cannot back those statements up with actual fact. And while they're constantly navel-gazing over the constitution and banging on about independence, nobody's actually running the country....

Having said that, I still am much happier living here than I ever was in Southern England. People are much friendlier and welcoming, the scenery is spectacular, we have good schools and none of the nonsense which goes with allocation of places in England, and we're on school summer holidays already!!

Both Edinburgh and Glasgow have posh bits and not so posh bits. There are probably marginally more posh bits in Edinburgh, but if you've ever seen Trainspotting you'll know there are lots of grim bits too.

Daytona79 · 30/06/2016 08:02

NS is a twat and Scotland won't be going independent so I'd not rush to fast to move here

Roussette · 30/06/2016 08:05

I'd rather be anywhere than go where Nicola Sturgeon is. She has no hope of firstly Scotland divorcing itself of England and then joining the EU.

There are about ten squillion conditions that a country needs to adhere to, to join the EU, of which Scotland would be able to manage about four.

OllyBJolly · 30/06/2016 08:19

Lots of us are sick to the back teeth of them

And lots of us obviously aren't. I've only voted SNP twice - I'm not a natural SNP supporter. I think Nicola Sturgeon is an impressive, honest and inclusive leader. The Holyrood SNP team have some stars but many are not memorable. The Westminster SNP team has some tremendous politicians and are effectively the main opposition to the Tories - they have improved the quality and transparency of the UK government.

I think the SNP haven't made the best of the strong mandate they have. They could have been bolder on land reform for example. My children are no longer in education but from what I hear that's not being well managed. I've had a lot of exposure to the Scottish NHS and I know that a relative is receiving far better care than she would if she lived elsewhere in the UK.

So they're not perfect, but hey look at the alternatives!

(The Named Person initiative is supported by all of the main children's charities (and leader of Scottish Labour). The scheme is not replacing parents. It's simply to create a safe point of contact for children when the other adults in their lives let them down.)

lovelycuppateas · 30/06/2016 08:31

I'm English and live in Edinburgh, which like most big cities has some very posh bits and some not-at-all posh bits. I think it's very beautiful - lots of green spaces. I was very glad to be here last week as it was almost 75% remain, and it was nice to live/work alongside people who could commiserate each other and talk about what's happening next from the same perspective. I'm not SNP but I've been impressed by Nicola Sturgeon over the last days, and am relieved we have a government with a plan. Inevitably some people won't agree with it, though I'm not sure why they express their views so virulently - she's following clear manifesto commitments and the SNP have a very large mandate to do so.

todayitstarts · 30/06/2016 08:33

Some people just hate the SNP regardless and are willing to run down a country on the back of it. I don't like the idea of the named person much but I will reserve judgement until it has a chance to do well or bomb. And my children's schools are fantastic.

KatieKaboom · 30/06/2016 08:35

Good old Spain.

Tonis2297 · 30/06/2016 08:41

Wouldn't get too excited about Scotland it's just as shit I live just outside Glasgow and it's a shithole Grin we've had a double shooting (2.30 in the afternoon Hmm) and a stabbing in the same within 3 weeks of each other , Edinburgh isn't much better either full of junkies or externotionate house prices take your pick GrinGrin oh yeah and nobody where's kilts Hmm

Tonis2297 · 30/06/2016 08:42

*area

supersoftcuddlytoys · 30/06/2016 08:43

Off with ya then. Go indy too. No more Westminster money and good luck doing away with austerity under the EU. Good luck with the Euro too.

todayitstarts · 30/06/2016 08:43

Ok clearly the education system has faults

heron98 · 30/06/2016 08:44

YABU. I live in Scotland and it's shit here too.

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 30/06/2016 08:45

If you go to Edinburgh, you'll feel right at home. They're practically English anyway.

PresidentCJCregg · 30/06/2016 09:59

What is with this attitude of 'Scotland are deserting their neighbours in times of need'?

You know this is geo-politics and not, like, high school?

People voted no in the IndyRef based on a mandate of another ref if a material change occurred, one of those things being an exit from Europe.

Should we throw that understanding over now to stand shoulder to shoulder with our neighbours despite being ideologically opposed in many ways? Get a grip.

supersoftcuddlytoys · 30/06/2016 12:15

We are a nation who had a national referendum and the majority of us (rightly or wrongly) voted to leave the EU. Stop being suckered by this media agenda of creating division, they always do at times like this. 'This area want this and this part wanted that'. Its the democratic will of the nation which means all of us together. We also have to accept the flipping Tories for a few more years as well.

That grovelling Scottish MEP the other day, would do well to consider that as well...

PresidentCJCregg · 30/06/2016 13:03

Or maybe this has shone even more light on the fact that the historic union isn't fit for purpose in the 21st century?

supersoftcuddlytoys · 30/06/2016 15:20

Well would you like to gamble on that, the same way Camoron just did?

LordoftheTits · 30/06/2016 15:27

Tonis2297

I live in the east end of Glasgow and someone in our street was stabbed during an argument over dog shit Hmm

I'm from Edinburgh though so I'm right posh, ken? Wink