To wonder how long Scottish independence and EU membership would take if they happened and how Scottish citizenship would work

[N0rdicStar]

.Thats it really

Well we would need another referendum which the government may not allow, and you'd need a yes win which given how badly the snp are screwing up now I'd be surprised if they won. Although since it would get us back in the EU maybe not that surprising.

But do you really want the euro? Because we would have to take it. I don't want the country to go like Greece.

No Nein Non

Scotland would have to apply in the same way that any other country wanting to join the EU would.

Scotland already satisfies the criteria so it depends on whether there are any objections by member states. Objections are unlikely (though Spain might still be pissed off about the Catalan flag wavers) so it should be relatively smooth.

ukandeu.ac.uk/fact-figures/how-do-countries-join-the-eu/

It's unlikely that SNP will want another referendum until they are pretty sure of a Yes majority. The latest polls show No in the lead so I don't see one happening soon.

I think Spain has said they would not oppose but Scotland would have to wait their turn, not sure about Belgium. They would, of course, have to prove financial viability before joining although looking at the disaster with Greece, who knows.

I'm not Scottish and find it difficult to understand why the SNP will happily accept all and every edict and law from Brussels but not from Westminster, considering they have the power to make many laws themselves for Scotland. I don't want to use the word hatred but there appears to be a lot of negativity about England. I guess some won't be happy until independence. If it happens I wish Scotland well.

Accept the Euro, your waters become European again, hang the fishermen out to dry, oh and we all want a share of Europe's oil as well as the fish.

Think carefully what you wish for.
The mess that's been created in Ireland, backstop, hard border etc and picture getting your passport out at Carlisle.

Exactly Ed. All this talk of a backstop and hard borders in Ireland, well how the hell would it work if we were in the EU and England wasn't? Like fuck am I taking currency and a passport on a day trip to York. Scotland relies on tourism.

I also don't understand how we're going to avoid no deal food shortages by going it alone. Will our food arrive via Rosyth?

Given what everyone else is saying, it sounds like the most stupid idea ever.

Based on that sentence, we will be independent before the year ends.

and you'd need a yes win which given how badly the snp are screwing up now I'd be surprised if they won

I don't think it's the same thing. I know a lot of people who think that once independence has been achieved Scottish politics would improve because they'd need to a. find a new scapegoat or take responsibility and b. focus on running the country not fighting over independence. Add in a lot of angry remain voters, young people who didn't get to vote in the Brexit referendum and the possibility that they'd allow all EU citizens living here the vote again and it might get through. I think a lot would depend on how badly brexit goes and also whether Westminster put up a fight over another referendum.
I have met a lot of ex-Unionists recently, including dh who feels rather strongly about NI given his grandfather died in the troubles and a bunch of Europe loving little old ladies who were almost at the stage of sticking pins in effigies of Farage, Rees Mogg etc.

Personally part of me thinks "screw it", I think I could cope with producing a passport at the border if needed. Besides with all the awesome technology being promised for the Irish one, I'm sure it be barely an inconvenience...

The was a majority in Scotland that voted Remain. They obviously didn’t think the EU rules them. I agree. It doesn’t. We all have our own Parliaments. If you believe what Leavers say, there would be no need for Parliaments.

However Scotland would be short of money. It’s revenues don’t match spending! The same problem would arise with the borders. Not previously talked about but we know different now, don’t we?

When we voted in brexit ref we had no idea that it was all about the deal, post vote. Nationalists are going to have to tell us exactly what an independent Scotland would look like, and how we'd extricate ourselves from rUK. Brexit has shown you don't just tick a box and walk out.

Dinosaur, can I ask a genuine question? If your DP doesn't want to see a return of hard border in NI, how will creating one between Scotland and England help?

Morris that's it exactly you don't just tick a box and walk away.

Oh there's another thing when you get your passport out you'd better change your watch.
England would no doubt ditch GMT and go for CET.

That means Scotland would have to switch and kids going to school in the dark. Construction workers starting and finishing later, same with farmers.
Or we stick with GMT and get confused by the train times!

Europe is divorce after 40 years, divorce after 300 years might be more complex!

There are not the same implications of a border between Scotland and England that there are between NI and Ireland.

SilverySurfer "I think Spain has said they would not oppose" is a bit of stretch, one Spanish minister gave his opinion and whether he or his party is power when/if the question arises is a different matter. Politics innit?

Dancerz maybe not the same issues on the border, but it wouldn't be that straight forward. We have peace in Scotland now, how sure are we that their wouldn't be some sort of civil war, unrest.?
Would the Orange Order gain strength ?

I think the answer to those questions is “no”, having lived in both places they are not really that similar imo.

After an independence referendum yes vote, I estimate it would take up to 4 years to negotiate a full exit from the UK, all the while taking care that none of the arrangements made would exclude Scotland from joining the EU. Unless the SNP, Liberals, Greens, half of Labour and the odd Tory want to show total hypocrisy, this exit deal probably should undergo its own referendum. Assuming this also succeeds, then Scotland could apply to join the EU, but there will probably be a requirement for an independent Scotland to show a record of stability and responsibility. This may take a further 4 years. When details of the EU deal are known then a third referendum may be needed.

The EU members such as Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary and the Baltic states took around 11 years from independence to join the EU, Bulgaria and Romania a little longer.

Just realised I might be eligible for a Scottish passport( was born in Scotland). If this was the case and Scotland went independent and stayed in the EU would my husband and children still be able to apply for jobs and work in the EU?

I think that an independence referendum would need to be on the understanding that initially an independent Scotland would be in EFTA, and then an independent Scotland would hold a referendum on whether to take full membership of the EU.

Personally, I’d be quite happy to remain in EFTA. It works for Norway and Switzerland, and they do pretty well socially and economically.

“but Scotland would have to wait their turn”

That’s not true. There is no queue system for joining the EU and it has been made clear from Brussels that Scotland meets the criteria.

If it’s like the Irish system, OP, you and your dc would (if you applied for the passport of course) but not your dh, he’d have to actually live their for a while.