To ask England, Wales and NI if they'd care if Scotland left?

[user2010202]

Prior to Brexit, I always believed in the UK. After that vote, I no longer feel I belong to the rest of the UK. Clearly Scotland has different visions and hopes for the future.

I don't feel connected to the rest of the UK. I feel we share an island, but clearly we don't share a future. I am happy being European. I'm happy living in a country that embraces difference, and promotes tolerance. But I no longer feel these are UK values, even though I always would have said they were up until a couple of years ago.

So, a few years ago I said no to leaving. Since 2016 I've been kicking myself. But my question is, would those of you in the rest of the UK really care if we left? It currently seems like our differences are irreconcilable and I don't see a long-term solution.

We have a shared past. But I'm not sure I want us to have a shared future.

Personally, I would be very sad to see Scotland leave the Union. As a country of four countries we punch well above our weight on the world stage, I feel individually that we wouldn't achieve as much.

However, in financial terms, as someone who lives in NE England, it totally rankles that the Barnett formula gives Scotland so much more funding than our region, so we would probably actually be better off if Scotland left.

As for the shitshow that is Brexit, that is down to the hubris of politicians who never believed that leave would win, so had not put plans in place for it - a referendum should never have been held without a draft plan already in place so we could have avoided all of this uncertainty, which is actually the problem, not that we are leaving. However, they failed to learn from the Scottish Indyref, that showed the same hubris. The polls for both were spectacularly wrong.

I will never take any notice of polls in future, I will just vote the way I believe and what will be will be.

Boofay Out of interest, what makes you feel European, not British

I feel both European and British, because I am both. And will be after Brexit also.

I do don't recognise the experience of jellycatspyjamas and others during the independence referendum. I voted to leave and had nothing but interesting conversations with friends on their own preferences. I never seen and fights, arguments, violence, nothing. I live near Glasgow.
The way the referendum was portrayed is unrecognisable to me.

I don't ^^

I certainly don’t recognise the experiences of people saying they face anti-English sentiment when visiting Scotland.

We’ve just spent time there, spent time there last year and didn’t meet a single hostile comment, look etc.

I can completely understand why Scotland would want to be independent, although I would be sad to see it happen.

I would also, if Scotland remained/rejoined the EU look at relocating there ASAP!

@Hester54, I guess because my heritage is a bit Heinz 57 (my grandparents and parents are a mixture of Greek Cypriot, German, Irish and English), but also because national pride makes me feel uncomfortable. I'd be happy to just call myself a citizen of earth if I'm honest - nationality doesn't rate highly at all in what defines me.

I definitely don't feel English anymore, that's for sure!

I'd be sad to see Scotland leave the UK. But I can see why you are torn.

If Scotland left the UK and joined the EU I'd probably move there...

I can’t remember the last time I witnessed any anti-English sentiment (though I live somewhere pretty diverse) but experienced some anti-Scottish behaviour yesterday on holiday. Sat by the pool talking to the person next to me, a man with a northern accent (Manchester I think) hears my voice and starts loudly ranting to his family about how he f-ing hates the Scottish, we’re all f-ing stupid, the country is a joke, my accent is f-ing ridiculous and he wouldn’t understand me even if I tried to tell him my name.

I did nothing to provoke him (and also ignored him). While this bigotry goes on (on both sides) there’s no point trying to stay together. It’s 2019, there’s no place for it. It’s not a successful union and while I don’t support or feel represented by the SNP I think something does need to change as what we have at the moment isn’t working for anyone.

Scottish and don't want to leave the UK. I don't think an independent Scotland could stay in the EU easily?

I would consider leaving Scotland if it became independent. A rise in nationalism would worry me greatly.

I lived in England for years as a younger woman and it was easily the happiest time of my life.

I am really hoping Scotland leaves the UK as I am half Scots and will be able to hopefully claim citizenship and reclaim my EU status.

I wouldn’t care. It’s up to them if they want to be part of the UK.
My family were discussing this the other day and all 8 of us said we wouldn’t care.
Either way, like the EU referendum, if there were another Scottish independence vote, the outcome should 100% be respected

Festivecheer my friend got abuse in Manchester for having a Scouse accent. Very sad.

And OP, we’re still European...just like the Swiss, Andorrans, Icelanders, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Norwegians, Macedonians, Albanians, Croatians, Bosnians, Monegasques, Cypriots, Russians, Turks.

We’re still part of the European continent and we still have a shared culture and history. That cannot be reversed by our exit from the trading bloc

I would care. I would find it v sad. But I wouldn't blame you at all and l'd wish you all the best. I'm quite envious that you will likely have the opportunity to vote again tbh.

I want to stay in the EU and I voted for independence married to an English man - setting out my stall.

But if there is another referendum I think everyone in the UK should get to vote. I used the think it was like a divorce, one party gets to decide it over. I can see (thanks to brexit) that’s a little simplistic. So all of England, Wales and NI get to vote as well. If nothing else it will settling the argument that the English hate the Scots.

As someone in N Ireland I'd be sad to see Scotland leave the UK. I think it would possibly force the issue of a united Ireland, because we'd be totally isolated, with no border with the UK, land or sea.

I'm undecided on a united Ireland, I can see huge plus points and huge negatives as well, but the one thing I can't see is that it will happen without bloodshed in one way or another, and that worries me greatly.

What's in it for the EU though? Scotland wouldn't be a net contributor.
I also think Scotland would be giving up a partnership where it actually has power, where it has contributed leading politicians and influence to the Westminster govt (despite complaining about it) and in exchange would just be one of many small states. I think you'd be giving up more than you get.

One thing we could be sure of is this, IF we had another referendum up here and Scotland choose to leave, Nicola Sturgeon would resign the next, she would tell us all her job is done, she has achieved her goal and it is time for someone else to lead the country. She knows the day we get independence is the day Scotland goes bankrupt.

Where is Westminster going to put Trident if it's not in Scotland?

I would be really sad. I'm not Scottish and have no family links there or anything but my job takes me to Glasgow and Edinburgh regularly and I feel that Scotland represents the best of the UK in almost every way. I'd be incredibly sad to see us split.

I am English and couldn't care less either way. I also think NI should either adopt the same level of acceptance of issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage as the rest of the UK or leave.

Maybe if NS keeps pushing for another Scottish referendum we should have a "union" referendum covering all 4 countries and see where that goes?

I voted remain in Indy ref and to remain in EU but after brexit I'm wishing I'd voted leave in Indy. I've never witnessed any abuse towards English visitors to Scotland but I know that it happens the reverse can also be said. As for trident I don't care where it goes if the worst happens it won't matter where you stay in Britain.
Iamtheworst be careful what you wish for we may all get together and divorce England.

Maybe if NS keeps pushing for another Scottish referendum we should have a "union" referendum covering all 4 countries and see where that goes?

And how would that work, pray tell ?