SNP and Scotland leaving U.K.

[Hester54]

AIBU to not understand Scotland wishing to leave the U.K., can someone explain to me without being nasty or patronising, why is Scotland’s problem with the U.K.? Even before the U.K. ref

Very different politically to England. It's a far more naturally left wing country and there's widespread horror in Glasgow at Johnson's win. We voted to remain in the EU as well. Basically at the moment no matter how we vote, we wind up dragged along with whatever England decides.

It’s a country whose main government is in another country and because it’s a smaller country the governments policues and priorities often aren’t what would be best for Scotland.

Scotland voted overwhelmingly to Remain but is being dragged out of the EU anyway.
Scotland hasn't voted for the Conservatives since 1955 but by 2015 had a Conservative government 38 of the last 68 years.
The poll tax was introduced in Scotland first, using it as a guinea pig.
Tory MPs have been shown leaving the chambers as soon as an SNP MP started to speak.
Scotland is mostly a liberal country while England is mostly conservative leaning.

This is going to go well.

Basically, Parliament aren't acting in the best interest for Scotland. We have our own government but when it comes to huge changes (like leaving the EU) we are bound by votes from another country with such a large volume of people that we never stood a chance. It sucks that because we're attached to them that they can decide things for us.

It's hugely frustrating especially when the majority of Scots votes to remain.

Also, Boris Johnson scares the absolute mince out of me and I would like to have as little to do with him and his politics as possible.

Because we're fed up of being told we're scrounging sweaties etc, when the opposite is the truth.

There's probably a newsround special you could watch.

The poll tax was introduced in Scotland first, using it as a guinea pig

I agreed with everything else you said but for goodness sake, it was imposed on the rest of the UK too!

We got the poll tax a year before rUK.

If Scotland do get a referedum and leave the EU will probably welcome them with open arms.

Then they'll probably be a huge surge in UK companies and people wanted to move to Scotland.

House prices will rise in Scotland, business which needed to be part of the EU will thrive.

I can't see a downside for them tbh.

And no I'm not Scottish, I left the UK over a decade ago. I've been watching this shitstorm from afar.

Think of it this way, imagine the uproar if England had to remain because that's what Scotland voted. Imagine the SNP was in government because that's what Scotland voted. Imagine the nuclear arms were in England because that's what Scotland wanted.

Even before the EU Referendum there was a wish to leave the U.K., you have your own Parliament and devolved powers, ability to set your own income tax, free prescription and uni places, genuinely trying to understand the wish to leave, not everyone voted Tory but will have to go along with their decision, isn’t that the way democracy works ?

What MaxNormal said. A lot of people feel like their vote means nothing.

If Scotland do get a referendum and leave, the EU will probably welcome them with open arms.

Then they'll probably be a huge surge in UK companies and people wanting to move to Scotland.

House prices will rise in Scotland, businesses which needed to be part of the EU will thrive.

*Sorry first was full of typos.

A lot of people feel like that in the U.K. as well

*there will

I give up!

Hester, yes democracy is having to settle for what the majority votes for.

But Scotland is a different country- which is voting en masse and even that isn't enough to have an effect on English voting patterns.

Having seen what the Tory Govt have done to the UK with my own eyes. Scotland couldn't be much worse off on its own.

“Scotland” don’t have a problem with the U.K. the SNP and 45% of the voting public in Scotland do. For half of those they are still miffed about the stone of Destiny and Robert the Bruce and Bravaheart and All the other historic stuff filling their heads with nonsense. There are probably some decent people with reasons but it’s pretty that.
I am both proudly Scottish and British

But the SNP wanted to leave well before the EU referendum, so that can’t be the reason

Why do Scots want independence from England yet want to remain in the EU?Surely they want complete independence?

A traddition of heavy industry and a very small middle class, which meant that we were disproportionally affected by the closures of the 1970s and a branch economy, where "we'll close one of three factories - oh close the one in Scotland " had a large effect. Reliance on time-dated industries - mining, mineral processing, manufacturing etc (not that all of these were necessary adaptable, embracing the New and flexible).
The knowledge that Scotalnd was once an independent nation ruled in Scotland by Scots and for Scots. Although the union of the crowns and Union of parliaments were in 1604 and 1707 the sense of identity has undergone a huge resurgance.
The discovery of north sea oil in the 1970s brought the concept of Nationalism to the fore and although the referendum of 1977 was a resounding No, the seeds were planted. Years of sidelining by Conservatives and taking for granted by Labour (useful idiots will vote for us whatever) has led to the success of the SNP.

Left of centre, conservative with a small C.

Arguably central Scotland has a lot in common with parts of the north of England and in a way they are even worse off, not having a separate national identity to where the power is based.

The Westminster government runs for the benefit of the whole UK... (leaving aside whether people agree that it actually does, that is the purpose of it) so policies reflect that, but Scotland quite often has separate issues that aren’t relevant to whole country policies.

For instance the Scottish government is currently diverting local authority funds which are badly needed elsewhere to mitigate the bedroom tax - that’s not because they’re ideologically opposed to it so much as that Scotland doesn’t have the same social housing issues.

Even before the EU Referendum there was a wish to leave the U.K., you have your own Parliament and devolved powers, ability to set your own income tax, free prescription and uni places, genuinely trying to understand the wish to leave, not everyone voted Tory but will have to go along with their decision, isn’t that the way democracy works ?

Would you be happy with England not having complete control of it's rules and Scotland deciding what it was allowed to control?

Would you describe any other historical injustices as "nonsense" I wonder - treatment of Ireland for example? Abuse of indigenous populations, land theft etc - does everyone else in the world just get over this easily?

I think England, Wales and NI should have a referendum on whether WE want to keep Scotland

(Lighthearted, don't come at me)!