Do you think the English, if given a vote, would vote for independence from the rest of the UK?

[Kendodd]

Yabu - No they wouldn't
Yanbu - Yes they would

The break up of the UK seems high chance to me, maybe 60/40 to be voted for within the next ten years. They don't ever seem to ask the English what would you personally vote?

Aren't matters like business rates, economic development, transport and investment. financial services, minimum wage devolved? So that investment etc is run by the Scottish and Welsh Governments and NI?

Devolved nations have a lot of ability to change their business environment to attract industries.

"devolved administrations"

"I think it's now time for England to get rid of Scotland, and Wales too if the Welsh keep moaning like the Scots.

Let them get on with it- and no more money from England."

Hear that Wales? Don't be getting too uppity, now.

@52andblue

I think there is more of a separatist attitude amongst all of the constituent nations of the UK lately, yes.

And I wonder how much SM has to do with that.

Hear that Wales? Don't be getting too uppity, now.
Absolutely. We'll take our scraps and be grateful for them.

Aren't matters like business rates, economic development, transport and investment. financial services, minimum wage devolved?

In theory yes, but just one example of that in practice - Wales recently decided against building an M4 relief road. The PM announced that the UK govt would build it anyway. Not entirely clear why he thought he could do this, but I think he's been set straight now.

And people wonder why support for independence in Scotland is at an all time high.

I like the Uk with all four countries. I do get frustrated that despite me only ever being nice to everyone e as were my grandparents and their parents too, I am hated by certain groups just for being English. Doesn’t make any difference would still want Scotland, Wales and NI. A bit like a dysfunctional family really

@Daphnise

I think it's now time for England to get rid of Scotland, and Wales too if the Welsh keep moaning like the Scots.

Let them get on with it- and no more money from England.

So where does my not inconsiderable tax go?

‘Get rid of’ what a cheek. Anyone would have thought it wasn’t a union but an invasion...

I don’t want to lose either the Scots or Welsh. I would not want to live in England alone. London’s leadership, on the other hand, I could happily dispense with. Why stop at England, it’s no more of a hallowed unity than the U.K. or even the island of Britain. Let’s go the whole way, split into Wessex, Mercia, Anglia and Northumbria and just beat the hell out of each other since none of us can stand to live or work with each other any more.

If I was from England I'd want the other three countries to leave. If I was from one of Wales, NI or Scotland I would want to stay in a union with England and want the other two to leave so there was more money for us.

Love the comments that sound like belligerent Victorian mill owners threatening their poor sap workers against getting ideas above their station

I think its worth talking about the ideas, not the politicians. Play the ball, not the men (or women) - like all politicians they will fade away or be taken down by another eventually. Liking Boris Johnson or Nicola Sturgeon isn't a good reason to seek independence - you want to be looking at results of what they do. All top politicians talk a good game - basically ignore and see what they actually achieve.

Maybe not wales and ni but yes if its scotland as that what they seem to want

Frankly I’m fed up of hearing about Indy refs. No wonder the Eu hated us banging on and on but at least we did leave I guess. Scotland want to bang on but apparently stay.

I like wales lovey place to visit if they want to leave then that’s up to them but I don’t hear half as much hate coming from them as you Scotland. N Ireland I haven’t heard anything or visited.

I believe it is always best we relax and stay calm appreciate our diversity and recognise that we as one united nation will always be stronger than smaller weaker constituent parts. We have so much to offer as one and I am sure London and the south east of England along with other more economically able regions will continue to spread the wealth amongst us all. There is no point for instance in London being the overwhelming focus point of the UK as regional metropolitan areas should be given the investment to thrive too. Birmingham in the West Midlands I believe has seen much improved transformation. This too can happen throughout the whole of the United Kingdom. Independent Scotland would not be so economically viable if the North Sea black gold taps start to run dry or newer green energy technologies begin to move the market etc.

I believe in the UK and we should not fight amongst ourselves and destroy our chance as a United Brextania to rule the waves once more or at least retain our relative strategic top 10 global ranking. It is going to be tough to stay top 10 in the coming years and decades as the rest of the world gets more advance and develops rapidly. Not just the likes of medium size advance South Korea but many other smart and energised nations looking to be the next big hit on the world stage. We can start be being friendly internal neighbours! We are after all Brits first and foremost. If you are Celtic and speak the language and culturally feel a little different then fair enough but if you are pretty much an English speaker then it's only a regional variation and not that much else from an external global view perspective. So why the unnecessary division?

Play the ball, not the men (or women) - like all politicians they will fade away or be taken down by another eventually.

I think a big issue for Wales is that it always votes Labour in a big way but is usually governed by conservatives. It doesn't feel particularly democratic. And of course, the conservatives have no reason to court Welsh votes, they can win a big majority with English votes alone, so Wales will always be at a disadvantage in that relationship.

I would vote for London independence.

I think if people want independence let them have it, I hear more from and about Nicola Sturgeon than I do the London Mayor.

I think London has roughly the same population as Scotland, Wales and NI combined. Constant moaning London is too big for its boots etc.

Then the little Englanders can have their Morris dancing and village fetes and values, whatever the fuck they are. Sturgeon can fuck off, Wales can crack on with what they want and NI the same. Move English parliament to Hull or wherever the northerners are feeling most disenfranchised. London could be like the Vatican and we could rejoin the EU.

Given that Brexit has been such a shitshow, I can't imagine why splitting a small island into three would be any easier.

There's a weird iconoclastic mood around right now. Blame something, smash it up. Now it's the UK's turn.

As for Wales, when I was there the people of the valleys really didn’t like the idea of being ruled from Cardiff. North Wales even has a slightly different dialect, what do they have in common with either the Valleys, the southern ‘Little England’ or Cardiff. I gather the highlands and lowlands of Scots could do with a bit more freedom to despise each other, or the many island groups: was it the Orkneys or Shetlands who were saying they’d leave Scotland if Scotland was independent?

Where is all this going, and who is gaining? All of us are suffering under a centralised rule in London. Even the rest of the south east complain regularly.

All of us are suffering under a centralised rule in London. Even the rest of the south east complain regularly.

There's suffering and then there's suffering though. The UK has nine of the ten poorest regions in Northern Europe, but none of those is in the south east. It's basically Wales, NI, Cornwall and northern England.

@BlackBrowedAlbatross

Play the ball, not the men (or women) - like all politicians they will fade away or be taken down by another eventually.

I think a big issue for Wales is that it always votes Labour in a big way but is usually governed by conservatives. It doesn't feel particularly democratic. And of course, the conservatives have no reason to court Welsh votes, they can win a big majority with English votes alone, so Wales will always be at a disadvantage in that relationship.

Parts of Wales vote Conservative. Parts of England vote Labour.

What about them?

North Sea oil isn't worth anything anymore, and never will be again

The UK has nine of the ten poorest regions in Northern Europe

You keep trotting this line out but the rest of Northern Europe is pretty just Scandinavia, which is one of the richest regions in the world