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Original poster

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

685 replies

Kendodd · 15/02/2021 13:23

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?

OP posts:
DioneTheDiabolist · 15/02/2021 15:57

England are the main component of the Union, they can't leave the Union.

England are the dominant component of the Union. Brexit told Scotland and Northern Ireland that their voices didn't matter. England wanted Brexit and they would have it. That attitude is problematic in a union.🤷‍♀️ And of course they can leave. They can leave and be England, an entire country in it's own right outside of the United Kingdom.

TriflePudding · 15/02/2021 16:01

LexMitior

I think I’ve been looking at the same thread as you - I never realised exactly how high the percentage of the population of the UK live in England!

65,761,117 United Kingdom (July 2020 est.)
constituent countries by percentage of total population:
England 84%
Scotland 8%
Wales 5%
Northern Ireland 3%

That’s quite eye opening!

I agree with Stripesnomore you can’t judge public opinion from social media.

MarshaBradyo · 15/02/2021 16:01

Brexit told Scotland and Northern Ireland that their voices didn't matter.

What should have happened then? The vote not adhered to as it implied NI and Scotland voices didn’t matter?

I’m in London and I’m pretty sure we didn’t want it either but you’re either part of the democratic vote or not. Unless you want more weighting to your vote?

poppycat10 · 15/02/2021 16:02

I'd hope they'd seen the dangers of being little Englanders after the Brexit vote (vaccine debacle notwithstanding) but I doubt it.

Yes I think a majority would vote to dismantle the UK.

DGRossetti · 15/02/2021 16:03

I’m in London and I’m pretty sure we didn’t want it either but you’re either part of the democratic vote or not. Unless you want more weighting to your vote?

I repeat my question. What part of 55 million telling 5 million is in any way "democratic" ?

The problem is people think it's Walesshire and Scotlandshire. And it's not.

MarshaBradyo · 15/02/2021 16:05

I repeat my question. What part of 55 million telling 5 million is in any way "democratic" ?

What are you talking about?

MarshaBradyo · 15/02/2021 16:05

Brexit or op’s question

SweetPetrichor · 15/02/2021 16:07

England would have to set up the constitutional baseline to allow them to attempt independence. Legally, regarding the union, it is Scotland, Northern Ireland, and ‘England and Wales’. If England left the union, poor Wales goes with it until such a time as it managed to get itself in a position to split away. Wales didn’t join the union as a separate country - it was subsumed into what we call England in the Tudor period.

I am Scottish and I support an independent Scotland, so if England could just take itself off on its own, then all the better! Alas, it’s going to have to be Scotland splitting away, but hopefully that will come.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a unified Ireland and Independent Scotland in the next decade. That leaves Wales and probably Cornwall too deciding whether they can get a taste of freedom too!

Anniegetyourgun · 15/02/2021 16:08

Oh God, this is so depressing. I used to like being European, but that's been taken away. I like being British, now that's apparently on its way out too. Mind you I can't blame the Scots for wanting out, given the dirty trick that was pulled on them. "You can't stay in the EU if you leave the UK." Indyref falls. Five minutes later: "Oh guess what, the UK's leaving the EU and you have to come too. No, you can't have another referendum, that's all done and over with." WHAT THE WHAT?

I haven't voted on this thread because, although the OP asked what we thought the English would vote for, I suspect the results will be taken by many to read "what would you vote for?". I certainly wouldn't want "independence", but I believe a lot of the buggers would, especially, as pp have said, after the social media opinion nudgers had been at work for a few months. Watch them on the COVID threads; it's an education.

Stripesnomore · 15/02/2021 16:10

We’re still European.

Nnameechanged · 15/02/2021 16:10

I would hope so, so the other nations didn't have to put up with us voting the Tories in. Unfortunately they couldn't now avoid the shambles of Brexit, but would maybe have a better chance at rejoining.

DGRossetti · 15/02/2021 16:12

England would have to set up the constitutional baseline to allow them to attempt independence.

Well obviously. Being more equal than Scotland makes it a given ....

AgeLikeWine · 15/02/2021 16:14

My view is that Brexit has made the break up of the UK inevitable, one way or another, although as an English person I would always vote for us to stick together.

In contrast, I know a lot of sensible, moderate, educated Scottish people who voted ‘No’ in 2014, but who now see the hard Brexit as the last straw. They have had enough of the absolute shitshow which has been going on down in London for the last five years, and they want out of it.

cardibach · 15/02/2021 16:15

@unbotheredbutbewildered

The question really is...how many English people would vote for Scottish independence (mostly to get rid of the SNP whiners) but keep Wales and NI?
English people wouldn’t be voting for that. It isn’t ‘who shall we (the English) choose to kick out?’ Its ‘shall we be independent?’. You don’t get to say which countries you ‘keep’. And referring to a nation wanting independence from a union which doesn’t work for it (really doesn’t, not like the Brexit nonsense) as ‘whiners’ is pretty offensive on top of the general ignorance.
cardibach · 15/02/2021 16:17

@Saoirse7 I wondered, what with your name and all. The post just sounded like you saw England being more powerful as not just inevitable but desirable. Apologies.

Timpeall · 15/02/2021 16:20

The Leave/Tory position throughout the Brexit campaign was a 'bah. who cares?' to any issue that was raised as being negatively effected by Brexit. Absolutely no consideration was given to Scotland. To see the Tories now be all 'Right, chaps. Now let's get to work on saving the union' is laughable.

The damage is well and truly done. Chaps.

2020canfuckitself · 15/02/2021 16:20

Who would get to vote? English people or can anyone vote?

LexMitior · 15/02/2021 16:22

I'm not pro this mind but actually my day job is to think "can you do it (and make it a success)?"

An Independent England would be successful - it would involve shedding a few outdated ideas about being a world power, difficult decisions about nuclear weapons, and some very difficult decisions about borders. But financially it could be advantageous.

What will be really interesting is the investment that comes into the UK post Brexit and where it goes. The Scottish Government is flexing its muscles on the policy areas it controls from Westminster. That's good and bad - but for example, one jurisdiction is more business friendly than another will be very important too - you will see this even more post Brexit than you already do!

DGRossetti · 15/02/2021 16:24

@2020canfuckitself

Who would get to vote? English people or can anyone vote?
What would the optics of the English explicitly voting to tell Scotland they can fuck themselves (by insisting they stay in the "union") look like around the world ?

(Currently it's only implicit, in the makeup of Westminster so can be fudged over)

saffire · 15/02/2021 16:25

Yes I think they would.

Saoirse7 · 15/02/2021 16:26

@MarshaBradyo

Brexit told Scotland and Northern Ireland that their voices didn't matter.

What should have happened then? The vote not adhered to as it implied NI and Scotland voices didn’t matter?

I’m in London and I’m pretty sure we didn’t want it either but you’re either part of the democratic vote or not. Unless you want more weighting to your vote?

NI voted to stay, now we are bearing the brunt of this shitshow. How is this fair?
Changemaname1 · 15/02/2021 16:27

Can’t speak for others obviously but I wouldn’t vote for it

HirplesWithHaggis · 15/02/2021 16:27

England's relationships with the other nations of the UK are all different and watching the legal stuff would be interesting, but not impossible. And with Boris in charge, if he thought an indy England would be a people-pleaser, he'd do it.

MarshaBradyo · 15/02/2021 16:28

NI voted to stay, now we are bearing the brunt of this shitshow. How is this fair?

I don’t get this. I voted to stay. Do I say the same? Or Londoners if you want a bigger set. How is it fair on us Londoners - because it was a referendum with two possible outcomes yes or no. It isn’t weighted by area.

longwayoff · 15/02/2021 16:28

They voted for Brexit against all reason so I expect that something as stupid, backward, witless and dumb as 'getting our country back' would be equally appealing. God help us. I hope it doesn't transpire but if I see Farage wrapped in a crusader flag I shan't be surprised.