Why not liberate Scotland and then run with a conservative majority?

[Earthstar]

Since Scotland is so mad for independence and is not homogenous with England why not set them free and then the Conservatives will have their majority?

The Scots hating the English thing is, once again, mostly a southern and central Scotland thing. In the north we have as little in common with those parts of Scotland as we do with southern England, and are just about as ignored as Scotland as a whole feels by England. Also, the Scots v English thing is mostly based on a very poor grasp of history by Scottish people which is encouraged by the SNP government - like thinking that the battle of Culloden was between the Scots and the English, or thinking that English landlords were responsible for the Clearances. Both complete bollocks.

I must admit that I saw and experienced a bit of anti-English sentiment when I spent time in Scotland. But then again my parents did own a holiday home on Mull. However it was never empty - either rented out to holiday makers or winter lets to locals - so not dead space. It seemed to worsen in the late 90s and early noughties. It was one of the reasons my parents sold it - they no longer felt welcome after being part of the landscape for 20yrs.

I'd live there without a second thought - but I might be living alone. DH couldn't live that far from Lunnon and DS#1 starts to wilt too far from a town.

It's pretty patronising to read this as a Scot.
I'm not patriotic. If a referendum were to be held tomorrow, I would vote for unity.

But to dispel the myths: Scotland does not have automatic free prescription nor school meals. We have a means tested scheme to offer a set amount of money to children who come from low income families. The prescription charge will eventually be scrapped, but it is being reduced year on year. It's currently £3.

Wales currently have free prescriptions, so it's not a new idea - it's simply that the UK Government hasn't had the need or will to introduce it in England. The SNP made it part of their promises to get into power.

And for the record - Scotland gives the UK Government more than it receives. Our North Atlantic Gas reserves are vital to the UK economy, as is our financial sector. And before people start going on about RBS being bailed out - Scots are as annoyed as our English counterparts that vast sums have been spent on fat-cats.

And The Bank of England introduced quantitative easing, putting the entire country at risk of inflation and weakening the pound, but you don't hear Scots constantly moaning about the portions of our money spent on that, do you?

I think resentment about second homes is about second homes rather than the English. I despise second homers from Edinburgh just as much as anyone from south of the border. And when I lived in England I felt exactly the same about them there. Second homes should be much much more heavily taxed.

Cornish people are none to keen on second homeowners either.

I do agree that 2nd homeowners should be more heavily taxed.

Or those on Exmoor. I agree.

But if that wasn't the reason they must just have hated my parents. Which seems hard to beleive as no-one hates my dad.

What I meant is that they might have "hated" them because of them owning a second home rather than them being English. But then Mull just about qualifies as the southern/central part of Scotland that hates the English.

gaelicsheep -- I massively disagree that disliking the English is a Southern Scottish thing, haven't met much of it here in Edinburgh but it can be found up North where DH is from.

People who are anti-English can be foubnd anywhere, but they are a small minority and aren't representative of Scottish people in general.

Gaelic - you express quite a lot of strident opinions - if you find people are irritated by you maybe that's why, rather than you being English? I mean to say "the southern /central part of Scotland that hates the English" is a massive exaggeration and to say that Scottish people have a poor grasp of history isn't exactly reasonable either. Sweeping generalisations aren't going to win you any friends, although I am sure you are lovely really .

hear hear

I wasn't going to add to this because I was going to be rude to gaelicsheep, but antoinette has said what I wanted to say very eloquently.

snap!

The patriots i know (that's quite a few people who are directly related to me) don't hate the English, they hate being ruled by Westminster. There's a bit of a difference.

I have relatives in England too, having links to English people and a desire for independence isn't mutually exclusive.

As i said, it's a sense of injustice about being ruled by a different country, rather than just blindly hating people you've never met. I can see how it suits certain political parties to paint it that way though.

Sorry if you find me irritating . I have never encountered any anti-English (or anti-me) sentiment up here, whereas I know many people who have encountered anti-English sentiment in southern Scotland, which is why I believe that's where most of the antagonism lies.

I do realise btw that I've come across as quite belligerent on this thread - I'm just very very irritated that Labour has increased its share of the vote in Scotland. I really don't get why they're so popular after all the damage they've done. And I'm pg and hormones are raging...

Rage away, makes things more interestin

Glad to hear you have been made to feel welcome. I don't think there is a divide, Maybe your friends have been unlucky. The English people I know here (the dreaded Central Scotland) don't have those difficulties.

Did you/anyone watch "Why Scotland didn't vote Tory"?

I did watch it, although I did get a bit bored half way through so lost the thread a bit. I'm not sure I understand much better now than I did before if I'm honest. I did find it an interesting take on the issue when they discussed the Scottish sense of community and them not just thinking of self-interest. If that's true, then that's to their credit to be sure.

gaelic - the scots have long memories and hate the tories - IMO they voted tactically to keep the tories out. I'm really at some of the views on this thread. Its verging on racism.

I grew up near Liverpool and I recall the dockers' strikes of the 80s. The north of England suffered equally as badly as Scotland, as did Wales. The Scots act as if they were the only victims and that's what annoys me. It seems quite a childish and petulant attitude to still have 20 years on.

My colleague summed it up quite nicely on Friday morning. She said in horrified tones "But David Cameron?! I don't want to be governed by some posh Eton twat!". That's a fairly common feeling up here, I think.

Yes but the north of England mostly voted labour as well didn't it? Certainly Liverpool did and large parts of Wales. I don't think caring about the place you live in is childish and petulant actually.

What 'damage' have Labour actually done? Genuinely interested btw.

As I said earlier, I think the problem in Scotland is that almost all the constituencies are made up of traditional Labour voting areas. The rural areas are sparsely populated and consequently really really under-represented - maybe not in terms of population but certainly in terms of geographic area. So Scotland's voice becomes the voice of the metropolis. In England, there is a better balance between the constituencies so the traditional Labour urban vote is not quite so dominating.

I think Scotland was the only place where Labour increased their vote share. As for damage - look at the economy!

And the bankers had nothing to do with the economy then?? I actually think Labour have protected people far more in the recession than the tories would have done. I still remember the early 90s vividly when interest rates were 15% plus and thousands of people lost their homes.