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If pro-independence parties win tomorrow

TheCatWoman

How likely do you think it is that the UK will break up?

Would you like to see independance of Scotland and Wales?

What of England, how would it react?

What would you see as a workable alternative to  control from Westminster?

Personally I'd be quite happy for the UK to break up and reform in a more equal way, maybe as a federation. 

I think it could drag our politics kicking and screaming into the 21stC.

I think it would be good if the devolved parliaments were given more powers and we all elect representatives to a reformed House of Lords that would oversee things that we could share, like defence, national security, national infrastructure ands things where it would be counter productive to have seperately. I think if that happened then there would also be calls for some Englsih regions to have more devolved powers too. I think the UK is quite unusual in its lack of regional devolution, other countries seem to be more regionally devolved but retain a strong national government.

I think England would be in uproar and would really hate it, when you live somewhere like Anglesey you get a real sense that many English people don't see us as a national with its own traditions and parliament that makes some rules, it feels like we're treated like a conquered people, even after 800 years. I say this as an English person. I do think England should have its own parliament to decide purely English issues as I agree with many English people that the current system feels unbalanced, it dosent' help that so many poeple are so poorly educated in politics.

 I guess we'll find out over the coming days and months how all this will play out

  • The population of London is greater than that of Scotland and Wales combined. England has about ten times more people than Scotland. The UK is always going to be Anglocentric. With the UK out of the EU there is a possibility of independent Scotland and Wales being stuck in a sort of economic and political limbo, at least for a number of years (accession to the EU is very long-winded). Also Scotland has fewer people than Denmark, and Wales is on a par with Estonia. Those are the countries that Scotland and Wales will have similar political clout with. England would still be up there with France, Spain and Italy. England economically supports both Scotland and Wales, the people of both receive more money per capita from central government than goes to English people and this would obviously end.

    I could imagine an acrimonious split leading to a vindictive English government (think Reform) making life very difficult economically for Scotland and Wales.

    When Ireland became independent there was a civil war between the IRA and the Free State. Could British loyalists produce civil strife, or even terrorism in Scotland and Wales? At independence, the population of the Irish Free State was 20% Protestant, it is now about 2%. A similar exodus could happen of English people settled in Scotland and Wales.

  • England would be better off.

    If the other countries really want to leave, they should be careful what they wish for. England would play hard ball. No pound so they would need their own currency (not just my idea Bank of England has said so), or to adopt the euro which cones with lots of strings. National debt split, no clean slate for them. No pension and welfare money. I believe all would go bust in a year or two as the run large budget unsustainable budget deficits. Living standards will fall. Healthcare and benefits would have to be cut.

    If I remember rightly it was said for Scotland there would be a border. I assume the same would apply elsewhere.

    There would be different passports.

    Each would have to negotiate their own trade agreements. Economies of each are too small to have much leverage.

    Defence bases would move to England losing more revenue. Shipbuilding would move to England, it won't be in Scotland d for military vessels (this was stated in the last Scottish referendum).

    England would largely continue as it is. It would not be ideal though.

    Scotland would have to drill for oil.

    NI would have to merge with Ireland. I think Wales would just fail.

    It would not be good. It could be done, but it is a fantasy to think people would be better off.

    England would quite probably go right, probably even more than it is going to go anyway now.

    The main winners would be our enemies as overall influence would be less.

  • TheCatWoman said:
    I think England would be in uproar and would really hate it, when you live somewhere like Anglesey you get a real sense that many English people don't see us as a national with its own traditions and parliament that makes some rules, it feels like we're treated like a conquered people, even after 800 years.

    I don't see this in anyone I know and talk to.

    To be honest I feel that to many English people it's far less important than the cost of living crisis and English politics to the point of irrelevance.

    For example, my local and county councils are likely to become Reform and that is what is engaging my interest/concern.

    In fact, I've been debating the ethics of tactical voting after receiving a leaflet from the Conservative Party that detailed how voting Tory was the only way to keep Reform out as they are head-to-head.

    It would be a very odd thing for me to do after a lifetime of voting Labour.

    I do however believe in fairness so I'd be happy to see Wales become independent if that is what the majority of Welsh people want.