Do you think the Union benefits Scotland?

Question

It seems to me that Scotland is largely overlooked. When people think of the UK or Britain they usually think of just England and Wales. Scotland has a rich and independent history, customs and languages (including scots and gaelic). Do you think it would benefit from being it's own independent country?

Answer 1

Scotland is totally incapable of governing itself. If further proof be needed, look at our Parliament building. What an embarrassment, what an idiotic waste of public money.

No we need England I ' m afraid. We need all that lovely subsidy money.

Answer 2

Sorry but with all due respect you don't know what you're talking about. If you live here you must walk around with your ears and eyes closed if you think Scotland is overlooked.

The act of Union put a Scottish King on the throne of England.

Since the days of Union England/Scotland and Wales have all benefited tremendously. Much of the current demand from the Scots, whilst historical because of a failed claim to the throne, is caused by an appalling political elite who are destroying our Nation. The English aren't demanding independence because Westminster is in England. If it was in Cardiff or Edinburgh it would be us shouting the loudest.
I am convinced given a real chance most of us would vote to get rid of the majority of our current politicians.

Answer 3

In straight cash terms,we are susidised from the Treasury but a subsidised people loose their motivatiom

There are now more Scots outside Scotland than within

Leaving aside the question of the oil,we can stand on our own and should

On other points raised in other answers
:Blair is not a Scot although he did go to a school in Edinburgh,Fettes which,by the way is more expensive than Eton
There is little reality or accuracy between Braveheart and William Wallace,although it is a cracking yarn

We need to be an independent state within Europe and prosper as Eire has done

Answer 4

Scotland has had benefits from the union but I believe it is now time to be independent.
It would be quite easy as Scotland has most of it's own structures already in place. We also are quite a rich little country even without the oil. To say we couldn't do it is just a blinkered outlook. as for the comment about the parliament building - the design and building and cost was all decided in Westminster.
Look at all the other small countries in Europe that are independent. They exist without the resources that Scotland has. It would solve the West Lothian question and stop the growing resentment in England. We might even become closer.
It has nothing to do with the braveheart syndrome but to do with national self-determination. Scotland could decide for itself. Scottish troops would not need to go to Iraq. Scotland could decide it's own policies on defence, monetary policy and taxation.
however at the end of the day all constitutional issues are reserved to Westminster so it is eiither up to Westminster recognising the wishes of the Scottish electorate (when they decide for independence) or declaring UDI.

EDIT. To noeusuper. The Act of Union did not put a Scottish King on the throne. It was Queen Anne who was already queen of both England and Scotland who was the reigning monarch . You are getting mixed up with the Union of crowns in 1603, not the act of Union in 1707.

Answer 5

Scotland would probably lose more than it would gain by splitting away from the UK. For centuries, it has been part of the UK and a very intricate part. At a time when there's strength in numbers, it would not be smart to become independent.

In the US, we learned a great deal about the Scots and England under Longshanks. We learned a great deal about Wm Wallace and his patriotism, and we learned it from the movie 'Braveheart'. Assuming most of the movie followed the historical events accurately, as Mel Gibson so often does, Hollywood brought a great deal of attention to Scotland. We too, wonder about our second cousins, the English, yet in a pinch we couldn't ask for a better friend!

Answer 6

As a Scot(and speaker of Gaelic) I would like the idea of an independent Scotland.
However our police,military and economy are so linked with englands that it would be hard to do.

Answer 7

Not really no. Anyway, with the English thinking of themselves as superior to just about everyone why would anyone want to be in any kind of union with them? Give full independence to both Scotland and Wales, it's the right thing to do.

Answer 8

scotland has shed much of her blood under the union flag, as with the welsh and english and irish.The union flag is our glory and passion and strength of unity, the politicians want one flag eventualy, they could not give a hoot about the union flag, they need it destroyed and replaced by the flag of the "united states of europe" for this they need the scotts to have, a pretend parliament under the u.s.e. and forsake the flag their ancesters died for. the union flag does not belong to the modern politics who are selling it out for cash, it belongs to the british living and the dead, if the scotts discard it as nought, sad on them. but
if scotland leave europe and cling to what is theirs the scots and union flag, even if they break from england, this would truly make them great in the eyes of all the good thinking britons.

Answer 9

Get out of here!

The Scots not only get their own Parliament, but also get to vote on English affairs. The top three political posts are held by Scotsmen

It is us English that should be seeking to rebuild Hadrian's Wall to its former glory LOL

Answer 10

Robin H - f*ck off with your BS please!! I'm Welsh and don't want independence, this country would fall apart if that happened. We are much better legally and economically as part of the UK. Please educate yourself before you spout off.

And you are so ignorant to rant such crap about the English. I know loads of lovely English people who do not think of themsleves as at all superior, unlike some Scots and some of my fellow Welsh who are arrogant to the point of obnoxiousnous. They just embarass me.

Answer 11

I don't think the union is good for us, and i don't think we should 'leave aside' the oil, because it's contributing billions of pounds to the UK treasury each year. we're being hampered by immigration, economic and defence policies designed for the S.East of England, (not even England as a whole, just one corner of it!). We've got nuclear weapons being stored in our largest city for christ sake!