Should Scotland adopt the Euro?

[Alex Holowczak]

It's not for the rest of the UK to have a say in a referendum on Scottish independence. Only the people of Scotland should be consulted on the question of whether they become independent or not.

I'm not sure that that's quite right. Usually, only Universal Declarations of Independence are accepted by the international community quickly. For example, Kosovo was a messy, drawn-out process that took many years to resolve, but South Sudan was as simple as they get.

The question is, would the UK be given a referendum in such circumstances?

[AMcHarg]

The question is, would the UK be given a referendum in such circumstances?

That would be like wanting to leave your job but having to get the approval of your colleagues to do it; simply because if you did leave they'd have more work to do. It might have an impact on them, but it doesn't give them the right to take part in the decision.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Of course only Scots should vote on Scottish independence - the idea that others should decide either way is laughable.....

(what actually defines a Scot, though? What about the many expatriates, both elsewhere in the UK and abroad?? Would somebody who had moved there just months ago get a vote, but not them? I think that *is* a can of worms - and contrary to what some in the SNP think, the Electoral Commission should definitely be involved)

[Alex Holowczak]

The question is, would the UK be given a referendum in such circumstances?

That would be like wanting to leave your job but having to get the approval of your colleagues to do it; simply because if you did leave they'd have more work to do. It might have an impact on them, but it doesn't give them the right to take part in the decision.

Maybe it is, but that seems to be how it works based on other examples. If one declares independence from the other, and the parent is happy for this to happen, there's no problem at all. If they're not, there's either a war, political tension, or the UN doesn't approve them.

[Alex Holowczak]

(what actually defines a Scot, though? What about the many expatriates, both elsewhere in the UK and abroad?? Would somebody who had moved there just months ago get a vote, but not them? I think that *is* a can of worms - and contrary to what some in the SNP think, the Electoral Commission should definitely be involved)

If there are no cross-border constituencies, you could just use the Scottish constituencies for the election.

[Alistair Campbell]

But she'd have to be careful how she styled herself in those countries that were never governed by her Tudor namesake.

In Scotland, in the period after her accession, there was I believe quite a lot of defacing of pillar-boxes and other street furniture that had been thoughtlessly adorned with the monogram "E II R".

True – pillar and post boxes in Scotland will feature the regalia of Scotland and the initials “ER”

If Scotland is to have a Referendum on Independence, then the rest of the United Kingdom must also be consulted.

Not least on the financial terms of the dissolution. British (including Scottish) taxpayers borrowed a lot of money to rescue a couple of Scottish based banks. Who will inherit the resulting majority shareholding and for that matter the borrowings that financed it?

People in the rest of the UK will be consulted, albeit not by referendum. Precedent (e.g. Northern Ireland in 1973, Gibraltar passim ) suggests that a referendum would only be held in Scotland.

Edited to add that the financial terms will be key. What is widely suggested is some form of per capita share-out of assets and liabilities. I'm not sure how that extends to the armed forces for example.

It's not for the rest of the UK to have a say in a referendum on Scottish independence. Only the people of Scotland should be consulted on the question of whether they become independent or not.

I'm not sure that that's quite right. Usually, only Universal Declarations of Independence are accepted by the international community quickly. For example, Kosovo was a messy, drawn-out process that took many years to resolve, but South Sudan was as simple as they get.

The question is, would the UK be given a referendum in such circumstances?

Unlikely – btw I’ve never heard the expression “Universal Declaration of Independence”. Is this a cross between Unilateral Declaration of Independence and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or have I missed something?

(what actually defines a Scot, though? What about the many expatriates, both elsewhere in the UK and abroad?? Would somebody who had moved there just months ago get a vote, but not them? I think that *is* a can of worms - and contrary to what some in the SNP think, the Electoral Commission should definitely be involved)

If there are no cross-border constituencies, you could just use the Scottish constituencies for the election.

There are no cross-border constituencies. (That would lead to an interesting variant of the West Lothian question ). I think the suggestion is that the Electoral Roll be used. The question is whether the Scottish Government has the right to use it.

[Alex Holowczak]

Unlikely – btw I’ve never heard the expression “Universal Declaration of Independence”. Is this a cross between Unilateral Declaration of Independence and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or have I missed something?

You have missed nothing. I did of course mean a Unilateral Declaration of Independence!

[Roger de Coverly]

You have missed nothing. I did of course mean a Unilateral Declaration of Independence!

The notorious UDI which for some of us is in our lifetime, but may count as British history was Ian Smith's in Southern Rhodesia (as it was then named) in 1965. With the probable exception of South Africa, recognition was denied. The British government under Labour PM Harold Wilson even imposed theoretical sanctions and sent a naval vessel to supposedly enforce them.

Rhodesia did variously get thrown out of FIDE, reinstated and then thrown out again.

[E Michael White]

I would like Scotland to have as much or as little independence from the UK as they wish, as long as the financial arrangements are fair and accurate. In this connection the bail out of Scotland in 1707 following the Darien financial disaster would need to be unwound. The unfortunate attempt to establish a Scottish colony left many Scottish nobility almost bankrupt which was preventing the expansion of Scotland as an industrial and trading force. Under this arrangement, which became part of the Union agreement, Scotland was paid about £400,000 to offset the Darien losses, which amounted to approx 25-50% of Scottish assets and enabled a huge expansion in the Scottish economy but the quid pro quo was that the shoreline, waters surrounding Scotland and uninhabited Islands were ceded to England and the new UK in 1707. If this arrangement is unwound £400,000 paid in 1707 becomes about £1.2 Tr today. Scotland would be unable to raise this as a long term loan as the income from the shoreline and oil might amount to only £12Bn pa. At around 1.0% of the loan this would not cover the interest on the debt. Other options might be more affordable.

[Alan Burke]

England should show themselves as independent of Scotland and start playing "Land of Hope and Glory" at the start of sporting events instead of "God save the Queen".

If Scotland and Wales obviously want to show passion for their own country (which I am not opposed to them doing) and always play their own tune, why should an England team always line up for the BRITISH anthem ?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Have to agree that there is absolutely NO reason for English sporting teams/figures to use the British national anthem. None.

(leaving aside, for now, that it is such a dreary dirge anyways.......)

But "Land of Hope and Glory"?? Forget it - "Jerusalem" is where its at

[Gordon Cadden]

Given Scotland's exports it would surely make more sense to adopt the Dollar rather than the Euro.

If you have whisky in mind, it would make more sense to adopt the Yen.

[Alex Holowczak]

But "Land of Hope and Glory"?? Forget it - "Jerusalem" is where its at

There's a problem with this. At the Commonwealth Games, England used Jerusalem for the first time instead of Land of Hope and Glory. The problem was that Jerusalem was too long, and no one knew the words.

Bearing in mind that most of the time, you would only hear the tune without words, Jerusalem would be a bit bland compared to Land of Hope and Glory.

We don't really have any songs that tick the boxes of being concise, patriotic, and upbeat. 'God Save the Queen' is probably the dreariest anthem in the world...

[IM Jack Rudd]

Obviously, this should be England's national anthem.

[PeterTurland]

I'm throwing caution to the winds here, by the suggestion that all separate countries give up a little bit of sovereignty, to the idea of a universal bill of human rights.

The UN becomes the parliament of the planet, the enormous savings made by having a global police force mandated by a democratic UN enforcing the rights of every individual human being, instead of every individual country having it's own armed forces, might mean the fifth of our planet not having clean water and supplies of sufficient nutrition might come to an end. Ok an anthem, the Marseillaise makes me want to stand to attention.