Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Sheilbh]

Spain has publicly stated that they have no qualms about an independent Scotland joining.

I thought they put conditions around that - like so long as it's a legally binding, sort of amicable secession.

For what it's worth I don't think the SNP help their case by all wearing yellow ribbons and waving Catalan flags at their rallies etc

[Richard Hakluyt]

My big concern with Scottish independence is who will get to be Scottish.
Loads of people who you'd never argue aren't actually Scottish but are living outside the country, likewise folk like me who plan to nip across the border and rent a shack for the passport if possible.

Me and my boys will get our Scottish passports through my wife. Who is from Brighton but there you go, blood will out.

[Richard Hakluyt]

So, if I'm being selfish, I guess I want Scotland to be independent. With my Scottish passport, once Scotland has joined the EU, I can retire to the continent with ease 

[Zanza]

Ireland was longer in a "union" with England (1542 - 1921) than Scotland now is (1707 - now). So there is precedence for such a split.

[The Brain]

One of the advantages for Finland with being absorbed by Russia in 1809 was no longer having to live with a big threatening neighbor. Maybe Scotland should consider this angle before leaving the UK.

[Sheilbh]

My big concern with Scottish independence is who will get to be Scottish.
Loads of people who you'd never argue aren't actually Scottish but are living outside the country, likewise folk like me who plan to nip across the border and rent a shack for the passport if possible.

Me and my boys will get our Scottish passports through my wife. Who is from Brighton but there you go, blood will out.

Yeah I've no idea whether they'll go Scottish heritage v living and being born in Scotland

On EU travel etc - I'm fine, I'm an Irish citizen so good to go. Though I do need to get a passport. One of the few benefits of working in the office if you're a lawyer makes witnessing documents very easy. I don't know how to do it now I'm wfh

[Valmy]

Ireland was longer in a "union" with England (1542 - 1921) than Scotland now is (1707 - now). So there is precedence for such a split.

False. ireland was not in a Union with England until 1800. So it was only in the Union for 120 years.

And the situation couldn't be more different in every single respect, not to mention that the world in 2020 is just a tad different than 1921.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The union with Ireland only took place in 1801; before then it was a separate kingdom. A bit pedantic perhaps but it highlights the fundamentally different relationship to the England/Scotland one.

[Valmy]

I mean the precedent with Ireland is centuries of bloody insurrections followed by a brutal civil war followed by a controversial treaty followed by another civil war followed by decades of unrest and conflict.

Are we all sure that should be the precedent we want to follow?

[The Brain]

I mean the precedent with Ireland is centuries of bloody insurrections followed by a brutal civil war followed by a controversial treaty followed by another civil war followed by decades of unrest and conflict.

Are we all sure that should be the precedent we want to follow?

Braveheart was still worse.

[Valmy]

I mean the precedent with Ireland is centuries of bloody insurrections followed by a brutal civil war followed by a controversial treaty followed by another civil war followed by decades of unrest and conflict.

Are we all sure that should be the precedent we want to follow?

Braveheart was still worse.

I mean Braveheart was a pretty shitty film but I would still rather watch it than live in Ireland in 1921.

[Sheilbh]

The union with Ireland only took place in 1801; before then it was a separate kingdom. A bit pedantic perhaps but it highlights the fundamentally different relationship to the England/Scotland one.

And one other crucial difference is there is no separate national identity within Scotland. There are Scots who are unionists, but that is very different from the Ulster unionist community.

[The Larch]

Spain has publicly stated that they have no qualms about an independent Scotland joining.

I thought they put conditions around that - like so long as it's a legally binding, sort of amicable secession.

Spain has said time and time again that as long as independence is achieved through legal and mutually agreed terms they'd be perfectly ok with it and not block anything. Please stop using the Spain card against a hypothetical independent Scotland joining the EU because it's getting quite tiresome.

[Maladict]

I would still rather watch it than live in Ireland in 1921.

That would have been a good tagline for the movie.

[garbon]

Just tried the government's career app. First category it said I qualify for is sports and leisure. Top jobs for me in there were health trainer and stunt performer.