The Results of the UK's European Members Election 2019.

[gordi]

...On the subject of Scottish Independence, I can certainly see why the Scots are a wee bit pissed off at Westminster. I can see that, actually, going back several hundred years. As Gordi says, they seem to need Westminster's approval to separate, but if you gotta ask permission to be free, how free are you really gonna be?

The Act of Union has no provision for asking for permission.
Permission is not required under international law.
WM is implying that Scotland has to ask permission, but legally that is not the case.
Up until now, the Scottish Government has been playing by the book. Making sure that it doesn't give WM any grounds for dispute or action. But, in answer to your question "if you have to ask permission to be free, how free are you going to be?" That, in a nutshell is our point. We do not recognise the implication that we as a sovereign state have to seek anyone's permission. If we decide that we want freedom, then we will have it. End of.

Once upon a time in America, we too found that England thought we needed permission to separate from them, and that got just a little ugly before it was all said and done. Is Scotland prepared for that sort of ugliness... AGAIN?

It is now 2019.
By provision of the Act of Union, Scotland is an equal partner in UNION with England.
We are NOT a colony or subservient state like the US used to be.
To achieve Independence, all we have to do is dissolve the Union by voting to do so and letting the rest of the world know.

So is Scotland prepared to trade a UK Master for an EU Master? It sounds like they are, but take it from me, that's not all it's cracked up to be. A Master is a Master, no matter what language it speaks. How will Scotland fare when the Tax Man from the EU uses their resources to bolster French or German roadways and water supplies? How will that make Scotland better off?

I reckon that's a question that only the Scots can answer.

I'm not sure that you've completely understood our current or future position in relation to the EU.
We are already in the EU (as part of the UK).
They most certainly are NOT our masters (in the way that WM thinks that WM IS our master.)
The EU has no say/control whatsoever over how we spend our tax revenues (WM does!) I don't know why you'd think that they do, because that's not how it works.
The EU has no right to any of our resources at all (unless they BUY them from us when we DECIDE to sell them) unlike WM who have asset-stripped Scotland for decades.
Membership of the EU allows free and equal trade between its members, so an Independent Scotland could benefit from having free access to the EU marketplace.

Speaking of resources, I saw mention of North sea oil - quite a valuable lot of it, I understand. Do the Scots really think that the UK is just going to let that go, gratis? Do they really think that the EU isn't going to seize control of it (whether de facto or de jure matters little)? After all, they're building their army and police forces for SOMETHING... one might ask an old whiskey maker on the frontier just what he thinks that "something" might be, but being dead he'd be unable to answer, I suppose.

LOL
Scotland has massive Oil (and Gas) reserves AND huge potential for wind, hydro, wave, tidal etc energy production.
The vast majority of the UK's energy reserves lie in RECOGNISED SCOTTISH TERRITORY.
It belongs to Scotland under international law. There is NO DISPUTE whatsoever about that.
It is NOT up to WM to "let it go, gratis" as it does not belong to WM. (They won't like us leaving the UK and taking it with us, that's for sure! But, under International law... what can they do about it??)
The EU would have no more right to take control of Scottish Oil/Gas etc than anyone else and there is no precedent whatsoever for them doing so. (Unlike the US!)
On the contrary, the EU would rather have Scotland within the EU, as it strengthens the EU having a member state with so much energy resources at its disposal.

All in all, we, you and I, live in interesting times. Exchanging your alliance with a copperhead for an alliance with a rattlesnake doesn't seem, to me, to be much change. If you're going to declare independence, do it like you mean it, and tell 'em both to feck off, and let the troops fall where they may! Scotland is not "independent" when they are still subjects of the EU. That would just be a fairy tale to tell the children so that they could sleep better at night, and grow up big and strong to be proper slaves to foreign masters.

I appreciate your take on the subject, but as I already said... we are treated like subjects of WM, but we are not treated as subjects of the EU. (In what specific areas do you feel that members of the EU are "subjects" being told what to do? I would be very interested in that.)

Just wondering...
Do you think that Germany is NOT Independent?
Do you think that France is NOT Independent?
Austria? Belgium? Denmark? Finland? Ireland? Italy? The Netherlands? Spain? etc etc

Independence doesn't mean being alone, it means having the right to choose for yourself which clubs you join.

G