Monday, September 15, 2014

Independence and the Union (Jack)

You've probably heard rumblings about the possibility that Scotland might secede from the United Kingdom in a vote scheduled for Thursday.  In case you're a bit lost, here's John Oliver to catch you up:

 

He might be slightly biased since he's an Englishman but, as he points out, "The anti-independence side actually has some legitimate arguments to make.  Leaving the UK could potentially have some serious consequences for Scotland."  Chief among other concerns, the economic unknowns are scary and will almost certainly have global repercussions; even Alex Salmond, the lead politician pushing for independence, didn't have an answer when asked at a recent debate what currency Scotland would use if his party succeeds.

From everything I've read, it sounds like Scottish independence would be a disaster even more for the Scots than for the remainder of the United Kingdom, which would then be comprised of just England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  Of course, as an American I'm not really allowed a say, but we do plan on moving back to England in the future and Jon's family is originally Scottish so I do feel somewhat affected regardless.  (Plus, because Jon and I are trying to merge our bank accounts now that his visa has been granted, we're directly impacted by the volatility of the pound as the market reflects the uncertainty of the outcome of the vote!  This is one time I really would prefer sterling to be strong against the dollar.)  The referendum is too close to call at the moment - if you're interested in following along, make sure to check #indyref and #scotlanddecides on Twitter.  It's going to be an interesting few days for British politics!

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11 comments:

  1. Actually, Betsy, I think you're very much allowed a say, even if you can't vote: you've spent at least a year in this country in the past, are married to a UK citizen and intend to live here again at some point. One aspect (among many) of this referendum that has irritated people outside Scotland is that they can't vote in it, so if Scotland leaves, it will have left without their consent.

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  2. Brings back memories of our own independence quarrels in my homeland. (In fact, back in the 80s one of the campaign slogans was "Non merci.")


    I've been keeping up to date with the politics as I've got a few Scottish friends over here. Thursday will be quite the day.

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  3. Having listened to so many BBC debates over the past few months, I know where I personally lie on the issue, even though I am entitled to no say. And I have friends that feel very vehemently either way. Politics aside, I like to listen to Nicola Sturgeon speaking. x

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  4. haha that was very carefully and vaguely worded - are you going into politics? :P

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  5. I was surprised by how much French I saw on signs in Ontario - I thought it would be limited to Quebec, but no! (or non? haha) something I should learn more about :)

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  6. that's true, though the devil's argument would be something along the lines of "should the British people have had a say over India's independence?" I suppose...

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  7. International politics is what my BA is in ;)

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  8. Peter moved most of his savings over from the UK last month for this very reason- we use currencyfair.com as it's proven to be quite secure and convenient (and pretty cost-effective, too), if you're looking for an easy way to get large sums over. It will be interesting to see what Scotland decides.

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  9. As someone who will be eligible to apply for a Scottish passport should independence come to pass, I think it is absolutely right that I have no vote. It's painful to have wilfully disenfranchised myself (taxation without representation jokes abound) but I no longer live in Scotland and that was a decision I made freely (and had the freedom to make).

    Doesn't mean I don't have a stake or opinion in what happens from Friday onwards though!

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  10. did you give up your citizenship when you moved over!?

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  11. I love that you said that the guy in the video might be 'slightly biased' as he screams for Scotland to stay whilst frolicking with a unicorn to the bagpipes!! Ha, as an Englishman, I can say that I would have been gutted to have lost Scotland. I think that we should be working towards a more global view on political matters and segregation is not the way forwards to the Utopia that I imagine!

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