Scotland unveils blueprint for independence from UK

[Vikrant]

EDINBURGH, Scotland: Scotland's government has published its blueprint for independence, outlining the ways it says the nation will prosper should voters support a referendum to leave the United Kingdom.

The long-awaited document comes ahead of the referendum on September 18, 2014, when Scots will be asked whether they want Scotland to become an independent country.

The "White Paper," published on Tuesday, says independence will create a more democratic Scotland and a more prosperous and fairer country. It also sets out how independence could impact the nation's currency, taxation, education, defense and other aspects of life.

Scotland is part of the UK but it has had its own Parliament since 1999 and has its own set of laws. The governing Scottish National Party supports independence, while the opposition Labour and Conservative parties oppose it.

Scotland unveils blueprint for independence from UK - The Times of India

 

[Iceman]

I would consider moving there, as I could get Scottish citizenship through blood. If they are intent on preserving Scottish sovereignty and identity along with leaving the declining economy of the rest of the UK I am all for it.

 

[waltky]

If at first you don't succeed - try, try again...

Scottish Nationalists Seek New Independence Referendum
March 13, 2017 - Scotland’s first minister took a step closer Monday to breaking up the United Kingdom by announcing she intends to begin the legal process of holding a new independence referendum for Scots.

At a news conference in Edinburgh, Nicola Sturgeon said it is the "right thing” to give Scots an opportunity to express their opinion following Brexit, last year’s vote by Britain to leave the European Union. In her speech, Sturgeon, whose Scottish National Party is the largest party north of the English border, said she wasn't prepared to “do nothing” while Brexit threatened Scotland’s economy and its links with Europe.

Coming in the wake of last week’s electoral surge by Sinn Fein nationalists in Northern Ireland assembly elections, Sturgeon’s announcement, although not a surprise, adds to the ramifications of the Brexit vote, which Britain’s Conservative government is struggling to contain. Moments after Sturgeon's speech, Faisal Islam, political editor of Britain’s Sky News, spoke for many British political reporters when he said, “Who knows where all of this will end.” “Thus Brexit, which was meant to protect Britain, begins the destruction of Britain,” tweeted political commentator Nick Cohen.

Vote within 2 years

Scotland’s first minister, who heads a minority government, said she wants the vote to take place between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, arguing the British parliament in Westminster had become more assertive since the Brexit vote. She said Britain’s Conservative prime minister, Theresa May, had failed to consult Scotland before deciding on a hard break with the EU, which will see Britain not only end its political membership in the European bloc but will also see it exit Europe’s single market with major economic consequences. In last year’s Brexit vote, Scots voted by a 62-38 percent margin to remain in the EU. After the vote, Sturgeon said Brexit constituted a “significant and a material change of the circumstances,” thereby justifying a second independence referendum. Scotland elected to remain a part of the United Kingdom in a September 2014 referendum, which was then billed by Sturgeon as a “once in a lifetime vote.”

People listen and watch on their mobile devices as Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon demands a new independence referendum, outside Bute House, in Edinburgh​

Sturgeon will seek the authority for the independence referendum next week from Scotland’s parliament, but, the final say has to come from the Westminster parliament. It is unclear whether Prime Minister May will agree to another independence vote, or attempt to block it. That sets the stage for a confrontation between the two strong-willed leaders. May has made it clear she will fight to preserve the United Kingdom. Politically, however, she could be placed in an untenable position if she tries to deny the Scots another referendum. A majority in Scotland’s devolved parliament at Holyrood backs breaking up the United Kingdom. A spokesman for May denounced Surgeon’s announcement, arguing evidence “clearly showed a majority of people in Scotland do not want a second independence referendum.”

Government: new vote 'divisive'