4 July 2011 (Monday) - Devolution

There was a very interesting article on the radio today about Scottish independence.. And then I met a Scotsman. There’s no denying that the chap’s nationalistic fervour boiled my piss. And that set me off looking on the Internet.
And having done that I predict war between England and Scotland within my lifetime….

Apparently Her Majesty has given tacit approval for Scottish independence. And following the recent success of the Scottish Nationalists at the most recent election, it would seem a referendum is on the cards. The Scottish Nationalists want a Scotland independent of England.
Scotland already has its own parliament and legal system. Will they get independence too? Possibly. Would it make any difference?

Quite frankly Scotland and all things Scottish have always been a matter of indifference to me. I suppose the reason for this is that there are not many places in England farther away from Scotland than where I live. Scotland is a long way away, and I have a lot of things closer to home to worry about.
Having said that I do seem to meet Scots all the time; the vast majority of the Scots of my acquaintance all make great show of their national pride, and of hating the English. There were atrocities committed by the English who lived hundreds of years ago against the Scots of hundreds of years ago, but I can hardly hold any responsibility for them, can I?
And I can’t help wondering that if Scotland is so absolutely amazing, why are so many Scots living in Kent? You can’t get much further from Scotland and still be on the same island. Following Scottish independence, will the chap who was so vocal today about the wonders of Scotland go back home? Or will he stay living in Kent because he openly admits he can’t get a job in his glorious homeland?
Interestingly the vast majority of the English of my acquaintance seem to treat Scotland and the Scots with the vague indifference that I do.
So an independent Scotland – who cares?

On reflection, I do. Apparently the widely held theory that financially Scotland can’t afford to go it alone without England turns out not to be the case. It would seem that having achieved independence, according to international law some ninety percent of the current UK’s oil reserves would be under Scottish jurisdiction. As would nearly half the current UK’s sources of renewable power. Far from being well shot of a drain on England’s resources, losing Scotland would cost us (the English) a fortune.
Would we accept it? Could we afford it? Bearing in mind the state of our finances we might find ourselves at war with the Scots over what we might very well claim to be *our* energy reserves.

War with Scotland? When it happens, remember that you read it here first….

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