Scotland To Split From UK And 'Be A Nation Again'?

[Ryan Ruck]

Scotland To Split From UK And 'Be A Nation Again'?

With a referendum looming, critics allege an independent Scotland would likely be at odds with the US on many issues

June 7, 2011

It is the nation that once ran the largest empire the world has ever known, a country so powerful that it claimed to "rule the waves" in a patriotic anthem.

But last month a "political tsunami" struck the United Kingdom and this once-mighty state faces being broken up.

An astonishing victory for nationalists in the Scottish parliamentary elections means it is almost certain that a referendum will be held within five years on whether Scotland should leave the U.K. and become an independent country.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) won 69 out of 129 seats in Edinburgh's Holyrood parliament, with about 45 percent of the vote, up by more than 12 percentage points. Their three main rival parties — Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats — all lost ground.

Polls currently suggest only a third of Scots back independence, but the unionist campaign is in disarray and the nationalists boast a leader who even his opponents admit is a highly skilled political operator.

Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister and leader of the SNP, is the man plotting the demise of the 304-year-old union of the two countries. He hopes his fellow citizens will heed the message of another tune, "Flower of Scotland," the unofficial national anthem which urges Scots to "rise now and be a nation again."

While the U.K. has been one of America's staunchest allies — often concerned with the state of the so-called "special relationship" between the two countries — an independent Scotland would likely be at odds with the U.S. on many issues.

The SNP would rid Scotland of nuclear weapons on moral grounds; it would also take Scotland — which lies in a strategically important position in the North Atlantic — out of NATO. And despite being a significant oil producer, the SNP has already introduced what it describes as "world-beating" climate change legislation with a target to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

'Illegal, immoral conflict'

Moreover, the Iraq War was "an illegal, immoral conflict," Salmond told reporters at the Foreign Press Association in London last month, and something that an independent Scotland would never have become involved in.

Leaving the U.K. would give Scotland the chance to create "a socially just, economically prosperous society," Salmond added, and not be "a country that excels in nuclear weapons and dominating others."

"Being a big country is not a question of size and scale, but of the size of your ideas, the scale of your contribution to humanity," he said.

Speaking to msnbc.com, Salmond dismissed suggestions an independent Scotland might have a poor relationship with the U.S., pointing to the mutual warmth between America and the Republic of Ireland, which is not a NATO member.

"We'd be in exactly the same position as Ireland is at the present moment," he said.

"There's a lot of goodwill towards Scotland from people in America," Salmond added, noting Scots had made a "fairly substantial contribution to the intellectual backbone of the American Revolution."

Scotland and the U.S., he said, had "a positive relationship" and that would improve after independence.

Salmond told reporters that separation from the U.K. was an idea "whose time has come."

'Psychological battle'

Asked about the poll ratings, he admitted there was a "psychological battle" to be won to persuade Scots to vote for change in the face of a "scare-mongering campaign" by unionist parties.

But Salmond said the SNP's victory in the May election showed that Scots were gaining in confidence and had rejected the "mendacious message" that Scotland was "too small and too poor to look after its own affairs."

"It was a political tsunami that occurred in Scotland," he said, days after announcing a referendum on independence would be held within the next five years.

But tsunami warnings can come to nothing.

John Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University and an expert pollster, said the SNP victory appeared to be partly because of dissatisfaction with the other political parties, particularly left-of-center Labour.

Surveys had consistently showed support for independence at between a quarter and a third of voters, he said.

However, Curtice said Salmond had a "remarkable ability to spin a positive case for his party and his country."

And the unionists, Curtice argued, needed to find "a positive argument for staying in the union," rather than rely on negative campaigning, as well as a leader to sell that message.

"Who is going to lead the campaign? Who is there who has the ability to campaign effectively? It's not entirely obvious," Curtice said. "The SNP starts from behind, but you can see the structural weaknesses of the unionist camp."

One possible candidate, Annabel Goldie, currently leader of the staunchly unionist Scottish Conservative Party, has effectively stepped out of contention, saying after her party came third in the elections that she plans to resign.

She insisted that "overwhelmingly, people do not want independence, whatever Alex Salmond may claim," while admitting he was a "very astute politician" with "a very formidable political presence."

"We are at ease with being part of the U.K.," Goldie said. "It is a relationship that many people acknowledge has served people well, not least in the recent recession and banking crisis."

Traditional goodwill

She feared an independent country might lose some of the traditional goodwill Americans have toward Scotland if it was "constantly trying to make grandstanding gestures on the world stage."

Goldie said it "undoubtedly would be a left-of-center, socialist administration with already well articulated views on issues like nuclear — Trident (nuclear missiles) or nuclear energy — and very strong views on social issues ... all sorts of views which are somewhat alien to the American ethos."

One decision that was entirely alien to U.S. traditions was the early release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi — the only person convicted in the bombing attack on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie — on compassionate grounds in 2009, just eight years after he was found guilty of the mass murder of 270 people.

SNP Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill made the decision after doctors reportedly told him that al-Megrahi, suffering from cancer, likely had three months to live. Nearly two years after his release, al-Megrahi remains alive.

The SNP's stance on NATO is another possible source of friction.

The naval base at Faslane on the west coast of Scotland — home to the U.K.'s nuclear submarine fleet — and the safe harbor at Scapa Flow off the country's northern coast are strategically important locations.

Cold War tracking stations

Scotland is also part of a network of sonar monitoring stations — built during the Cold War to track Russian submarines moving into the North Atlantic — that could become important should the old tensions flare up again.

A senior SNP source admitted there was a difference of opinion within the party about NATO membership, with some members so strongly opposed to nuclear weapons on moral grounds that they did not want to be under NATO's "nuclear umbrella."

Defense commentator Stuart Crawford, who served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.K.'s Royal Tank Regiment and later became the SNP's junior defense spokesman, said senior party figures had long wanted to get rid of the party's "bonkers" opposition to NATO.

Crawford, who has since left the SNP but still supports independence, said the idea of a complete disassociation from nuclear weapons had taken hold among grassroots supporters and the party was "painfully democratic."

He said Scotland might have limited significance to the U.S. now, but suggested a possible scenario that would radically change that.

"In 2030, the expanding power that is China says, 'Can we lease a naval base from you Scotland?" ... We'll pay you billions of dollars for the privilege' — then I suggest Scotland becomes very important to the U.S.," he said.

Crawford compared such a move to the Cuban missile crisis, but added: "China is a friendly country, so what could the objection be?"

'Good for the country's psyche'

Crawford said he doubted Scotland would vote for independence in the planned referendum, but said he expected it would happen within 10 to 20 years.

"I'm an emotional nationalist and I think it would be good for the country's psyche and soul as a whole," he said.

For Alan Roden, an Englishman who covers Scottish politics for the Daily Mail newspaper, that would be a shame.

A photo on his Facebook page shows him wearing a traditional Scottish kilt, but makes clear his passion for English football team York City. Many on either side of the border have similar ties and feelings toward the two countries.

One of his "favorite quotes" listed on Facebook makes his opinion clear, paraphrasing a line from the 1707 Act of Union that "England and Scotland shall forever after be united into one Kingdom."

"People want their MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) to stand up for Scotland, but Scotland within the union," he said, noting the same polls highlighted by Curtice.

However, Roden admitted that "you can never underestimate Alex Salmond," saying he was "incredibly popular" and left other Scottish politicians "in the shade."

"This is a man who at the start of the Holyrood election campaign was significantly trailing the Labour Party in the opinion polls but who turned that round … and ended up with the first majority in the Scottish parliament's history," Roden said.

Partly because of the proportional voting system, previous Scottish administrations have been coalitions or have governed with only a minority of the lawmakers, relying on ad hoc support from other parties.

Echoing other commentators, Roden said the unionists needed to unite and "put forward a positive message about why Scotland and England are better together" as well as find a Scot good enough to stand up to Salmond to lead the campaign.

A claim made by some in the unionist camp is that businesses, people generally and English people in particular would leave if Scotland became independent.

'Scotland is my home'

But Roden plans to stay. "Scotland is my home and I do believe the people of Scotland have a right to choose their own future," he said.

Another foreign-born resident of Scotland with a keen interest in the debate is Dr. Mark Aspinwall, head of politics and international relations at Scotland's Edinburgh University.

A native of Massachusetts, Aspinwall said he was "very neutral" about the idea when talking with students, but had been "sort of opposed to it" because Scotland and England "are so linked economically."

But Aspinwall, who has dual citizenship, showed signs of wavering. "I'm not sure how I would vote to be honest," he said of the referendum.

He told msnbc.com that independence was "conceivable," but rated the chances as "less than 50-50."

Scotland "would certainly have a future as an independent country," he said, comparing it to Norway.

"There's something that is Scottish, there is an identity, a pride, a history that's a bit different," Aspinwall said.

"I love Scotland ... It's clean and fresh, open and green. It has the same topography as northern New England, the same mountains, not the same trees ... it's a great place, friendly people, and Edinburgh is a wonderful city, a really cosmopolitan place. It's great here."

[Ryan Ruck]

A prescient piece from a year ago by the awesome Jeremy Clarkson...

Simple Surgery To Solve The Deficit – Cut Off Scotland

We could take this further. Why not draw the boundary between England and Scotland at York?

June 13, 2010
By Jeremy Clarkson

As we know, the country is in a terrible mess, and as a result, the head of every government department has been told to go away and implement cuts. This all sounds very sensible but because I’m a television presenter, I know it won’t work.

Here’s why. Every Thursday night, the producers of Top Gear stitch together the various elements of the show to create a finished product that is around 70 minutes long. Because this is 11 more than the time slot, we have to make cuts. Or as Clive James used to say when he was making TV shows, we have to throw away our babies.

It’s extremely annoying. You’ve edited a segment to be as good as possible, and now you have to start with the scissors, losing the odd fact here and the odd joke there. It takes an age, it hurts and the same thing always happens when you’ve finished. The programme is better, tighter and sharper. But it’s still six minutes too long.

So it’s back to the drawing board. And this time, you must lose links and explanations. You are no longer performing liposuction on fat. You’re cutting away at bone and muscle. Important stuff. You are bringing it in on budget but the finished product won’t stand up. Think of it, if you like, as a hospital with no electricity. It’s still a hospital but it’s not much use if the iron lungs don’t work.

To prevent this happening on Top Gear, we try not to trim muscle and bone. When we’re desperate to cut time, we lose limbs.

You may have seen the Vietnam special we produced a couple of years ago. What you didn’t see in that show, however, was a sequence involving the Stig’s Vietnamese cousin. This had been tough to make. We’d located a local motorcycle stunt rider, we’d shipped a bike over from Japan, we’d done two recces and written several treatments, and 25 people had spent a whole day filming the scene under a sticky sky and watchful gaze of government officials who kept wanting to see the rushes.

The reason you didn’t see it is because so many unforeseen things had happened on the trip, the finished programme was miles too long. And when we’d slashed and burnt the fat, there was still 12 minutes to go. So instead of slashing and burning at the muscle and bone, we threw away a whole sequence. Better, we thought, to lose an arm than ruin every organ in the body.

And that brings me back to Britain’s economy. Yes, the NHS can sack a few managers and the Department for Transport can shelve plans to widen the B3018. Little things such as this will save millions but there will still be millions to go, which is why David Cameron and Cleggy, the tea boy, must think long and hard about losing the Vietnamese Stig. They must think about chopping a whole department.

Obviously, I would suggest the Department of Energy and Climate Change because it’s silly, when times are tight, to have a whole ministry attempting to manage something over which humankind has no control. It’d be like having a Department of Jupiter.

But the climate change department is relatively small, and cutting that when you are a trillion in debt would be like trying to solve a £50,000 overdraft by not having your hair cut any more. No, Cameron and the shoeshine boy need to lose something big and I believe I have the answer: Scotland.

Let us examine the benefits of this. In the last election the Scottish National party, which wants independence from England, took nearly 20% of the vote in Scotland. Add this lot to the non-voters who also want to go their own way and you realise there is significant support north of the border for Hadrian’s Wall to be rebuilt.

Economically, the SNP thinks Scotland would be fine. I don’t know why, since Scottish public spending is 33% higher per head than it is in the southeast of England. But on its website, the party says that Ireland is independent and is the “fourth most prosperous country in the world” (really?) and that Iceland, another small independent state, is the “sixth most prosperous country in the world”. (Apart from being totally bankrupt, obviously.) Let’s not get bogged down, though. The upsides go on and on. Without Scotland on the electoral map, Cameron would have a majority in the House of Commons, so he could lose the Cleggawallah, we’d never again have a Scottish prime minister and Scotland would become abroad — which would make it an exotic holiday location.

I think we could take this further. Why not draw the boundary between England and Scotland at York? This way, the SNP would feel that William Wallace’s sacrifice hadn’t been in vain and, better still, all the northern English constituencies could be governed by the sort of left-wing, wetland- habitat, save-the-bat and build-a-wind farm government they seem to like so much.

So what, you might be thinking, is in it for those who remain — the Welsh and those in the south of England? Well, there’s no doubt that letting Scotland go would be very painful, especially after 300 years of friendship. But what are the alternatives? The NHS? The Ministry of Defence?

No. I’m afraid it has to be Scotland. It costs the UK £5 billion a year and saving that, on top of the £6 billion in cuts from the fat elsewhere, would go a long way towards solving our debt crisis.

Oil? Well, obviously the Scottish oil companies such as, er, whatever they’re called, will continue to pump the black gold into Aberdeen while the others, such as BP and Shell, could simply divert their pipelines to Kent. That’s fair. Oh, and we’d have to move the Trident submarine fleet as well.

I want to make it plain to my Scottish readers that I do not want to throw you onto the cutting-room floor. I shall miss you with your funny skirts and your ginger hair. The SAS will miss you, too, since over the years 75% of its soldiers are said to have been from north of the border. But we simply cannot afford to stay together any more. Goodbye, then, and good luck.

[Ryan Ruck]

Scots Begin Push To Be A Nation Once Again

May 25, 2012

With rousing speeches, patriotic music and support from actor Sean Connery, supporters of independence for Scotland launched a campaign on Friday which they hope will lead to the demise of a 305-year-old union with England and the breakup of Britain.

"This is the beginning of something really special - the beginning of the campaign to restore nationhood to Scotland," Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), told hundreds of supporters in hall in the capital Edinburgh.

"We want a Scotland that is fairer and more prosperous."

The campaign hopes to tap into a blend of historical rivalry, different political tastes, and a perception that the British parliament in London does not safeguard Scotland's interests to win a referendum in 2014 which would pave the way for full independence two years later.

If successful, the drive could create serious problems for Britain, which comprises England, Scotland and Wales (Britain is in turn part of the United Kingdom which also includes Northern Ireland).

With its kilts and tartans, bagpipes and whisky, Scotland has a distinctive, if romanticised, culture. There has also been darker history of poverty, violence and ill health, notably in the largest city Glasgow, once an engine of the British Empire.

Scotland already has many of the trappings of an independent nation such as its own flag, sports teams, and a history of achievements in science and literature.

Britain's current government, a coalition between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrat party, is opposed to Scottish independence as is the opposition Labour party. Britain is stronger as a union, they argue, and an independent Scotland might struggle on Europe's fringes.

The SNP's Salmond, speaking in front of a giant screen showing a cloud-flecked blue sky, had no such doubts.

He said his aim was to get one million Scots to sign the "Yes Declaration" before the referendum.

CONNERY SUPPORT

Under a devolved system of government, the Scottish parliament created in 1999 controls health, education and prisons while the British government in London controls everything else including foreign policy and defence.

"If the parliament can run education, why can't we run the economy? And if we can protect our old people why can't we protect ourselves without the obscenity of nuclear weapons?" Salmond told the audience.

The launch event drew on rousing patriotic music and a film showing the country's stunning Highland landscapes, fishermen, universities, and, inevitably, leaping kilt-clad dancers.

It also relied on celebrity endorsement. A message of support was read out from actor Sean Connery, an Edinburgh milkman before he found fame as secret agent James Bond.

Hollywood actor Brian Cox called Scotland's current predicament "centralised servitude" and related how like many Scots, he had become disenchanted by previous Labour governments led by former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

"The parliament at Westminster can see no further then the end of its own bridge," he said.

Scotland's national poet Liz Lochhead read out a poem focused on English-Scottish rivalry in the 16th Century.

Opinion polls show that around 40 percent of Scottish people are sympathetic to independence, with around 10 percent undecided and the remaining 50 percent opposed. South of the border in England, polls show people are largely apathetic.

Author Harry Reid said the referendum's success may hinge on whether the Labour party, traditionally popular in Scotland, can revive its fortunes.

Scotland is more inclined to vote for the left, whereas English voters have voted in much larger numbers for the right, underscoring a political fault line between north and south.

Although the Conservative party won more votes than any other party at the last British general election in 2010 it won only one parliamentary seat in Scotland.

One joke doing the rounds since two Chinese pandas took up residence in Edinburgh Zoo notes that there are now more pandas in Scotland than Conservative MPs.

DIMINISHED ROLE?

Scotland's preference for a more centre-left brand of politics which favours egalitarianism over the free market is reflected in education policy. In England, students have to pay large tuition fees to attend university, whereas in Scotland such education remains free for Scots.

Reid said disenchanted Labour voters who switched to the SNP in disgust at Labour's support for U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan may yet return to the fold. If they do, Scotland's dreams of independence could evaporate, he said.

"If we're going to get a decent Labour government back in 2015 people might wonder whether they really need independence."

Despite its relatively small population of just over five million, compared to England's population of just over 52 million, there are also fears that a 'yes' vote would diminish Britain's voice on the world stage.

"The rest of the world would be surprised and shocked that the UK was unable to hold together," Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde told Reuters in a phone interview.

Britain would find it harder to maintain its voice at international bodies such as at the U.N. Security Council as well as in European Union decision-making.

There are also questions about whether Britain would be able to keep its nuclear submarine fleet in Scotland, where it now based. And revenues from Scottish North Sea oil remain important to its coffers.

But history runs deep and, symbolically, the independence referendum will be held on the 700th anniversary of the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn when an army commanded by England's King Edward II was defeated by a smaller force led by Robert the Bruce, a source of enduring pride for Scottish patriots.

Scotland and England have shared a monarch since 1603 and have been ruled by one single parliament in London since 1707. The SNP's Salmond has said an independent Scotland would retain Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch.

[American Patriot]

FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL

I saw this last night and was gonna post it, but was on the Kindle Fire (and wasn't feeling too keen anyway, headaches again, sigh) so I'm glad you got it up Ryan.

[Ryan Ruck]

Scotland Warned That Vote For Independence Would Be Irrevocable

June 25, 2012

Scots were Monday warned that there would be no returning to fold of the U.K. if they vote in favour of severing the 305-year union with England in an upcoming referendum on Scottish independence.

Speaking in Edinburgh at the launch of the campaign to keep Scotland within the U.K., Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling said Scotland will be economically, politically and socially stronger as a part of the U.K.

"The choice we make will be irrevocable," he said. "If we decide to leave the U.K. there is no way back. We can't give our children a one way ticket to a deeply uncertain destination."

Mr. Darling, a senior lawmaker in the opposition Labour Party, is leading the cross-party campaign, which is supported by the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats, which together make up the coalition government, as well as Labour.

Mr. Darling, who is the member of parliament for south west Edinburgh, emphasized the consequences of the referendum, saying it would shape Scotland for generations to come.

"This isn't about voting in a government for a few years. It's about making history," he said.

The launch of the campaign is the latest development in an ongoing row between the U.K. government in London and Alex Salmond's ruling Scottish National Party in Edinburgh over whether Scotland should remain in the U.K. The SNP launched its pro-independence campaign a month ago.

The two sides are divided over even the most basic elements of the referendum, such as when it should be held and what question it should ask.

Mr. Salmond wants the referendum to be held in autumn 2014, not long after Scots celebrate the 700th anniversary of a famous military victory against the English at Bannockburn, while the U.K. government has said the vote should be held sooner rather than later and have proposed the date of September 2013.

Mr. Salmond has said the referendum could also include the option of Scotland remaining in the U.K. but with much greater autonomy--an option opposed by London.

London and Edinburgh also disagree over extending the franchise to younger voters, which Edinburgh favors and London opposes.

Mr. Darling Monday called on Mr. Salmond and the SNP to explain how his proposed monetary union with the U.K. would work. Mr. Darling also urged the SNP to answer questions about the costs and risks of Scottish independence and also criticized the timing of the referendum.

"We are being asked to make this choice in the midst of the most uncertain and turbulent times we have seen in our lifetimes," Mr. Darling said. "This is an important part of our argument: It's a big and difficult world and independence is an inadequate response."

[American Patriot]

Hahahahahahaha "Warned".

I don't think the Scots give a flying fook.

[Ryan Ruck]

U.K. To Scotland: Walk Away, Lose The Pound

February 13, 2014

It seems clear now that a divorce would be messy.

The British government warned Scotland on Thursday that if it votes to leave the United Kingdom, it would not be able to keep the British currency, the venerable pound sterling.

“If Scotland walks away from the U.K., it walks away from the U.K. pound,” British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said in a speech in Edinburgh on Thursday, upping the ante in the battle over Scottish independence.

Commentators called the speech one of the most important developments in the fight for Scotland’s future, with clear battle lines being drawn by the British government, which until now has resisted discussing the terms of a possible breakup.

The pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) accused the British government of bullying and bluffing.

“This is a concerted bid by a Tory-led Westminster establishment to bully and intimidate — but their efforts to claim ownership of sterling will backfire spectacularly in terms of reaction from the people of Scotland,” Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, said in a statement.

Salmond insisted that a shared currency zone was in the best interests of all parties. He said that “the stance of any U.K. government will be very different the day after a ‘yes’ vote to the campaign rhetoric we are hearing now.”

In a rare display of unity, Osborne was backed by Labor and the Liberal Democrats, the other two main political parties, effectively meaning that Scotland would struggle to broker a deal to use the pound with whomever wins the next general election in 2015. Osborne is the British cabinet minister responsible for economic and financial matters.

The Scottish government has previously maintained that it would keep the British pound and that the Bank of England would continue to be the lender of last resort if voters choose independence Sept. 18.

But Osborne insisted that this was not a workable solution.

“The evidence shows it wouldn't work. It would cost jobs and cost money. It wouldn't provide economic security for Scotland or for the rest of the U.K.,” Osborne said. “There is no legal reason why the rest of the U.K. would need to share its currency with Scotland.”

The pound, Osborne said, is not like a “CD collection” to be divvied up after a breakup.

Political analysts said that Scots would be scrutinizing both the message and the messenger. Osborne’s Conservative Party is deeply disliked in Scotland, partly as a result of the legacy of the late Margaret Thatcher, whose policies as prime minister during the 1980s triggered much hostility in Scotland. Any sense of preaching by posh London Tories would go down badly, analysts said.

“It could backfire,” said Thomas Lundberg, a lecturer in politics at the University of Glasgow. “The U.K. government wants to make independence look scary, but if they come across as bullies, then it could hurt their cause.”

The Scottish government has not spelled out its Plan B in the event it cannot use the pound. But several ideas have been mooted, including simply continuing to use the British currency regardless of what London says, like Panama does with the U.S. dollar.

Osborne’s speech was in stark contrast to what has been described as a “love bomb” last week by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who invoked cultural icons such as Sherlock Holmes and Scotch whiskey in making an emotional and patriotic plea for Scotland to stay in the 307-year-old union.

It remains unclear what impact Osborne’s intervention will have on the debate over Scotland’s future. But with just seven months to go until the historic referendum, campaigning on both sides evidently is intensifying.

[Ryan Ruck]

Interesting...

Scottish 'Yes' Vote 'Will Force Britain To Abandon Nuclear Weapons'

Vice-Adml John McAnally says Scottish independence is “the biggest strategic threat faced by our Armed Forces”

March 16, 2014

Britain will be forced to abandon its nuclear weapons if Scotland becomes independent, a senior admiral has warned.

In an article for The Telegraph, Vice-Adml John McAnally said Scottish independence is “the biggest strategic threat faced by our Armed Forces”. He warned that Britain would lose its seat on the UN Security Council and England and Scotland would be reduced to “two struggling nations on Europe’s periphery”.

Vice-Adml McAnally, a former commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies, said there is “every possibility” Britain could be forced into unilateral nuclear disarmament. The Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines is based at Faslane in Scotland which Vice-Adml McAnally warned could cost billions to relocate, leading to the loss of the fleet altogether.

He said: “Today, we can still say with pride that the Armed Forces are one of the great UK brands… Dividing the Union would do them immense damage, leaving both Scotland and Britain with huge bills to make up for the gaps in lost infrastructure.

"Our relationship with the United States, our status as a leading military power and even our permanent membership of the UN Security Council would all probably be lost.

"We would be reduced to two struggling nations on Europe’s periphery, without the means to defend their now separate interests. Neither our allies nor posterity will forgive us if we get this wrong.”

Vice-Adml McAnally, who joined the Navy in 1962 and served in 17 ships, also argued it would be almost impossible to create a new defence force in Scotland on the SNP’s proposed budget.

[Avvakum]

Interesting...

Scottish 'Yes' Vote 'Will Force Britain To Abandon Nuclear Weapons'

Vice-Adml John McAnally says Scottish independence is “the biggest strategic threat faced by our Armed Forces”

March 16, 2014

Britain will be forced to abandon its nuclear weapons if Scotland becomes independent, a senior admiral has warned.

In an article for The Telegraph, Vice-Adml John McAnally said Scottish independence is “the biggest strategic threat faced by our Armed Forces”. He warned that Britain would lose its seat on the UN Security Council and England and Scotland would be reduced to “two struggling nations on Europe’s periphery”.

Vice-Adml McAnally, a former commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies, said there is “every possibility” Britain could be forced into unilateral nuclear disarmament. The Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines is based at Faslane in Scotland which Vice-Adml McAnally warned could cost billions to relocate, leading to the loss of the fleet altogether.

He said: “Today, we can still say with pride that the Armed Forces are one of the great UK brands… Dividing the Union would do them immense damage, leaving both Scotland and Britain with huge bills to make up for the gaps in lost infrastructure.

"Our relationship with the United States, our status as a leading military power and even our permanent membership of the UN Security Council would all probably be lost.

"We would be reduced to two struggling nations on Europe’s periphery, without the means to defend their now separate interests. Neither our allies nor posterity will forgive us if we get this wrong.”

Vice-Adml McAnally, who joined the Navy in 1962 and served in 17 ships, also argued it would be almost impossible to create a new defence force in Scotland on the SNP’s proposed budget.

Makes you wonder if they're aren't Communist agents in the SNP, doesn't it? Or rather, maybe Communist agents of subversion FOUNDED the SNP?

How did the SNP go from being kind of a joke to the serious political party it is now? Scotland has in fact become one of the most Leftist parts of Great Britain in recent decades, i'm sorry to say.

[Ryan Ruck]

Looks like the vote for Scottish independence failed by nearly a 10 point margin.