Mastodawn

Charlie Stross Jul 5, 2023

Arguments for/against Scottish independence:

Every single argument against Brexit—except ONE—also applies in miniature to Scotland leaving the UK (a smaller nation leaving a larger free trade zone).

The exception was the Tory complaint that laws in the UK were dictated from afar by an unfriendly foreign power.

In the case of Scotland, s.35 orders, reserved issues, and Henry VIII orders prove this assertion to be true—a right-wing English nationalist party has a choke-hold on Scottish policy.

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Charlie Stross Jul 5, 2023

If we (Scotland) get independence, the near-term economic disruption will be ghastly.

But in the longer term, we'll no longer be run from afar as a Tory-controlled colony: there will be scope to improve things, if we can do so.

Control over immigration policy means we could import the skilled workers we're so short of, and regain freedom of movement with the continent. Control over trade and fiscal policy means we could rejoin the EU and adopt the Euro. Frictionless trade! Stable currency!

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acb

@cstross Given the crisis within the SNP that might cost if the next election, and Starmer having made noises about constitutional reform in the UK in the past, another possibility would be a rolling back of devolution, with Scotland’s nation status being demoted to that of a “region” alongside Yorkshire, the Midlands and such. This would probably involve water and NHS being privatised along English lines.