The thing I don't get is what would we do about citizenship. ATM all scots are british, but if scotland becomes independent would all scots have to hand in their passports? would they have to choose if they wanted to be scottish or british, or would they be both. I just can't see how it would work, without either most of the people in scotland remaining british, or them being both, which would not go down well with the rest of the UK, who wouldn't get the same rights in scotland.
:: 10. What would independence mean in terms of travelling across the Scotland-England border? An independent Scotland would control its own borders. The SNP would like to see an open border, but Home Secretary Theresa May has already warned she will not allow Scotland to be used as a back door for immigrants getting into England if Scotland adopts a looser immigration policy. So, we could see passport controls on the border between the two countries. :: 11. Would Scottish citizens need new passports? please log in to view this image Play video please log in to view this image Video: Yes And No Campaigns Neck And Neck A lot depends on whether Scotland joins the EU. Scottish citizens would be entitled to a Scottish passport, but a UK passport would still be valid until it expires. British citizens who were habitual residents in Scotland would be automatically considered Scottish citizens http://news.sky.com/story/1332740/what-happens-if-scotland-leaves-the-union
Well here in NI you can hold a British and Irish passport, I know they made it harder to do not that long ago but it's still possible. You just have to physically travel down south now to get the Irish one. I assume all people with existing British passport can keep it while applying for a new Scottish passport and use either from then on, give up the British one if they feel really strongly about it and all new applications in Scotland will be for the Scottish one only.
The main thing is it doesn't matter,what we say or think, the only ones with a choice are the Jocks as they get a vote We should have a referendum to decide if we want independence from them!!!
And that border control stuff will be a laugh. Here if you got on public transport across the border you occasionally got stopped and asked for ID or passports but there's that many roads across the border it you drive it rarely was an issue. Edit (in peace time obviously) And anyway, surely that fear of a new Calais at the border with Scotland with immigrants trying to pass through to England won't happen. Not if while England's welfare state and NHS collapses and Scotland's is saved, with low taxation and a soaring whiskey economy....surely all the immigrants will just stop in Scotland and being a future Schengen agreed country as part of their inclusion in the EU they'll have no say just like France
If they vote no and get greater devolution powers for their Holyrood parliament to keep them happy the Welsh and probably NI assemblies will want the same, there should be regional governments in the UK with greater autonomy. As it stands Scots MP's get to vote on issues affecting England in the British parliament and no English MP's have a say in theirs, more autonomy needed for the regions in England.
I can't see how legally they can get someone to give up their british citizenship just because they live in a different country, lots of people live away from Britain. I can only think that they would have to impose a foreign working income tax as the US do so you could tax british citizens in scotland. Also if this vote is going to be very close we may get a situation where half the people in scotland want to be british, which could see mass emigration from scotland.
Surely if your from rep of ireland you cant just come up and get a British passport, so its a little different, but I agree it will be impossible to get them to give up citizenship of either.
As Pages article suggested it would probably be more along the lines of take up a Scottish one and when you're British one expires that's it done or have to come down each time to get a new British one. Again it would all depend on negotiations but I assume there would be an agreement between the current UK states similar to the schengen agreement between France, Belgium, Germany etc etc where borders between the state's are open to each other's citizens for work and travel although a lot of this is now covered with EU membership too, although the UK has some added restrictions under their terms of membership. No the citizens of the Republic can't get a UK passport but then under EU and other agreements with the UK in particular they have freedom of travel and work anyway.....
The little toad will have to find a very big stone after the referendum. He and his cohort are generating lots of heat but no firm proposals. Problem is that heat will evaporate when the voters finally have to put their little crosses in the box and find that the SNP have promised a lot but have not agreed anything.
A YouGuv internet survey suggests that more respondents believe that it is FAIRLY UNLIKELY that the Scots will vote YES by a large margin.
Schengen could not apply as Scotland would not be a member of the EU. Therefore whilst their could be agreements between England and Northern Ireland and Wales to allow unrestricted travel and work, it could not apply to other EU citizens. However the import and export of goods and services between the 'home nations' and Scotland would have to follow EU procedures. Does not bode well for all that Whiskey.
Aye Dave, I meant a comparable agreement between the existing countries of the UK. Currency should be fun although in Scotland's defence none of you lot down in England ever accepted our versions of Sterling anyway lol....
Glasgow Rangers fans give their views on yes voters. [video=youtube;pmGjiokfQ2A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmGjiokfQ2A[/video]
That's bloody funny. Now all we need is the one of the Celtic fans saying feck independence we want a United Irescotlandland
The majority of hoops fans are in favour of Scottish independence frank, polar opposites in everything.