Lord Empey has warned that independence for Scotland risks reigniting conflict in Northern Ireland. The former Northern Ireland Executive minister was speaking during a debate in the House of Lords about the Scotland Bill. Lord Empey said the discussion was about the future of more than 60m people. He called on supporters of the Union to emphasise the strengths and shared history of the UK. The former Ulster Unionist Party leader said Northern Ireland had "spent decades overcoming nationalist terrorism and we gradually after years and years and years managed to settle down our community". "I don't wish to exaggerate, but if the Scottish nationalists were to succeed it could possibly reignite the difficulties we have just managed to overcome," he said. "I do not say that lightly." West Pakistan He told peers said that if Scotland broke away from the UK, people in Northern Ireland would have "a foreign country on one side of us and a foreign country on the other side of us". "We would end up like West Pakistan," he said. "We are all hewn from the same rock. "Just imagine the situation we would be placed in." Lord Empey's comments came as Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, a former Scotland secretary, questioned why the government was going ahead with the bill, when consultations are under way on an independence referendum and the Scottish Parliament has yet to signal its consent to the legislation. He said that if Scotland went ahead with a referendum without consent from Westminster it would have no practical effect and be the "most expensive opinion poll in history". Lord Empey said he had spent "many years negotiating with Irish nationalists of different shades" and it was important to get the tone of the Scottish debate right. "We should not hector or bully the Scottish people - we must not, we cannot, and if we do we do so at our peril," he added. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16749576
Hilarious. Sinn Fein have rightly said it's none of their business, knowing rightly that their coming in on the side of the SNP could push others the other way. Unionists cannot help themselves though. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...nson-enters-independence-debate-16103311.html http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...-elliott-stokes-up-republic-row-16106280.html There are several others. Keep them coming I say.
It's totally bizarre - the Yes camp's biggest asset is Cameron and the No vote's biggest asset is Salmond. WTF?
Harry Rednapp has been charged with contempt of court, the Judge warned him on numerous occasions to stop winking and nodding at the jury....
It would be dangerous to underestimate Alex Salmond. The electoral system in Scotland was created in order to stop any one party getting overall control, especially the SNP. Here we are just over 12 years later and the SNP are in overall control. At the last election they were picking up seats in places where they had never came close before and were winning seats on the 2nd list while winning on the 1st list too. If Cameron and Miliband are to be the face of the NO vote then Salmond will be rubbing his hands with glee.
Look at the average national income of each territory in the British Isles which is not part of the Union. Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland all have higher GDP per Capita than the whole UK. Look at the territories inside the Union, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all have much lower GDP per capita than England and much much lower than the independent territories. The Union as it is is working for no one, England has to subsidise the rest of the UK because the rest of the UK can't compete with southern England and it's domestic consumer market mixed with equal corporation taxes.
I agree, Salmond has a lot more charisma than both of them and puts quite a lot of passion into what he says. Still can't stand the **** though.
