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comments from readers

showboater29@aol.com
30 November 2009

yes

I think we all should. Get away from this fascist EU nonsense before they tax us or H1N1 us all to death!!!

Hebridean
30 November 2009

yes

It amazes me why Scotland seems to be the only country though of as being incapable of running its own affairs. Where else would Mr Holyrod bring home his pay packet, give it to Mr Westminster to take of his rent, rates, service charges etc, and be handed back his spending money for the groceries! Better the two remain good neighbours and share the common charges, but look after their own households.

Gordon's Boy
01 December 2009

yes

Bigger than most countries in the world, inventor of the modern world, of course they should join the world.

ErnieBolt
01 December 2009

yes

I think becoming an independent county will encourage us Scots to step up to the plate and take responsibility for ourselves, instead of taking the easy way out and blaming every ill on our English neighbours.

Law
01 December 2009

no

No because it would condemn the rest of the UK to perpetual Tory government

terence patrick hewett
02 December 2009

yes

I just wish they would stop talking about it and do it. No wonder George MacDonald Fraser lived on the Isle of Man. No wonder Sean Connery lives in Switzerland.

03 December 2009

no

No - they would lose the English subsidy and would therefore be worse off, and we are all strnger together. But the Scots need reminding that they are not the only ones in the Union who might like a change. The English might like to see an end to subsidising the minority nations of the UK, and their constant griping. Perhaps, it would be better if the UK eas split - England would certainly gain financially and there is no reason to think that the EU would make up the considerable subsidies from England.

Bill Ford
03 December 2009

yes

Should be debated now since SNP, Labour, Conservatives & Lib-dems are still legal. After May 2010 under the Lisbon Treaty, all Political Parties must represent a minimum of 10 Nations, and none of these do.

Bill Ford
03 December 2009

yes

After May 2010, all Political Parties to be legal must represent a minimum of 10 Nations. With the Lisbon Treaty being enacted upon, Britain will become 12 Regional Assembleys. So all present British Political Parties will be covered except SNP.

Sandy Howat
04 December 2009

yes

Independence for both Scotland and England will be the only way to modernise our societies and economies into more social just and sustainable communities. From the embers of the failed British imperial state that still has distateful class divisions we can maybe all wake up to what we really need to do rather than squabble over the pennies left on the table.

Bob AH
04 December 2009

yes

Scottish Independence, matched by similar independence in Northern Ireland and Wales (and by default England) should be used to reduce the number of Westminster MPs to representatives from the parliaments/assemblies of the constituent nations who would be there for debating UK matters only. This immediately removes the West Lothian Question and would reduce the costs of maintaining Westminster.

Bob, Paisley
04 December 2009

no

How disappointing that even readers of the NS (the English ones, that is) show how insular and ill-informed the English are. England doesn't subsidise Scotland; rather, within the UK there is an allocation of resources in (hopefully) a socially just manner. Or does southern England subsidise northern England? Or London, Cornwall? Or Kensington & Chelsea, the Old Kent Road? Where does such a silly line of argument stop?

As a Scot living in Scotland I am not in favour of independence, but I'm quite sure Scotland would cope on its own without being propped up by the English (although I'm so grateful for all you've done over the last 300 years).

Incidentally, I am currently reading Asa Briggs' history of 18th century England, 'The Age of Improvement'. In the first 17 pages he has mentioned six Scots who made important contributions to English - by which he means British - history at a crucial time in the progress of these islands. Wouldn't it be nice if the English could make the tiresome intellectual effort to comprehend the differences between England and Great Britain and the United Kingdom and attempt to understand that most Scottish, Welsh and Irish Britons do not regard it as a compliment to have our country referred to as England. (Matt Frei was at it again in his series on Berlin. This is the BBC in 2009 and nobody thinks to correct such a glaring error prior to broadcast!)

So let's stick together with mutual respect and, to this end, it would be helpful if the English would dispense with their unpleasant mix of arrogance and ignorance regarding their non-English fellow Britons.

Last word - I actually like and admire the English people which is one of the reasons why I want Scotland to remain yoked to its overbearing neighbour.

Samarkand
06 December 2009

yes

Free Scotland from British imperialism!
Oh Wales and Northern Ireland too.

old tribune
06 December 2009

yes

I am born and bred in England, but if I lived in Scotland I would vote for the SNP and for Scottish independence. I would want to be separated from the corruption and authoritarian control at Westminster.

Scotland under the SNP is more democratic, more progressive and is protecting civil liberties. The government of Gordon Brown is arrogant, domineering, dishonest and deaf to the wishes of the people (as it was under Tony Blair).

Unfortunately, a Cameron government is not appealing either. I might move to Scotland if my finances in the current economic crisis allow me to.

Morris
07 December 2009

yes

Environmental Analysis
* Nationalism breeds miltarism
* Parochialism breeds intolerence
* Insularity breeds agression
* Might is right
* The nation state
* Countries controlled by men and not represented by women.
Summary
Countries today are the result of the above and today's behavior refelects this. Nation states in partcular those with power behave primitively and violently.
Future development.
When you see the Earth from space there are no dividing lines between countries.
Only the rejection of past values such as
* might is right
* the nation state
* parochialism and nationalism
can a new vision be created for the future development of human kind. One step is the positive creation of the European state and a rejection of old models of conflict.