Scottish Independence

If I lived in Scotland I would  vote "No" to independence. But my support for the Union would be weakened by the intervention of the "big guns".

The IMF have said that an independent Scotland would have an adverse effect on financial markets. This is tosh. The GDP of Scotland is almost a triviality when compared to the the GDP of the World as a whole despite what SNP nationalists might say. Why does the IMF have to open its mouth regarding this issue?

If Scotland votes "Yes" to leave the UK then the rest of us should allow it to use sterling in a currency union as long as there is a treaty to ensure that both sides meet their financial obligations to the union.

Scotland and the rest of the UK should also implement a "Common Travel Area" arrangement similar to that of Britain and Ireland. This would mean that Scots would be allowed to vote in British elections when they live in Britain and Britons would be allowed to vote in Scottish elections when they live in Scotland. We would effectively be common citizens of each other's country- just like the British and the Irish. There is no reason why Scotland could not enter into a similar arrangement with Ireland.

What I am proposing will be to the benefit of all of the nations of the former UK and will lead to continued stability.

This would be the common sense approach advocated by the SNP. However, when was common sense applied to politics? It has not been so often.

All of this common sense may not happen if Scotland wants to join the EU. I fear that an independent Scotland will be forced to go it alone for a while. It will  be forced to implement its own currency and then be forced to join the Euro in order to join the EU.

It might be forced to join Schengen like all new entrants to the EU and this would mean border controls with the rest of the UK and  Ireland.

Scotland will be a small independent country and its negotiating power with the EU will be weak but this flies in the face of what the SNP says.

There is also the possibility that Spain will veto or delay Scottish membership of the EU to try to deter nationalist movements in Catalonia and the Basque country. Catalonia is due to hold an unofficial referendum on independence in November.

This is not scaremongering as all this could easily happen.

The consequences of  this type of foreign pressure, if applied, might lead to the Scots to change their mind after a "Yes" vote. If so, the rest of the UK should accommodate them.

In my opinion it would be marginally better to vote "No".