Who would have thought just a couple of years ago that the question of Scotland becoming an independent nation would seriously be taking up Parliamentary time. It is now. Last week we had a statement as the Government launched a Consultation paper on how to respond to the plans by the Scottish Nationalist Government in Scotland to hold a referendum as to whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom.
There would of course be a whole host of problems and difficulties. The first would surround the exact nature of the ballot. Who would be entitled to vote? Why should only current residents of Scotland be entitled to vote. There are thousands of passionate Scots who for a variety of reasons are presently living elsewhere in the United Kingdom – or indeed in other parts of the World. What currency would Scotland use? What would the United Kingdom flag look like? ( no blue!) How much of the national debt should the Scots take with them? At the moment there are many more questions than answers.
Politically, the Conservatives – traditionally the Conservative and Unionist Party – are staunchly supporting the preservation of Scotland within the United Kingdom despite the fact that we have only one MP from North of the Border. Labour who have dozens of Scottish MP’s are also and perhaps not surprisingly also keen to retain Scotland and their Scottish MP’s.
I am not surprised that support for the Union is so divided in the England. I think in recent years the failure to properly address the West Lothian question ( that is the fact that Scottish MP’s can vote on matters at Westminster which affect my constituents but not their own! ) has increased the sense of resentment and unfairness among many and I suspect that support for the Union in England would increase if this anomaly was rectified.
David Nuttall 
David
Scotland already has more devolution than I believe they should have. I consider that any vote for DevoMax is identical to a vote to leave the UK. Leaving the UK will solve the West Lothian problem at a stroke.
David,
I trust Scotland will not be allowed to implement “Devo-Max” without the permission of the rest of the UK. This affects everyone and will change the way we are all governed.
You quite correctly refer to the West Lothian question. Let us not forget that when Parliament first agreed that students should be charged for University Tuition Fees that it was the votes of 56 Scottish Labour MPs who were required to push that bill through following a rebellion by a number of English Labour MPs. Their vote did not apply to Scotland .
Scotland of course still has free tuition in Scottish universities for Scottish Students (and French students, German Students and Spanish students. In fact everyone from the EU except English, Welsh and Northern Irish students).
Regardless of what happens in Scotland the West Lothian question needs to be sorted out, and quickly. Unless of course they vote for total independence and then there will be lots of other questions instead.