Scottish Independence

[Captain Seafort]

It comes as a relief to anyone with a working brain.

[Teaos]

I do understand the spirit behind Scottish independence, but it wasnt a long term smart move, but I do think they need to be more represented, or have more say over certain issues.

[Captain Seafort]

I do understand the spirit behind Scottish independence, but it wasnt a long term smart move, but I do think they need to be more represented, or have more say over certain issues.

Why? If anything Scotland is a bit overrepresented - a population of 5.3 million with 59 MPs, average 90k each, compared with a UK population of 63.2 million with 650 MPs, average 97k. That's without even considering the West Lothian Question. Personally, I reckon the best approach would be to the abolish the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments and beef up the powers of the county councils, albeit with a few boundary changes to get rid of some of the nonsense Ted Heath gave us.

[Mikey]

Why? Because this sort of issue has a visceral answer, far beyond and often in opposition to the bean-counting and eminently logical analyses like you just provided. There will always be a certain number of jockos - almost half, judging by the referendum - who will want independence for reasons having nothing to do with common sense or the good of either the UK or of Scotland specifically. Why did Czechoslovakia split? Why does Quebec always make noise about independence from Canada? Why does Puerto Rico want to avoid being the 51st state? Simply put, there are those Scots who will want independence simply because they are Scots, not Bretons or Angles or Saxons; and those Scots will then fight because some are descendents of the Gallowglass clans, while some will claim Pictish descent, while some will claim Celtic derivation but Celtic completely independent of the Gallic influence that spawned the Black Irish, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

[Captain Seafort]

I think you misunderstood my question - it was aimed specifically at the second half of of Teaos' comment, not the first.

[Mikey]

I think you misunderstood my question - it was aimed specifically at the second half of of Teaos' comment, not the first.

I see. Indeed, if your numbers are accurate the Scots seem to be represented as well as any other phase.