THE EU Parliamentary elections show that many Scots share my fervent dream of independence within the EU. Fulfilment of this dream would bring a representative dividend as the allocation of seats tends to favour smaller member states.
Malta, with a population of around half a million, has six MEPs, precisely the same number as Scotland (population approximately 10 times greater) is currently allocated as part of the UK. Ireland (population 4.84 million) has 11, and the nearest state in terms of population to Scotland is Slovakia with 13 MEPs.
If an independent Scotland’s population surged because of freedom of movement, especially if England leaves the EU, then we may end up with as many as 17 MEPs – like Bulgaria, with a population of seven million people. Demographics, after all, by their very nature, are always fairly mobile and unpredictable. But we can be absolutely sure in any event that our power base within the EU will be massively enhanced by independence.
The EU election vote share could hardly be much more encouraging. In Scotland if you total the percentages for Brexit (Tories, Brexit Party plus Ukip) you arrive at 28.2%. For Remain (SNP, LibDems, Scottish Greens and Change UK) you get to 61.6% of votes cast. I have completely left out the Labour party’s 9.3% share of the vote in Scotland as they currently still face two ways on the issue of EU membership but they are beginning to lean towards Remain, and so the overall Remain campaign may get stronger still.
Wouldn’t a last-ditch UK-wide victory for Remain by way of an EU referendum strangle the embryonic Scottish drive for independent EU membership even before birth? Of course the clarity of England choosing one way with Scotland striding in entirely the opposite direction will be lost. But, unlike Scotland, England has never been united in enthusiasm or even grudging acceptance for the European project since its inception.
Currently nothing except Brexit matters in terms of progress through legislation, a situation that has prevailed for the last couple of years, and this is set to continue for a long time, possibly decades to come. England will be interminably obsessed with arguing over Europe, and we just don’t need that.
A UK-wide victory for Remain is categorically not going to miraculously turn these islands as a whole into an enthusiastic, joyous, positive, helpful member state. Many Europeans instinctively already know that and reluctantly accept the inevitability of Brexit. Brexit therefore remains the likely outcome at the end of pointless leaving date extensions and Scotland, to truly thrive in the EU setting, needs independence regardless of what England decides.
As we say in the AUOB marches, “What do we want? INDEPENDENCE. When do we want it? NOW”. Or maybe you might prefer a spot of Rabbie Burns: “Now’s the day, and now’s the hour.”
David Crines
Hamilton
HOW fickle is the British electorate? The SNP were criticised for not having enough detail in their manifesto when failing to achieve independence. Yet the Brexit Party have achieved 29 MEPs with no manifesto except leaving the EU! 29 MEPs going to Brussels to do what? The mind boggles!
Robin MacLean
Fort Augustus
IT’S not so much Michael Fry’s choice of candidate to lead the Tories that bothers me but why he bothers to discuss this at all (Stewart gets my backing for the Tory leadership, May 28). They are all blue dyed-in-the-wool arch British Unionists with no truck for Scottish independence.
Fry’s choice, Rory Stewart, belongs to the same old Etonian club whose past antics underlines his enmity towards any form of Scottish self-government.
So he’s a Scot, but Quisling was a Norwegian who showed that nationality has nothing to do with doing what’s best for one’s country.
Ignore them, Michael, it’s a waste of your (and our) time.
Jim McLean
London
SO Alastair Campbell has been expelled from the conservative Labour and Unionist Party for voting for the Inbetweeners cos Corbyn the Abstainer wisnae clear aboot his stance on Brexit and everything else (Labour expel Alastair Campbell after he voted LibDem in EU election, thenational.scot, May 28).
Whit aboot Kezia Ducktail? She wis tellin’ the North Brit Branch to vote Tory to keep the bad SNP oot and was punching the air along with branch HQ members for every Tory replacement victory!
Whit aboot the Labour cooncillors voting with Tories in Stirling, Rutherglen etc to keep the SNP winners out of oaffice?
So voting Tory is acceptable, but no an Inbetweener? They should be telt at the next election that the Labour Turkeys don’t really want Christmas.
Donald Anderson
Glasgow
NEVER was a big fan of Campbell, but in this instance he put principle before party loyalty and suffered the consequences. Would that he had done it sooner.
Frank Casey
via thenational.scot
IT was good to see the picture of Scottish comedian Ricky Fulton in his dramatic persona of Rev I M Jolly (Letters, May 28). I’m not much of a church-goer myself but I agree with fellow correspondent Ian Heggie that BBC Scotland’s coverage of the Kirk General Assembly felt a wee bit low-budget.
The churches have long been an integral part of our story. I look forward to the day when the BBC start to take this nation’s culture and history seriously.
Douglas Hunter
Ancrum
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel