THIRTY-FOUR new countries have become independent since 1945, and none has asked to return to the political union to which the previously belonged. There are 193 independent member states at the UN. How many are political unions like the UK? None!
So independence is the norm, and being a sovereign nation state is the norm! Many countries of similar size or smaller than Scotland are successful nation states. Existing as a nation state is the norm; being in an unbalanced political union created by colonialism and maintained by structural imbalance is not the norm!
Scotland is a resource-rich country, has a substantial economy and would be a prosperous nation if independent, as the Governor of the UK central bank said in a recent meeting of a parliamentary select committee.
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So independence is the norm! Scotland has the resources to prosper as an independent nation, Scotland would have a seat at the UN like Ireland, Malta and all the other countries that have left the UK!
Scotland would be a member of the Commonwealth! Scotland would remain in the Common Travel Area that exists between Ireland and the UK! Scotland would be able to create its own relations with EFTA, the EU and all the other countries in the world!
What are the arguments against being an independent sovereign state? Well it would break up the UK, the UK just left the EU (the EU still survives, and as demonstrated by the current UK Government it’s good to be independent)! So on principle the UK is a nationalist separatist country, yet it is arguing that such a process is wrong!
If separatist nationalism is a good thing (Brexit), why specifically is it bad for Scotland to hold a referendum on indy2! The electorate have again specifically elected a government to hold such a referendum on indy2! Ireland is currently in the EU and is in the Common Travel Area of the UK, therefore Scotland can be too! The UK Government is focused on free trade deals around the world, so why would they not do a free trade deal with an independent Scotland?
Robert Doig
Bo’ness
NICK Cole writes that we must wait “till the time is right” and until the polls show a consistent 50% plus for Yes (Letters, July 7).
We have been waiting seven years. The SNP have had multiple mandates. The current UK Tory government is probably the most vicious since the war, and Scotland was dragged out of the EU against our will. Will the time ever be “right” for the SNP?
When Brexit was announced in January 2020 I expected the party would come out fighting, and a continuous campaign promoting the benefits of independence would immediately commence, mobilising the enthusiasm of the Yes community, as in 2014.
What a disappointment. Nothing happened at all.
Everybody is aware of the current Covid pandemic, but in the last seven years there has been no attempt by the SNP to set up a strong, permanent committee to fight the independence cause. There has been only lip service, and no attempt to harness the drive of the Yes community. Even the huge marches throughout Scotland a couple of years ago were notable for the absence of any of the leadership.
The SNP were set up with the single aim of Independence. They seem to have forgotten that.
James Duncan
Edinburgh
BORIS is now gambling with people’s lives. We need to distance ourselves from this Westminster mad house!!!!
Robin MacLean
Fort Augustus
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