If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?
Discuss issues related to the politics of the UK, such as the actions of any MP, any current or potential law, or any other factor affecting the British political system.
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?And all this overnight without any Westminster intervention? I applaud his organisation skills if nothing else.(Original post by 122025278)
Salmond and the SNP. They could place local party bosses in charge of councils, appoint their people to police forces, take control of TV, radio and newspapers and use them as official propaganda channels and create their own militias made up of SNP loyalists to act as regional paramilitaries to enforce the party line. Create labour camps in the Higlands and Isles, round up, arrest and send political opponents away to them on trumped up charges of endangering state security. -
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?God, the creative and stimulating scenarios drawn up in this thread excite me. And they say young people only drink and play on facebook! Ha!
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?To be honest, at the rate the English forces alone are declining, I'd be surprised if the Border Regiments and Scottish Dragoons couldn't take us alone. That's including the Welsh fighting alongside the English.
But no, we don't have a navy to form a blocade, the Tornadoes and Eurofighters are split between airbases here and there, so we'd lose almost all of our miniscule air power and we'd be fighting in terrain that they know better then regiments down South given they never train there like Norhtern Regiments do.
Regardless, it wont happen, I was simply humouring your idea. But no, I doubt we'd begin a war against Scotland... again. -
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?I think the point missed is would English people want it? People tend not to like wars and I'm not sure enough people would care about if Scotland is independent or not. if there wasn't popular support then Westminster wouldn't do it
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?Constitutionally, the Scottish parliament can't declare independence. Referendum or not.
The only way Scotland could become independent is the repeal of the act of union in the UK parliament, so any referendum called by the Scottish government is purely consultive. -
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?* muddy fields(Original post by internet tough guy)
yeah, don't they have billions of pound worth of oil up in the north sea? no way should we allow that fat prick get away with all that dosh, we shall fight them on the beaches! -
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?Wonderful. Because of course this is all highly likely to happen. If SNP did illegally claim independence then not only would you English be on our backs, but the EU, UN and presumably the majority of scottish people would be against him, considering they didn't vote for it.
I would love Scotland to be independent, but I also don't trust Salmond. It's a shame, because I want to vote yes, but if we get it then I'm moving abroad because Salmond and his evil henchman (Sturgeon) can't be trusted in my opinion. -
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?You might not be able to leave the Democratic People's Republic of Scotland if there's independence, unless you manage to sneak across the border before they seal it off. Praise be to General Salmond and Premier Sturgeon!(Original post by closey95)
Wonderful. Because of course this is all highly likely to happen. If SNP did illegally claim independence then not only would you English be on our backs, but the EU, UN and presumably the majority of scottish people would be against him, considering they didn't vote for it.
I would love Scotland to be independent, but I also don't trust Salmond. It's a shame, because I want to vote yes, but if we get it then I'm moving abroad because Salmond and his evil henchman (Sturgeon) can't be trusted in my opinion. -
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?They can't. Firstly, they have to certify it as legal. Secondly, the Presiding Officer has to certify it as legal or refer it to the Supreme Court; then the UK Government's Scottish Secretary can also refer it to the Supreme Court; then it must achieve the Royal Assent of the Queen, which can be refused or blocked; then it can be challenged by any person in court.(Original post by 122025278)
If Alex Salmond and the SNP decided that they would just declare independence without a referrendum (because they thought they'd lose) by passing a law in the Scottish Parliament with their majority.
That simply cannot happen.
There's nothing wrong with declaring something. I could declare myself a horse: it wouldn't mean anyone would pay the slightest bit of attention. Who do you think the Army would be fighting here?Surely then Her Majesty's Government would be forced to declare a state of emergency and use the British military? Otherwise they could just completely ignore the rest of the UK and the Scottish people and expect nothing to be done about it.
He'll have to secure an opt-out from the Schengen area. All new EU states are currently obliged to join, and the UK doesn't want to be a member, otherwise there would indeed be border posts at Gretna.(Original post by Rakas21)
You do realise that there will be no border, he has already said that there would still be free movement of labour.
Whilst I think he would be given such an opt-out, it isn't something that is at all within his control.Last edited by L i b; 25-03-2012 at 14:54. -
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Re: If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?Before the last Scottish election in 2011, the unionists (New Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat) had repeatedly warned that a vote for the SNP was a vote for independence. Despite this, the SNP won 47% of the vote. Under proportional representation that gave them an absolute majority in the Scottish parliament. Remember, under the UK voting system, parties get 'landslide majorities' in the UK parliament with as low as 40% of the vote.
The SNP therefore have a better democratic mandate in the Scottish parliament than the ruling parties have in the UK parliament. The SNP had pointed out their policies before the election and the Scottish voters trusted them. They have always acted democratically.
So I think the possibility of Scotland illegally declaring independence is zero. Unless of course the UK pushes it into a Kosovo like situation.
