The Student Room Group

If Scotland illegally declares independence, should we invade?

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.

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.

I imagine Scotland would last days not even weeks then Salmond would be arrested. An air, sea and land blockade could be put in place immediately. We'd have total air and sea dominance. Do you think the Ministry of Defence has already drawn up contingency plans and key targets if this happens?
(edited 12 years ago)

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Reply 1
If Braveheart is anything to go by it sounds like more trouble than it's worth.
Reply 2
This sounds like a completely stupid scenario that will never come up and I doubt the solution would be anything like as simple as you're making out but a spanner in your works might be HMNB Clyde.
Reply 3
Original post by curtis871
This sounds like a completely stupid scenario that will never come up and I doubt the solution would be anything like as simple as you're making out but a spanner in your works might be HMNB Clyde.


Since it's against the wishes of the Scottish people I imagine most of them would remain loyal to the Crown and the military bases there would be especially loyal.
Scotland, our sheep are ready to take arms. We will fight for independence!
Reply 5
Braveheart was a middle class pedophile
see,
Reply 6
Original post by 122025278
Since it's against the wishes of the Scottish people I imagine most of them would remain loyal to the Crown and the military bases there would be especially loyal.


If it's against the wishes of every Scottish person then there'd be no need for "An air, sea and land blockade could be put in place immediately. We'd have total air and sea dominance.". You'd just need one or two people to arrest Salmond. There'd be no competition and no real controversy
Reply 7
I'm going to use Ireland as an example of what happens if you try that sort of thing without caution. In the beginning the majority of the Irish people would have been content with home rule. A bill to that effect was passed by Parliament in 1914, but the war got in the way of its implementation. Then a small group of republicans staged the Easter Rising, which was brutally crushed, and suddenly support for independence skyrocketed.

If Scotland ever faced a similar situation then the British government response would be nowhere near as brutal, for fear of repeating the mistakes of Ireland, but a blockade would still be an excellent piece of propaganda for Alex Salmond to use. I suppose the only long-term chance the union would have is for the Scottish people themselves to reject independence and ask for British intervention, unless we want to face international and domestic condemnation and risk permanently damaging Anglo-Scottish relations.
Reply 8
Original post by curtis871
If it's against the wishes of every Scottish person then there'd be no need for "An air, sea and land blockade could be put in place immediately. We'd have total air and sea dominance.". You'd just need one or two people to arrest Salmond. There'd be no competition and no real controversy


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.
(edited 12 years ago)
If Salmond declared independence then it would be illegal because there's no evidence that the majority even want independence. It would be a complete disregard for democracy and the British state would, of course, be sent in to protect the rights of British citizens.
Original post by TheHansa
If Braveheart is anything to go by it sounds like more trouble than it's worth.


one of the most inaccurate films of all time up there with pearl harbor,the patriot and the enigma code
Reply 11
:viking:
Reply 12
Invade with what? Half the Army are jocks.
Reply 13
Why would an invasion be necessary? The SNP don't have any military forces at their disposal; and the police ultimately answer to the UK government. If the SNP tried to declare independence without approval of Westminster nothing would happen.
Reply 14
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.


That's a different scenario; that's the SNP taking control of Scotland by force. If they somehow did that then obviously an invasion would be necessary.
Sure, I'm up for that, let's invade Scotland.


Where do we meet up? :horse:
Don't make us hide our oil :colonhash:
Original post by spacepirate-James
Don't make us hide our oil :colonhash:


Don't make us restrict you trading your oil :colonhash:
Reply 18
Original post by Nick100
Why would an invasion be necessary? The SNP don't have any military forces at their disposal; and the police ultimately answer to the UK government. If the SNP tried to declare independence without approval of Westminster nothing would happen.


Policing is devolved in Scotland. Regardless, the SNP could place their own stooges in senior positions within the Police. They could also simultaneously create their own divisions of paramilitaries to support the party. It's possible.
We have the nukes, just sayin'. :dontknow:

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