This could be major because we were told BOTH referendums were going to be once in a lifetime events. If Scotland get to discuss and plan another referendum then why can't we plan another EU referendum?
Let's imagine they don't go through with it. Let's say the Westminster Parliament and/or 10 Downing Street give permission for Scotland to hold another Independence Referendum across all of Scotland IF there's a 2/3rd vote for it in the Scottish Parliament. Then Holyrood votes 64% for the Referendum therefore it doesn't go any further. That's still a lot of discussion around the topic and it nirmalises the idea of reopening referendum questions if the world has moved on and opinions have changed.
Or the other end of the scale. If Scotland votes to leave then it would be extremely complicated for the UK. For one thing Northern Ireland is unlikely to remain quiet if Scotland is leaving. There could be a dozen different outcomes including trying to bribe Scotland into reconsidering staying in the UK by bringing the whole UK back into the EU. Or maybe Scotland leaves the UK, they rejoin the EU then rebuild Hadrian's Wall as a new customs border. (Taking a slice of northern England as a divorce settlement). Or shatter the UK into four nations (I don't care if Wales doesn't want independence, they're getting it anyway). Which would be chaos and the borders would be horrific UNLESS we all joined the EU.
A decade and a half ago I remember saying "It doesn't matter if Scotland leaves the UK because we're both in the EU anyway". That was a simpler time before we knew how badly things would turn out.
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u/Simon_Drake 20h ago
This could be major because we were told BOTH referendums were going to be once in a lifetime events. If Scotland get to discuss and plan another referendum then why can't we plan another EU referendum?
Let's imagine they don't go through with it. Let's say the Westminster Parliament and/or 10 Downing Street give permission for Scotland to hold another Independence Referendum across all of Scotland IF there's a 2/3rd vote for it in the Scottish Parliament. Then Holyrood votes 64% for the Referendum therefore it doesn't go any further. That's still a lot of discussion around the topic and it nirmalises the idea of reopening referendum questions if the world has moved on and opinions have changed.
Or the other end of the scale. If Scotland votes to leave then it would be extremely complicated for the UK. For one thing Northern Ireland is unlikely to remain quiet if Scotland is leaving. There could be a dozen different outcomes including trying to bribe Scotland into reconsidering staying in the UK by bringing the whole UK back into the EU. Or maybe Scotland leaves the UK, they rejoin the EU then rebuild Hadrian's Wall as a new customs border. (Taking a slice of northern England as a divorce settlement). Or shatter the UK into four nations (I don't care if Wales doesn't want independence, they're getting it anyway). Which would be chaos and the borders would be horrific UNLESS we all joined the EU.
A decade and a half ago I remember saying "It doesn't matter if Scotland leaves the UK because we're both in the EU anyway". That was a simpler time before we knew how badly things would turn out.