Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland, cites Thomas Jefferson in calling for Scottish independence from Britain during a speech at the University of Virginia.
Posted on 04/03/2008 2:05:21 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
The political leader of Scotland told a packed crowd at the University of Virginia on Tuesday that his nation deserves independence from Britain.
During his appearance in the Dome Room of the Rotunda, Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland, praised Thomas Jefferson’s principles of self-governance and liberty, saying they underscore his argument that Scotland should secede and become its own country.
“Today, within the present constitutional arrangement, we do our utmost to improve the lives of the people of Scotland,” Salmond said. “And we know that, tomorrow, with full responsibility for our destiny, Scotland can become an even better nation. Our people more free, more prosperous and more secure. That is our vision. It’s not too different from the vision that Thomas Jefferson showed America in the Declaration of Independence.”
The British Embassy did not return a call Tuesday for comment. Many people in Britain oppose Scotland’s secession, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, himself a Scot. According to the BBC, Brown has said that the United Kingdom would suffer economically and culturally without Scotland.
Salmond, who was elected last year, is the head of the Scottish National Party and is an advocate for a Scotland-wide referendum on independence in 2010. He visited UVa as part of a tour of the United States to promote the first Scotland Week, which started Sunday and highlights Scottish academic, business and cultural accomplishments.
Salmond’s visit marked the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. Senate’s passage of its Tartan Day Resolution that acknowledged that Scotland’s Declaration of Arbroath may have helped inspire the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Arbroath, sealed in 1320, stated that Scotland was independent from England and that Robert the Bruce was the true king of Scotland.
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Any Scots here? What is the economic situation in Scotland?
Could they survive on their own? I suppose if Ireland could Scotland could as well.
Someone once mentioned, the Scots are so Leftist, Britain would make a jump to the right, if they succeeded in seceding.
That said, I’d say Britain rather become a republic, than break away.
We discussed this not too long ago. Scotland might get a short-term morale boost with independence, but England will likely come out economically ahead having her cut loose. One of those examples of “be careful what you wish for.”
It would be the American equivalent of cutting New England loose. Labour would lose out big time.
What is the economic situation in Scotland?
Their oil reserves are beginning to dry up and they are losing jobs wholesale, they also have an immigration problem from Eastern Europe.
But the EU will save ‘em from England.
From the all knowing Wiki:
Scotland has a western style open mixed economy which is closely linked with that of the rest of Europe and the wider world. Traditionally, the Scottish economy has been dominated by heavy industry underpinned by the shipbuilding in Glasgow, coal mining and steel industries.
Pacific Quay on the River Clyde, an example of the regeneration of Glasgow and the diversifying Scottish economyPetroleum related industries associated with the extraction of North Sea oil have also been important employers from the 1970s, especially in the north east of Scotland. De-industrialisation during the 1970s and 1980s saw a shift from a manufacturing focus towards a more services orientated economy. Edinburgh is the financial services centre of Scotland and the sixth largest financial centre in Europe in terms of funds under management, behind London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich and Amsterdam,[70] with many large finance firms based there, including: the Royal Bank of Scotland (the second largest bank in Europe); HBOS (owners of the Bank of Scotland); and Standard Life.
In 2005, total Scottish exports (excluding intra-UK trade) were provisionally estimated to be £17.5 billion, of which 70% (£12.2 billion) were attributable to manufacturing.[71] Scotland’s primary exports include whisky, electronics and financial services. The United States, The Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain constitute the country’s major export markets.[71] In 2006, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Scotland was just over £86 billion, giving a per capita GDP of £16,900.[72][73]
Tourism is widely recognised as a key contributor to the Scottish economy. A briefing published in 2002 by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, (SPICe), for the Scottish Parliament’s Enterprise and Life Long Learning Committee, stated that tourism accounted for up to 5% of GDP and 7.5% of employment.[74]
As of November 2007 the unemployment rate in Scotland stood at 4.9%—lower than the UK average and that of the majority of EU countries.
“You can na mix matter and anti-matter cold.”
They are correct. England is largely Conservative. AND we're paying 8p in the pound of our income tax to keep the Scots. This includes the effect of all Oil receipts.
Secession would be a colossal win for the English people. It's not a matter of not liking Scots - most English people like Scottish people - but structurally we are paying through the nose for the Union.
It’s better if there economy goes to pot to teach them that capitalism is the answer.
It means less taxes and less Labourites for England and a center-right party would probably do better in Scotland if it wasn’t tied to the Tories so imo it’s good for all involved.
Several non-Scot politicians have pointed this out in the past that the tax rate in the rest of the UK would go down if Scotland was cut loose. (more is spent there than is collected in taxes).
Also as tightly as the UK is integrated economically and infrastructure wise, its really not practical.
No one in my family takes the noise seriously.
I visited Scotland in the fall of 2006. My wife has a sister who lives outside Aberdeen. Aberdeen and Edinburgh looked pretty prosperous to me. It looked like the Scots are living pretty well. Not only that the only really good steak I had (though overall Brit food was pretty good) was in Inverness (The Mustard Seed). Great fish takeouts oops takeaways too.
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