"FREEDOM!"
Posted on 11/27/2006 1:37:37 AM PST by LibWhacker
ALMOST two-thirds of English voters want full independence for Scotland, a dramatic new poll revealed last night.
A clear majority on both sides of the Border are in favour of Scotland breaking away from the United Kingdom, according to the survey by ICM. It finds that 59% of English voters want Scotland to go it alone, while independence is backed by 52% of Scots.
There is also strong support in both nations for England breaking away completely from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - backed by 48% in England and 45% in Scotland.
Meanwhile, 68% of English voters and 58% of Scots back the lesser step of an English parliament, which would have similar powers to the Scottish parliament.
The poll, which supports the abolition of the Act of Union between England and Scotland as its 300th anniversary approaches, follows recent surveys in Scotland which have shown more than 50% in favour of independence.
It came as Chancellor Gordon Brown delivered an impassioned defence of the Union at Labour's Scottish conference in Oban. On Friday, Blair also warned of a "constitutional nightmare" if the SNP wins power in Edinburgh next May.
Yesterday, in a further attack on the SNP, against whom Labour will fight a bitter battle for control of the Holyrood parliament, the Chancellor claimed: "We should never let the Nationalists deceive people into believing that you can break up the United Kingdom."
But, seizing on the poll results, SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "There is a powerful pro-independence tide now flowing both north and south of the Border. Both countries now have majorities in favour of their own independence and independence for their neighbour.
"Scots are tired of remote control from London and the onset of devolution has made people realise that, since we have our own parliament, it is time we had one with real powers.
"In England people, quite rightly, resent Scottish MPs bossing them about on English domestic legislation. England has as much right to self-governance as Scotland does."
The ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph shows that 60% of English voters agree, complaining that higher levels of public spending per head of the population in Scotland were "unjustified", with only 28% claiming they were justified. Among Scots, 36% said the current system was unfair, with 51% supporting it.
Ironically, only 21% of English voters said there were "too many Scots" in the Cabinet, with 76% saying this did not matter. Perhaps unsurprisingly, only 4% of Scots agreed that the number of their fellow countrymen in top government posts - who include Brown, John Reid, Alistair Darling, Lord Falconer and Douglas Alexander - was too high.
But voters had serious concerns about the so-called "West Lothian Question" - the ability of Scottish MPs at Westminster to vote on solely English matters while many purely Scottish issues are decided in Edinburgh. Almost two in three English voters (62% ) want Scottish MPs stripped of this right, as did 46% of Scots.
Reacting to the poll last night, the Chancellor said: "There is a debate to be had about the future of the United Kingdom, but I think when you look at the arguments, when you look at the family ties, the economic connections, the shared values, the history of our relationship which has lasted 300 years, people will decide we are stronger together and weaker apart."
A Scottish Labour Party spokesman added: "Our conference in Oban has shown the strong case for building on Labour's achievements within the UK rather than throwing it all away with the damaging nationalist policy of breaking up Britain."
Tory leader David Cameron also issued a robust defence of the Union saying it is "good for us all and we are stronger together than we are apart."
'Brits want to keep their tax Euros in their own neighborhood instead of bleeding them off to Scotland?'
What's a 'tax euro'? We use the pound sterling. It's like a dollar, but worth more. . . . . ;-)
'Good idea. Become independent and make your own laws and get away from the PC stranglehold of Britain.'
LOL, they won't become independent, they'll simply be run by the EU instead of London. Their central bank will be in Brussels and their taxation will be set by the EU. Perfect for a buch of socialists if you ask me.
Ouch ! I remember a time when the Pound was $3.95.
Is NBC calling this a civil war yet?
You're going to get rid of the German princes, eh? Get rid of the Act of Settlement, eh?
Just so you know who Bonnie Prince Charlie's legitimate heir is.
http://www.thepeerage.com/p11248.htm
They've done much over the centuries to merit that hatred, but finally in the present age, with the whole history of those islands thrown into bold relief and widely understood and acknowledged as never before, the justification for English privilege and superiority is seen for the self-serving nonsense it always was. Even the English themselves see it.
There will always be an England. There won't always be a UK.
Braveheart would be pleased.
'Ouch ! I remember a time when the Pound was $3.95.'
Me too, we must be getting old! :(
I guess it's when either of them are worth less than a euro we have to worry!
"If the Scots are not happy about control by the English Parliment, I wonder what they think about control by the EU Parliment and the EU Bureaucracy in Brussels. Seems to me that Westminster is the least of their problems."
The Scottish National Party is the most euro-enthusiastic of all UK political parties.
Is this true? Have you found this to be accurate around your area?
"FREEDOM!"
I suspect an independent England would be a much more right wing country, free of Scottish influence. That may be a price worth paying.
Regards, Ivan
Kinda like San Francisco. Too bad we can't kick them out.
How would the royal family pan out in this? Would QEII be Queen of England and Wales, and Queen of Scotland in such a scenario? In the same way she is simultaneously Queen of Canada, Australia, etc? Or would Scotland more likely become a Republic?
I know some members of the SNP want to be rid of the monarchy, but that may be a step too far for most Scots.
Regards, Ivan
So Scotland would be a Commonwealth Realm as would England and Wales, and presumably Northern Ireland...
Insight please. Isn't the SNP basically socialist?
I support Scottish independence (I am part Scot) but have not been pleased at the socialist bent of Scotland of late.
There are no "conservative", as we understand the term, Scottish nationalist parties.
Regards, Ivan
Independence will also enable us to make own decisions about defence and peacekeeping. Only when priorities are set in Scotland can we prevent our servicemen and women being sent into illegal conflicts, the amalgamation of historic regiments and the downsizing of military infrastructure. With Independence, the SNP will pursue a non-nuclear defence policy.
Regards, Ivan
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