Barroso: Scotland would need to apply to join EU, process might be long.

[Platypus]

"Process might be long" ...

Scotland: We have money
EU: okay, you're in!

[KentPhilip]

I should think that it would be excellent for Scotland, for Scotland to leave the UK. All that government debt would then be left to England and Wales to pay off, and Alex Salmond would be able to embark on a massive borrow-fest and boom the Scottish economy.

Well for a few years at least..

Nice try

Well isn't that a plausible scenario?
How could the UK force any of its debts onto a newly-declared independent Scotland?

I suspect this is what is really behind Alex Salmond's hopes for Scottish independence - he wants his electorate to escape the UK government debts they ran up..

[The Spartan]

Surely they could just ship a relative proportion of the debt to Scotland or would them no longer being subsidised being a big enough bonus?

[eek]

Surely they could just ship a relative proportion of the debt to Scotland or would them no longer being subsidised being a big enough bonus?

We could just give them the bail out costs for BoS and RBS that would only be (more than) their fair share.

[Robinho]

Well isn't that a plausible scenario?
How could the UK force any of its debts onto a newly-declared independent Scotland?

Military force?

[MyUserName]

When are England and Wales going to have a referendum to decided whether the throw Scotland out of the UK?

[The Spartan]

When are England and Wales going to have a referendum to decided whether the throw Scotland out of the UK?

Seems only fair that if they're going to vote on whether or not they want to stay then the English and Welsh should be able to vote on whether or not we want to keep them as part of the UK

[Ignis Fatuus]

Seems only fair that if they're going to vote on whether or not they want to stay then the English and Welsh should be able to vote on whether or not we want to keep them as part of the UK

The United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the union of exactly 2 parties: England and Scotland. Either of those should be free to dissolve the union, which would mean that the United Kingdom of Great Britain would cease to exist.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the successor to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, formed in 1800 by the union between Great Britain and Ireland. Should the constituent United Kingdom of Great Britain cease to exist, the union between it and Ireland (or part thereof) would be defunct.

So actually I do not see how, in the event of secession by either of the 2 parties to the Acts of Union that created the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there would be a "rump" United Kingdom to continue as if one party had merely left it all to the other. England would of course be free to suggest a new United Kingdom of England and Northern Ireland; and to apply for membership of the EU if she so chose.

[MyUserName]

The United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the union of exactly 2 parties: England and Scotland. Either of those should be free to dissolve the union, which would mean that the United Kingdom of Great Britain would cease to exist.

Were is formed with both sides as equal partners? If so, then I am not sure why they is a debate.

Scotland can separate without any further discussion, we can then bomb it for a while (to improve things a little) and invade.

Simples. Although we do get stuck with Scotland again - perhaps use it as a prison?

[Robinho]

The United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the union of exactly 2 parties: England and Scotland. Either of those should be free to dissolve the union, which would mean that the United Kingdom of Great Britain would cease to exist.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the successor to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, formed in 1800 by the union between Great Britain and Ireland. Should the constituent United Kingdom of Great Britain cease to exist, the union between it and Ireland (or part thereof) would be defunct.

So actually I do not see how, in the event of secession by either of the 2 parties to the Acts of Union that created the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there would be a "rump" United Kingdom to continue as if one party had merely left it all to the other. England would of course be free to suggest a new United Kingdom of England and Northern Ireland; and to apply for membership of the EU if she so chose.

That's not the case though...

the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN.

The Kingdom of Scotland and The Kingdom of England don't exist any more. The UK is a state, and there are no get-out clauses in it. Scotland would be leaving the UK and thus become a successor state, the rest of the UK will continue to be, the UK.