BREXIT is clearly a flop. In exchange for all the damage it is doing to farmers, fishermen, consumers and everyone in Northern Ireland, what have we got? Apparently we will be able, in theory, to sell a bit more strong-smelling cheese to Japan – although unfortunately the Japanese don’t like it much (and we were promised the big daddy of all deals with the US, but Johnson was told what he could do with that).
This got me thinking, what will we get with Scottish independence? Below I offer my list of things that will definitely, and beyond speculation, be achieved with independence. Perhaps we don’t speak enough about these things, especially to our neighbours.
1. We will get rid of Trident
2. We will have a properly democratic electoral system
3. We will have a vote on whether we wish to apply for membership of the EU or Efta
4. We will have our own immigration policy
5. We will have an independent Scottish broadcasting service
6. We will have our own policy on drugs
7. We will be able to decide,I imagine some time after the Queen dies, whether we wish to continue with the monarchy
8. Without the House of Lords or the remnants of an empire there will be an opportunity to establish a new system of honours
9. We will be able to adopt, if the people so indicate in an election, a more progressive system of taxation.
There is nothing speculative in the above. They will all be achieved by the winning of an independence referendum.
Opponents of independence will say what about the economy? Well, anyone may speculate: Scotland will probably have more difficult and less difficult years like other countries. What you can say with confidence is that scarcely any country has embarked upon independence with more natural resources. And no-one can have any idea how attractive another English-speaking nation in Europe might be to investors generally or how interesting an independent Scotland might be to the huge Scottish diaspora.
There will also be what Alex Massie in The Times calls “whataboutery” concerning borders.
There should be no problem with a soft border and a common travel area. And unlike in Ireland no-one in Scotland is going to blow up the border. Of course the rest of the UK will do what’s best for them but that won’t include tariffs to make whisky or salmon more expensive in England – that wouldn’t be very popular.
There will also be whataboutery concerning the currency. We will keep sterling (either officially or unofficially) while we transition to independence, then introduce our own currency and consider later on whether we wish to join the euro. I believe there are 25 currencies in Europe and about 180 in the world, so there is plenty of experience available for setting one up.
Scotland can be a successful country like Ireland or Denmark.
David McCarthy
Kinross
I TOTALLY agree with Thursday’s letter “Our right to protest must be defended.”
The restrictions on the Scottish people to freely assemble, debate, exchange ideas and peacefully protest outside our seat of government is a Draconian act that needs to be challenged.
Our political representatives need to know the strength of feeling the Scottish people have on issues that effect them.
National, please organise a campaign to DEFEND OUR RIGHT TO PROTEST by asking your readers to write to their MPs and MSPs.
Iris Graham
Glenrothes
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