OzTennis

Here's what Sturgeon said on the issue recently:

"The EU is not perfect, no one is saying it is - in many areas it is badly in need of reform. But in my view the benefits of EU membership outweigh these drawbacks.

It gives Scots businesses access to the single market of over half a billion people.

Our membership also encourages substantial investment in Scotland from companies who want access to that market. And that means jobs – thousands of jobs which would be put at risk by our withdrawal of the EU.

Scots students can study across the EU - a wonderful opportunity to broaden their horizons and improve their language skills.

And of course, we can all go on holiday - and, for those who want to, even retire abroad - with the minimum of fuss.

These benefits are worth shouting about – and SNP politicians will certainly be making this positive case over the next few months.

If you’d asked me six months ago what I thought the referendum result would be, I would have said I was pretty confident that the UK will vote to stay in the EU.

But given the direction of the debate, and although I am still confident that Scotland will vote to remain, I am less certain than I was about the result south of the border.

One thing is for sure though – it would be a democratic outrage if Scotland, or any nation in the UK, were to be dragged out of the EU against its will.

As things stand, this is not beyond the realms of possibility.

A poll a couple of weeks ago showed that 65% of Scots favoured remaining in the EU - incidentally, that's far higher than the percentage that voted to remain in the UK in 2014.

But such a strong ‘in’ vote here in Scotland would count for nothing if people in England voted to leave - even by a much narrower margin. In these circumstance, Scotland would be outvoted and heading for the EU exit door against our will.

This is certainly not a situation that I want to see happen, and I will be campaigning for the whole of the UK to vote to stay in."

GarryP

If the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU, with scotland voting to stay, then you have to remember that it takes 2 years plus to negotiate an exit. My guess in that circumstance Sturgeon would hold another referendum vote within the year (off the back their stay vote) with or without the agreement of Westminster - and then after agreeing with the EU for successor status, present them with a fait acompli. Negotiations at that point become more like England negotiating to leave both the UK and the EU (since I'm not sure Wales wouldn't do the same).

And at that point, particularly with companies positioning to jump ship, I'm not sure that some sanity mightn't set in, and the 'leave' date goes wandering off into the future.

bcworld

If the government choose to ignore the result of the referendum you'll probably find England turning into the sort of one party (UKIP) state that Scotland is now with the SNP.

GarryP

As the polls stand at the moment, it's pretty evenly split. Thus as 2 years became 3, then 4 year, the experience of what leaving would mean would grow more obvious and the leave %age would fall away.

The best chance for leaving is the same as it always was, when the EU finally goes titsup and everyone wants to leave the sinking ship. Hence my original response to the question.

Bermudashorts

I cannot make amy sense whatsoever of the SNP preference to leave the UK but stay in Europe. It is illogical and just shows their pathetic hatred of anything English rather than a genuine desire for self rule. At least they have a say in UK rule.

Anyway they had their chance to leave UK and chose not to. Now they can accept the outcome of the referendum like everybody else in the UK will have to.

scrubbedexpat098

Yes, this!!! A scottish mate of mine was giving it the we want out of UK and in Europe spiel, so I pointed out that it wasn't freedom he wanted, just a new set of handcuffs. Wasn't amused.

Sturgeon's marketing this as a Scotland vs England vote, this referendum, however important it is, and however much I will be voting, makes me glad not to be in the UK anymore, the politicians aren's even pretending not to be arseholes anymore

paulry

Has anyone living in Australia and registered to vote received their postal voting slip yet?

Bix

I decided not to risk it so changed to a proxy vote.
Only took a couple of days.

commonwealth

Isn't it strange that a Commonwealth (non-UK) citizen living in the UK is eligible to vote, but an EU (non-UK, non-Commonwealth) citizen who lives in the UK cannot?

Tr1boy

Out. I could list the myriad reasons but in the end, it just feels so good to screw over the Jocks.

OzTennis

For voting to remain in the UK?

I bet you can't come up with 'myriad reasons' other than immigration.

Tr1boy

That's a bet you'd lose

OzTennis

Go on, give your myriad reasons.

Tr1boy

You offered a bet, now you're looking for a free handout, quelle surprise

scrubbedexpat098

Makes me laugh that the main argument of the remain squad seems to be belittling the intelligence of the Brexit mob. Well Beckham has joined the remain crew so that's that one blown out of the water.

Also saw a Billy Bragg quote 'not all Brexit voters are racist, but all racist voters are Brexit'

Now this really pisses me off, because if I said to Billy 'Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims' he'd immediately slam me as a racist and fail to see that both comments have an equal footing in the truth stakes

twat