paddy234

Brexit: Scotland independence vote back on the table after Britain opts to leave EU
Updated about an hour ago

Flame-throwing bagpipes
PHOTO: Scots rejected independence in the 2014 referendum (Reuters: Paul Hackett)
RELATED STORY: Shocked European leaders tell Britain to get out after Brexit voteRELATED STORY: Britain in shock the day after Brexit
MAP: Scotland
Britain's vote to leave the European Union has put the question of Scottish independence back into play, with Scotland having voted heavily for the UK to remain in the bloc.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the result put another independence referendum "on the table", adding that it was "highly likely" within two years.

"As things stand, Scotland faces the prospect of being taken out of the EU against our will," she said.

"I regard that as democratically unacceptable."


The SNP ✔ @theSNP
Watch @NicolaSturgeon give her statement in response to the #EUref result. #indyref2
12:10 AM - 25 Jun 2016
1,679 1,679 Retweets 2,197 2,197 likes
Throughout the 2014 campaign Ms Sturgeon made it clear that if Scotland was pulled out of the EU against its will, that would be grounds for a second referendum on seceding from the United Kingdom.

The UK as a whole voted by 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU. However, Scotland voted strongly for Britain to remain — by 62 per cent to 38 per cent — with a majority in all 32 of its local authority areas.

Wales and England, except London, voted for Britain to leave the EU, while Northern Ireland voted for it to stay in.

Ms Sturgeon said her devolved government would now draw up legislation to allow a second Scottish independence referendum.

Citing a clause in her Scottish National Party manifesto, she said there had now been a "significant and material change in the circumstances in which Scotland voted against independence" in 2014, when 55 per cent of Scots voted to stay in the UK.

Commuters absorb result 'shock'

On the first train Friday between the main Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, commuters came to terms with the result.


Laura Wilshaw @laurajwilshaw
Chants of 'brexit's shit' outside Scottish Parliament #EUref
6:01 AM - 25 Jun 2016
1 1 Retweet likes
"It's a bad day. It's a big shock. We voted for Remain but we're being pushed out of the EU," said Bethany Swanson, 18, a student nurse at Edinburgh Napier University.

A disappointed Tom, 59, from Glasgow, said if there was a new referendum on Scotland leaving the UK "and there's a No, it will kill the opportunity to go for independence. You can't be able to call for a third referendum."

Hugh Brown, 64, a project manager, saw the result as "a good thing. I see it as a benefit for Scotland", because if London wants to keep Scotland in the UK, "they'll have to give us more power".

Single market question

While Britain has voted to leave the EU, it may retain continued access to the European free trade zone.

Scotland results map
PHOTO: The BBC's results page shows the unanimous decision Scotland made to Remain (BBC)
Pro-EU London Mayor Sadiq Khan alluded to this option as he mentioned those areas that voted "Remain".

"Although we will be outside the EU, it is crucial that we remain part of the single market," he said.

It should be "the cornerstone of the negotiations with the EU" and it was "crucial" that London, Scotland and Northern Ireland had "a voice" in those discussions, Mr Khan said.

Despite Ms Sturgeon's declared zeal for another referendum, Professor Michael Keating, the chair in Scottish politics at Aberdeen University, said the SNP would not rush into another referendum.

"They won't stage it until they know they are going to win it," he said.

The latest polling evidence suggested breaking with Brussels would not make Scots any more likely to want secession from Britain.

A TNS survey of 1,008 Scottish voters between May 4 and 22 found that 56 per cent of Scots would vote to stay in the UK post-Brexit, excluding "don't know" voters.

The pro-EU Ruth Davidson, leader of the resurgent Scottish Conservatives, said: "The 1.6 million votes cast in this referendum in favour of 'Remain' do not wipe away the 2 million votes that we cast less than two years ago."

Irish unity question raised

The vote also raises questions about the future for Northern Ireland, which shares the UK's only land border, with the Irish Republic.

Northern Ireland voted 55.8 per cent in favour of staying in the EU.

The UK and Ireland share a Common Travel Area of minimal or non-existent border controls dating back to Irish independence from Britain in the 1920s.

But Remain campaigners raised the prospect of a post-Brexit EU frontier being erected on the Irish border — something that would not be relished on either side.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny tried to soothe concerns.

"The Irish government will do our utmost in upcoming discussions to maintain the Common Travel Area and minimise any possible disruptions to the flow of people, goods and services between these islands," he said.

Sinn Fein, which wants a united Ireland, said it now wanted a referendum in Northern Ireland on joining the republic.

The province was being dragged out of the EU against its will, said its deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein politician urging London to allow Northern Irish people "to have their say on their own future".

Some politicians in the pro-British community said they would welcome such a poll because they feel they would comprehensively win it, burying the issue for decades to come.

AFP

Brexit: Scotland independence vote back on the table after Britain opts to leave EU - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Kotare

The sooner Scotland gets its independence the better, both Scotland and England will be happier places.

Ideally NI would be given the opportunity to become an independent (fully devolved)country too.

LoCarb

As long as Scotland doesn't adopt the EURO, otherwise they will end up like Greece and Ireland, dependent on the Banksters to finance their economy.

If they abandon the British Pound they will need to issue a brand-new Scottish currency.

Idea: The Thistle.

paddy234

Britain's economy is kept going by London which is one of the banking capitals of the World which is why Londoners are in despair of whats next for them. Britain is also dependant onBankers to finance their economy. As for Ireland, it has the fastest growing economy in Europe for the last few years and has recovered well though i wonder how it's going to cope after this and as for the North of Ireland, the secretary of State has brushed off the possibility of a border poll, this to me is VERY dangerous as the North of Ireland will be affected most economically due to this and they wanted to remain in the EU for it's economy is heavily support by the South. If Theresa Villiers denies the north of Ireland a border poll meanwhile Scotland get's a referendum then Sinn Fein's influence amongst Republicans will be hit hard and expect armed Republicans to come back on to the stage. Alot of influential people are eyeing up the stage

paddy234

Impossible, first it's wouldn't be economically viable in ANY way and secondly Irish Republican's/Nationalists wouldn't support it

mikelincs

If Scotland become independent and apply to join the EU, then they will HAVE to accept the Euro, this is one of the requirements of membership.

Kotare

Why not, rejoin the EU and get heavily subsidized as at present and/or join the Republic (they would get very good financial terms probably better than they get from 'England' at present). Plenty of independent states in the world with a population of less than 1.8 million and surviving.

paddy234

It will be a United Ireland as the North is heavily supported by the South already and it's socially and culturally the same anyway. As i said though there are the old style Tory imperialists in Britain who will do everything they can to make sure it doesn't break up including denying the Irish people in the North a border poll which Theresa Villiers is currently doing, this is dangerous as history has shown in Ireland if peaceful means are made impossible then violent means are inevitable.

LoCarb

Not all the EU members adopted the EURO.
Britain for instance.

mikelincs

No, Britain had a choice as it was in the EU when the Euro was introduced, but new countries HAVE to accept the Euro as their currency.

Kotare

I would think Eire would pay not to get Ulster. 99.
8% of the English would be delighted to wave goodbye.

Charismatic

Surely if they left to stay in the EU they would use the Euro?

If Scotland gets to leave then so should London, they didn't vote for this either and have a lot more to lose than the rest of the UK or Scotland.

paddy234

Ulster is as a part of Eire as Munster and most of the population on this Island see it that way so your comment makes no sense, Ulster has 9 counties, 3 of which are part of the Republic, the remaining 6 counties however are as Irish as Donegal and Cork and participate in Irish culture, Gaelic games and are culturally and socially the same as the rest of the Island. I find it strange when Brits think as the North as somehow different to the south given the fact that the strongest form of Irish Republicanism rules the North much more than the South. Those in the North who claim British heritage would see themselves as British however but the demographic is changing in a United Ireland Favour and hopefully this will continue and this Brexit means that there will be a bigger push for it. That leaves Scotland which at the minute is going behind Englands back to negotiate with Brussels about remaining in the EU, strange times.

Hazelnut

Do I think their will be another Scottish referendum soon?
Yep

Do I think it will be a positive result for leaving the UK this time?
Yep

Kotare

Great. But good luck to them with a 9% budget deficit, a new border between England and Scotland affecting movement of people and goods and a new currency :-). At least Brexit just imposes the new border on England and Wales.