Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Say It Ain't So, Scotland!

The End of the United Kingdom? - David Goodhart at PostGlobal: "The End of the United Kingdom?

London, England - One of the world's most successful multinational states, and a key ally of the United States, could in a few months time start to unravel: I mean, of course, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The process will be set in motion if the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) ends up the largest party in the Scottish parliament after elections next May. This is a distinct possibility. The break up of the UK will not be inevitable even if the SNP do dominate the parliament, but it will certainly make the political classes of Britain -- and perhaps of the U.S. and the main EU states too -- think hard about the point and value of the union to them. (Ironically, the elections will come just a matter of days after the 300th anniversary of the creation of modern Britain when the Scottish and English parliaments were merged in 1707.)..."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think scotland has been a reluctant part of great britain for a long time. i'm surprised they didn't leave a long time ago. that north sea oil won't last forever.

Bob Harrison said...

I'd say reluctant since-- like Robert the Bruce or something-- since I live in "Little Scotland" in states (or so it seems) you'd think I'd have a better handle on it, though I guess it might be similar to the "states' rights" arguments here in the States.

I would like to hear arguments from both sides.