Britain wants UK break up, poll shows

Originally posted by executioner
If I'm wrong

- Well unless there's been some stunningly unlikely bit of coincidence at work you are.

I humbly apologise Sminkey.

- That's OK, np.

I may have read your post this morning, read the paper at work came home and read your post again and erroniously accused you of plaigerism.

- I'm just now very worried that I've started sounding like a tabloid......and 'The Sun' at that!

If that is the case then could you please give me a hand removing my size 10 from my mouth.

- Don't worry about it.....luckily the x-mas break is near, think about taking a few days holiday, maybe you could do with it (couldn't we all )!

I think it's a stupid idea. The UK may be like a dysfunctional family, forever criticising and harping on about the other members but we are better and stronger together than we are apart.

Originally posted by ubermunche
I think it's a stupid idea. The UK may be like a dysfunctional family, forever criticising and harping on about the other members but we are better and stronger together than we are apart.

Its either a Federal system or independence...

the current system cannot go on anymore.

Actually I remember reading this in The Sun the other day as well. I don't know about word for word, but it was pretty much the same subject; that a lot of Brits would vote independent states.

I think it's a bit of a silly idea tbh, the UK seems ok as it is. English and Scots have always had their little hard feelings towards each other but they can work together just fine.

The only thing that has ever attracted me to the idea of Scottish Independence is the fact a lot of English tax payer’s money would be saved on subsidising their public and social infrastructure.
However ideally I would want this to end anyway. I am strongly in favour of greater regional-local independence but a full severing of tax links, military or legal ones with Westminster is in my opinion the political equivalent to heresy (not quite treachery but close). That said providing they don’t have a military I see nothing wrong with democracy having it’s way (particularly as it would only be a political challenge to re-invade them if the time came). But what a stupid situation to be in?

Originally posted by stumason
I would like to see Scotland independant just so they realise how much they rely on England to survive. They get huge amounts of cash from the HM Treasury, without which, they would not be able to afford to allow no tuition fees, or run their health service or education.

You might find thats true now, you will also find the British companies would be looking to see who would be able to provide the best economic position.You might find Scotland and Wales could attract business away from England.Also true for EU Wales and Scotland would be free to join which would leave you well behind.

England, on the other hand, would be largely unaffected.

You along with Wales and Scotland would have to change radically.This statement shows your more Nationalist thinking than intelligent economical side.

My own personal feelings are that if NI, Scotland and Wales can have their own assemblies, then why cannot England. I think that is where alot of English resentment is stemming from.

It wouldn`t serve you any purpose.you have the Crown and Parliment.trust me being Welsh we resent England far more than you resent us.You have ruled and made dissisions without Wales or Scotland able to change the Crown or priminister.

Being a layman and certainly no expert on how feasible this is I'd say the only other compromise I would personallly feel comfortable with is some kind of system that allows a large amount of autonomy while retaining the benefits of a united kingdom and the strengh and stability that affords us.

Smikey will smack my wrists for being a chicken little (and maybe quite rightly) but the spectre of a Balkanised Britain, maybe not now but 50-100 years from now does tend to haunt me as a possibility.

posted by ubermunche

Being a layman and certainly no expert on how feasible this is I'd say the only other compromise I would personally feel comfortable with is some kind of system that allows a large amount of autonomy while retaining the benefits of a united kingdom and the strength and stability that affords us.

You would probably not be surprised to hear that in America, before you would encounter more than a page or two about Wales in our history books, you would have to do a post baccalaureate study. Which is to admit I know where Wales is and it is one of the 4 political components of the UK. Wickipedia says Wales is 8,000 square miles in area with 2.9 million people. (2005).

Trivia buffs say Welch has the longest words in any language but offer no hint how you pronounce those words, whereas, in German, sharing a similar preference for long words, but their pronunciation is “self evident” as one of our founding documents asserts. Wikipedia also said Wales would be the 132nd most populous country, if independent. Which in itself does not mean it should not be. See foot note, below. cf. Massachusetts and New Hampshire are closest in size, and Iowa and Mississippi are closest in population.

I am old enough to still believe that you cannot create wealth unless you make something. Shuffling papers does indeed, transfer wealth, but at the end of the day, you still have the same stack of paper, albeit re-shuffled. I liken it - the so-called service economy - to a giant poker game. To end this digression, I was pleasantly surprised the other day to learn that $1.5 t. of our $12 t. economy is manufactured goods. Which according to the same story made the US still the largest manufacturing country by value if not by actual count.

I don’t know the basis of the Welch economy. I have read the EU has been of great value to the Republic of Ireland, Slovakia and maybe other countries I’m not aware of. Perhaps Wales could look forward to that form of economic aid?

Please do not take offense, but one of the first things I learned about Wales was related to a famous hoax in 19th century America, publicized as the Cardiff Giant. As if from Wales.
See en.wikipedia.org...

I am following along with much interest.

Foot Note: Country #227 Saint Helena at 7,502 and #228 Saint Pierre and Miquelon at 7,026 are the smallest. Population wise. www.census.gov...



[edit on 12/12/2006 by donwhite]