Scotland: Yes or No?

David Walker queries the arguments in favour of Scottish independence.

With only ten months left before the referendum on Scottish independence, the opinion polls state that Scotland is still sceptical. According to a recent national census, around 44 percent are in favour of staying in the UK as opposed to 25 percent who support independence. This would suggest that Scotland still has many unanswered questions, the main one being ‘what would Scotland gain from independence?’.

The SNP’s main argument for change relies heavily on the premise that Scotland’s newly-drawn borders would allow them to take an 81 percent share of the North Sea oil fields currently in UK hands. This is something the UK government has yet to confirm and a complication that would unlikely be resolved soon after independence. It seems that the SNP is relying purely on the promise of prosperity generated by oil with few economic benefits elsewhere. Scotland would have more say in its internal politics but by leaving the UK it would ultimately lose out, becoming a weaker financial power.

So how does this affect the rest of the British Isles? Scottish independence would have huge political ramifications in the rest of the UK, where the loss of its main partner for the last 300 years would truly mean the end of the most successful political union in history. What will be left of Britain as a political force? Although it would certainly spell the end of David Cameron as PM, it would also deal a massive blow to Labour and the Lib Dems in future elections.

Another issue is the effect it would have on British identity. Although the SNP claims the debate is nothing to do with national identity, it’s hard to see how severing the political link between Scotland and England would not mean a rise in national animosity. Alex Salmond stated that Scotland would remain a “close neighbour”, but the break up of such a long alliance would surely leave a bitter aftertaste.

Scotland’s independence could also have immense political repercussions around Europe. What if Spain’s nationalist communities end up fragmenting the Iberian peninsula? And what of the ongoing bitter tussles in Belgium? The rise of nationalism and the break up of countries into small militant nations within Europe would be an alarming predicament for European politics.

In today’s world we should learn to resist the flag waving and nationalist rhetoric, cooperate and find compromise, for nationalism is more often than not an unpleasant phenomenon and a regressive form of politics. Although independence may sound liberating, Scotland is better off within the UK and should look to gradual change through devolution rather than systematic separation.