The more I think about it, the whole build-up is absolutely a strategic ploy designed to raise the temperature between Holyrood and Westminster and increase support for the independence movement. But that doesn't make it wrong; the SNP are very clear what they're about and absolutely do have the mandate to seek the discussion they want. It was in their manifesto for the Scottish general election. At the same time, the UK government is absolutely within it's rights to say "We have to represent ALL of the UK now and we can't derail that."
Thinking that Theresa May should jeopardise the most important political action for 65m citizens since our decision to join the EEC in the 1970s in order to cater for the immediate desires of 2-3m Scottish Nationalists (which, let's not forget, wasn't pre-agreed with the UK government) isn't sensible, it's a tantrum.
Having said that, it does need to be addressed and should be. There is, as I said, clearly a mandate. But complaining that Westminster isn't agreeing to terms that are dictated from Holyrood is ridiculous. Gain the agreement that negotiations
will start - that should be enough for the moment.
If you replace
Scottish People with
Scottish Nationalists I'll agree with you. I think most sensible people would acknowledge the political realities of the moment; it's not practical or desirable to try to run a parallel Brexit/Scotsit (see what I did there
) negotiation. It leaves every single party in the dark. Furthermore, national polling suggests that UK overall exactly agrees with the stance TM has taken (something like 65% in favour, from memory).
Also:
"What Scotland Thinks" simply doesn't agree with the rhetoric you and others are putting forward.
Sorry, you're just wrong here. The drive for Scottish independence is nothing to do with Brexit. It existed before. It will exist afterwards. Brexit is just the magic "change in circumstances" which the Independence movement declared a reason to call a second referendum. Fully a third of people supporting Scottish independence voted to Leave the EU (Scottish Social Survey '17). Nearly a third of Scottish voters don't want Scotland to rejoin the EU in the event of independence, instead joining on exactly the same sort of terms that the UK is seeking (IPSOS Mori Mar' 17) - so don't conflate the two issues. I know some of you are delighted with another stick to use to point out the folly of Brexit but you're crazy if you think that the break-up of the Union is inevitable (at least in the short/medium term).
Scotland has no choice but to leave the EU. If we became independent, we'd automatically be outside EU and there's no guarantee we'd actually get back in without a major overhaul of our economy. That's reality, it doesn't matter how
insulting the generic Scottish people consider that. There is no reason for the EU to break its own rules for Scotland.
Finally, a cynical part of me thinks that the timescales being asked for are less about Brexit and more about the next Scottish general election. SNP support hasn't really eroded (hovers about 50%) but nearly 25% are supporting (to everyone's surprise) the Conservatives and that recent trend in increased support might continue, especially as the debate about what an independent Scotland might look like kicks in. It won't result in anything drastic like a Tory Scottish government, but could leave the parliament in a situation where no majority or alliance can be formed to pass policy, including enacting the results of any referendum.
