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Independent Scotland out of the EU ?

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flycatcher1

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 7:11PM

It is said that an Independent Scotland would have to apply to join the EU. Now there is a problem for some politicians.

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Aitchbee

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 7:47PM

Evan Davies - the Radio 4 TODAY presenter, this morning, quipped ( whilst interviewing someone connected to the subject) "Would England & Wales [after Scottish Independance] have to re-apply for EU membership?".There was a deafening silence!

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bremner

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 7:52PM

...because the line had gone dead.

Not surprisingly this is disputed by the SNP http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-20623103

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morddwyd

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 7:55PM

It is being argued at some length.

The bottom line decision appears to be whether Scotland would be regarded as a new state or not.

A new state has to reapply, ad existing member state doesn't.

One argument is that all qualifying residents in Scotland are already citizens of the EU, with full voting rights for MEPs, and that can't be easily taken off them.

The counter argument is that Scotland may be a country, but it is not a state, within the EU meaning of the term

The politicians, and the members of this forum, will have very little to do with this one, it will be the constitutional lawyers who decide, and I don't think there will be a decision any time soon.

I personally think the question is academic!

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WhiteTruckMan

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 8:50PM

Hang on a minute. Scotland joined the EU as part of a larger political entity. If that political entity is broken up then surely if one part is no longer a part of the EU then neither are any of the other parts also.

WTM

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flycatcher1

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 8:58PM

With the amount of money that we contribute to the EU they will never let us go.

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WhiteTruckMan

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 9:02PM

Knowing our luck, were we ever to be free of the EU, the clowns who run the government and civil service would forget to cancel the direct debits to brussels anyhow!

WTM

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bremner

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 9:21PM

WTM

From what was said on the radio - The UK joined the EU, irrespective of whether Scotland leaves the union the UK will continue as the UK and will stay as an EU member state.

As a new independant country the same certainty cannot be assumed at this time for Scotland.

As has been said it is academic as the Scots will be to sensible to leave the UK.

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WhiteTruckMan

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Posted December 6, 2012 at 10:01PM

But.

If scotland leaves the union then the union that joined the union will no longer exist.

At the very least it's a potential opportunity to renegotiate our membership.

WTM

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morddwyd

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Posted December 7, 2012 at 7:19AM

"the Scots will be to sensible to leave the UK."

Won't entirely be up to the Scots.

A large number of immigrants, the majority of them English I would think, will have the vote, as will I.

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Quickbeam

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Posted December 7, 2012 at 9:14AM

"At the very least it's a potential opportunity to renegotiate our membership."

Would we really be daft enough to rejoin a club that doesn't really want us after having our membership rescinded?

I see it as the best opportunity to we're ever likely to have to get our bat and ball back from the bullies...

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