Andy wrote:

Genuine question: does anyone think a significant number of Brexit supporters convert to Remain if it secured Scotland remaining part of the UK?

I remember polling around the time of the EU referendum (can't remember if before or just after) that showed a significant drop in support for leave if it meant Scotland leaving the union. Whether that holds up today remains to be seen. My fingers are crossed that it does.

The EU make the rules, they can do what they want as long as they all agree on it. Even if they don't want Scotland, they can fuck up Britain during negotiations by saying they'd be welcome and so on.

The EU have already said Scotland need to apply like any other country not already a member.
They will also be viewed as a new country, which puts them on the same level as Kosovo and Kosovo being a new country was sighted as scepticism for them joining.
From an EU perspective I think it is reasonable to be cautious of accepting a country that has no history of running as it's own state. Not a reason to rule out Scotland joining totally but I could understand if EU nations thought it wise to see how Scotland operated on it's own for a while.

The one advantage is that Scotland's laws are currently already inline with EU laws so that part of the process should be quicker than say, Montenegro.

How can I be a racist when my Granny is Scottish!

Ye cannae throw yer granny off the bus.

Why is it wrong to ask the people what they want?

Because they don't know what they want, and if they think they do they're probably wrong.

England sat on its bed, hugging its knees and rocking. They need us more than we need them, they need us more than we need them, they need us more than we need them, it whispered to itself over and over, knowing that, if you say it enough, it must be true.

I couldn't really care less if Scotland comes or goes, I think since devolution the extra perks available in Scotland and Wales have caused bad blood in middle England, people resentful that their tax money pays for free higher education and dentistry/prescriptions etc. Whether it's true it's what they're fed via the media

I appreciate your reductivism Andy, it shows me an opinion I'm unaware of being as I live a long way away. Also it's a way I deal with things so I understand it, no need to apologise. My worries are about the Forces, my regiment had a lot of Scottish folk in it, admittedly also a lot of Kiwis, Canadians, Saffers, Aussies and everyone else so maybe a conflict of interest isn't an issue

cockbeard wrote:

I couldn't really care less if Scotland comes or goes, I think since devolution the extra perks available in Scotland and Wales have caused bad blood in middle England, people resentful that their tax money pays for free higher education and dentistry/prescriptions etc. Whether it's true it's what they're fed via the media

Instead of demanding their own equivalent service from politicians, they direct their anger towards the Scots. Regards who deserve the life of servitude coming their way after brexit. Bunch of cunts, not worth mentioning

As an outsider looking in, it's just... so delicious.

Well, they know one of the terms will not be "Membership of the EU".

a farcical choice between two unknowable scenarios.

We call those elections

That's a fair point. EU citizens would be able to stay in Scotland if they went it alone. They should have a vote.

Kazuo wrote:

Bit cynical of May to attempt to engineer a timeframe that could exclude the voting rights of EU citizens in Scotland too, eh?

While I'm generally cynical about most of May's motives, I suspect that this one has little to do with EU citizens in Scotland (who could well be given a vote in any case, 16 year olds were last time) and more to do with the fact that Westminster will be up to their necks in Brexit shit over the next couple of years and will have little spare capacity for campaigning in another referendum.