The London-based political class is now thoroughly alarmed at the threat posed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) at next Thursday’s General Election.  The threat is that the SNP will get all 59 Scottish seats on about 51-55% of the votes cast in Scotland – an absurdity which the political class has brought on itself and the rest of us by refusing to change the voting system.  Since the SNP is dedicated to separating Scotland from the United Kingdom, the threat is not merely party political, but a real threat to the UK’s place in the world and its ability to defend itself.

Separation will not be a painless joy-ride for Scots

The best possible way to counter the SNP threat to disrupt and break up the UK is to spell out to younger Scottish voters that separation will not be the painless act that the separatists obviously think it would be.  English voters will be in no mood to grant Scotland a sweetheart divorce.

With tightened immigration controls into the UK, Scottish passport holders travelling from Scotland to the UK would have to pass through immigration at Heathrow, Carlisle, and other UK entry points, including Cardiff and Belfast.  Scotland will have to establish its own consular facilities abroad to help Scottish citizens.

While no British government will withdraw British passports from Scottish residents of course, when young people in an independent Scotland reach 18, they would have to formally register as British citizens by reason of descent from their parents’ nationality.  It is likely that a future Scottish government would seek to discourage young people from applying for British passports: otherwise its own citizens, mainly SNP supporters, would be in a small minority.

Separation will reduce job opportunities

The base for the new Trident submarines will be moved to where they are going to be built, namely Barrow-in-Furness.  The other Royal Navy and RAF bases in Scotland will also be relocated to England and existing defence contracts with civilian firms in Scotland will not be renewed.  A large number of Scotland’s skilled engineering jobs will be lost for ever.

With the SNP’s anti-nuclear weapons stance, Scotland will not be allowed into NATO[1], so Scottish airspace will be virtually undefended from Russian intrusion.  Scotland will have to take its place behind countries like Serbia in the queue to join the EU and in any case with no currency of its own, will have to join the Euro.  Scotland will also have to apply to join the Commonwealth, the United Nations, World Trade Organisation, etc.  Does even Nicola Sturgeon have any idea of these realities?

End Note

[1] A condition of  NATO membership is that a country, though not a nuclear weapons power itself, allows the stationing of nuclear weapons on its soil or coastal waters.  Germany and Belgium are current examples where US nuclear tipped Cruise missiles are stationed.

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