Scottish Islands will demand their own independence

[mistermack]

Out of the mouths of idiots.

Ages ago, I posed the question ''what if'' the islands decided that they wanted their own independence in the future, what would the Scot Nats actually do? Would they give them a referendum? How could they say no?

Now, according to the the BBC News one minute ago, they are getting together with a view to demanding more autonomy from Wesminster AND the Scottish Parliament.
Next step, an Islands parliament, after that, independence.
If the yes campaign win, it's a dead cert.

[Clinton Huxley]

Probably taking most of the oil and gas fields with them. Why share the revenue with Edinburgh?

[MrJonno]

Probably taking most of the oil and gas fields with them. Why share the revenue with Edinburgh?

How big is the Orkney Islands Navy?

[Clinton Huxley]

Probably taking most of the oil and gas fields with them. Why share the revenue with Edinburgh?

How big is the Orkney Islands Navy?

Some longships.

[Hermit]

Probably taking most of the oil and gas fields with them. Why share the revenue with Edinburgh?

How big is the Orkney Islands Navy?

Some longships.

That's better than the landlocked Swiss navy, and look at how long that cuckoo-clock making nation managed to remain independent.

[mistermack]

Probably taking most of the oil and gas fields with them. Why share the revenue with Edinburgh?

How big is the Orkney Islands Navy?

Some longships.

That's better than the landlocked Swiss navy, and look at how long that cuckoo-clock making nation managed to remain independent.

Yeh, but they have a formidable cavalry, who's horses NEVER suffer from stones in their hooves, due to a top secret Swiss Army weapon.

[Hermit]

Probably taking most of the oil and gas fields with them. Why share the revenue with Edinburgh?

How big is the Orkney Islands Navy?

Some longships.

That's better than the landlocked Swiss navy, and look at how long that cuckoo-clock making nation managed to remain independent.

Yeh, but they have a formidable cavalry, who's horses NEVER suffer from stones in their hooves, due to a top secret Swiss Army weapon.

True. Plus, their reserves are strategically positioned in the Vatican.



Still, the island Scots will prevail. They are so ugly, nobody will want to get within cooee of them.

[MrJonno]

Of course the Orkney island navy is exactly the same size as the Scottish (and English one) zero.

Only a British navy one so no is going independent until Westminster agrees

[Hermit]

O perleeeeease, MrJ. We're having a serious discussion here. Don't try to sabotage our efforts to treat the issue with all the gravity it deserves by blundering in with your shallow quips and blithe frippery, thank you.

[Svartalf]

Because the Scottish Islands wanting independence is a serious subject? C'mon, by themselves they'd be fifth world countries due to utmost poverty and lack of an active economy

[Hermit]

You too, Svarty. Just stop it. This is serious stuff, mkay?

[pErvinalia]

If they had the oil and gas fields, then they could probably be quite rich. (disclaimer: I have no idea where any oil and gas fields are in the UK). But it would probably turn out just like Australia vs East Timor. We screwed (and are continuing to screw) them over regarding the gas fields between them and us. Fuck 'em. They can stay the poorest country in the world.

[Thinking Aloud]

If they had the oil and gas fields, then they could probably be quite rich. (disclaimer: I have no idea where any oil and gas fields are in the UK).

If I recall correctly, if standard territorial convention were adopted on the waters around Shetland and Orkney, most of the active oil fields would fall to Shetland. I may be mistaken - I last thought about this in 1995.

[piscator]

Shetland can thrive on a pony economy. Orkney could become an austere Calvinist Vatican City. Jedem Das Seine

[mistermack]

There's plenty for the Islands to live on.
Tourism, fishing, fishing licences, oil etc, wind energy and farming. In any case, just like the rest of Scotland, they can take advantage of the EU rules, to get jobs down south without need for work permits or visas.

The EU was never intended to be a springboard for regions to break away, but that's what it's becoming.
If I was Spain, or France, or any country that had regions that might want to break away, I would veto any breakaway region from ever becoming a member. It's the only sane option, but they won't bite the bullet.