Brexit and the Question of Scottish Independence
I have heard a lot of pro Scottish independence voices raised in favour of Brexit and it scares me. It scares me that so many people are allowing themselves to be persuaded by the small picture, seemingly oblivious to the looming right wing power grab. Comments all over social media saying things like, how can we be pro-independence from Westminster but seek to remain under the power of Brussels; we want to rule ourselves, control our borders, stop paying all this cash to the EU.
I get it. I understand those arguments but, and this is a big BUT, what happens when we no longer have the safety net that the EU provides for us? That control that is being railed against keeps the government we seek to break from under some semblance of moral and legal control. What happens when we leave the EU, still as part of the UK, and we are governed by a right wing government in Westminster that is no longer kept in check by European laws and regulations? When big business, the likes of Rupert Murdoch who are currently rubbing their hands in glee, can push their agenda unfettered? How likely is it that, in a non-EU UK with nothing to gain and everything to lose by us breaking away, we would get another crack at an independence referendum?
Putting aside the fact that, if we wanted to trade in Europe, we would not have greater control over our borders with regard to freedom of movement of EU citizens. We would, in reality, have to subscribe to the same rules as we do now but we would have no influence over the making of those rules, no rights of veto. We live in a global society, immigration is part of the deal. Putting aside the idea that by not paying money to the EU all of that money will be distributed to the deprived areas and industries which have benefited from our EU membership, to our public bodies which are so starved of investment by our friendly Westminster government. Really? We’re going to accept that argument? Those of us who wanted so badly to break away from the monstrosity of our out-dated mode of government and begin again with a new way of doing things, a way not influenced by entrenched cronyism? We’re honestly going to buy the argument that all of that money will go to where it’s needed and not into the pockets of those who are so fervently supporting a Brexit?
Putting aside all of that. Outside of the EU, we will be a tiny minority of a United Kingdom that answers to nobody. Once we have independence, then we talk about whether we want to be in or out of the EU. But now, without independence, we have to stay in. We need to stay in. The bigger picture has to win out. Surely. Doesn’t it?
