A wee referendum in the north.

The nationalists, in Scotland, are in the driving seat and appear quite unstoppable in their determination to take Scotland out of the United Kingdom and to go it alone.  They hold nearly all the cards for the coming “consultative referendum” and, presuming success, the inevitable actual referendum that will follow.

Scotland may become independent without ever firing a shot!

There are a thousand, in fact, many thousands of financial arguments as to why it won’t work. But they will be of no avail in the face of rampant nationalism.   “We don’t care”, they will say,   “Bring it on”   a touch of Brexit in the highlands.

Not the collapse of their shipbuilding industry on the Clyde, not the laying waste of Faslane when the navy and the nuclear submarines, leave Her Majesty’s Naval Base north of Edinburgh, not to mention the Royal Air Force base at Lossiemouth, not the imposition of a hard border with visas and a border force, not import taxes, not export taxes, not the loss of any control over their currency, either by Scotland or by Europe, not the uncertainty of whether they will be able to join the European Union.  No.  nothing will matter.  The argument will be visceral, not financial, intolerant not rational, pavlovian not responsive.  Give them some streaks of blue woad, and the Skirl of the bagpipes and feck the Union, feck the English!

One matter the Scottish political class will be looking forward to, one now denied to the English because of Brexit, is the “promotion” into the great treasury of the European Union.    Without question we will have an EU commissioner Ian Blackwell, probably as Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth;  Nicola  Sturgeon as Vice President of ships and ferries, a few morsels, various vice presidential offices,  for the Greens, all gold plated with fabulous salaries, unbelievable pensions, and an endless platinum expenses account.   Oh, and Commissioner’s cars and drivers, private jets.   Sll this without the messy need for elections and continued accountability.

Och Aye the noo!