Monday 20 January 2014

Takes Two to Tango, or not

There are two sides to a partnership, so it is really annoying me that the Scots seem to consider it is solely up to them whether they leave the Union or not. No, we too are part of the Union and we too have opinions on whether it is a good thing or not. Our future as England is going to be radically changed so we too should be asked, is this something we welcome? The weight of our views on keeping the Great Britain together is just as relevant as the Scots desire to split apart. Sure if a partnership is under stress, is tearing itself apart, separating might be the only possible outcome but before that, when you have hundreds of years invested in a Union, it might be worth both sides pausing and seeing if the differences can be reconciled. Not the one side walking off in a huff. Beside there is so much invested estate to disentangle, at the least both sides could think about how they might sunder that estate before stepping over the line.

For me we have so much to gain if the Scots leave. Just think, at last we would no longer have to fund a 'National' postal services to all those remote sparsely populated regions, pretending the Outer Hebrides had anything to do with us! Not just Post, but Rail, Telephone, Broadband, suddenly the economics look so much better when you dont have to factor in a hostile terrain, distance and low population per square mile. I have no doubt that many other organisations from such as national chains like supermarkets to airlines would all benefit from not having to be seen to cater for a 'National' area and could just concentrate of the profitable densely populated south. Of course it is not all win, Scotland does have the upper hand in hydro-electric, deep sea harbours, with the off-shore oil fields still proving a useful stream and, no doubt many other things. But as we thrust pros and cons lists back an forth, all it serves to prove is that our United Kingdom is far greater than just the sum of each individual part.

 It would be great shame if some short-termism led to our Nations splitting up out an of egoistical pique. Our past proves our united strengths, each benefiting from the individualism of the other component nations. I hope we can continue to stand together, face up to the EU as a Great Britain and help it to move towards a better place.


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