Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
There is a subtle but important difference between Parliament’s de jure power and its de facto power to act in these circumstances. Parliament is sovereign and has always retained the right to repeal the European Communities Act 1972 - that’s its de jure, legal power - however, that piece of legislation enabled such a complex web of regulations and international obligations to develop that in reality, its de facto power was hopelessly compromised. The severe complexity of the last 2 years negotiations illustrates that.
And, to drag this back on topic, any SNP numpty who tries repeating the claim Salmond made in 2013, that Scottish independence could be achieved 18 months after a referendum win, would get laughed out of the park.
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It really doesn’t - as I’ve said before, people outside Scotland tend to misread our politics, and usually assume underlying nationalist sentiment is stronger than it is.
2014’s 45% yes was delivered on the back of ridiculous, extravagant promises to the urban poor of greater Glasgow and Dundee. That ruse won’t work a second time. Nor will the breezy claim that exit negotiations will be painless and concluded in 18 months. And the No campaign claim that Scotland would be isolated and outside of the EU is now demonstrably true.
Brexit gets about two thirds of Nats riled up; the other third, sensibly, recognise that EU membership is incompatible with national sovereignty and have been Leavers for decades. Either way, the messy truth of Brexit will kill off any hope of the SNP winning a referendum in this decade or the next.
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It's an interesting point you make about uncoupling Scotland from the UK; Brexit has shown how complicated these things actually are in reality.
I've heard one or two people say that they are leavers at heart, but they essentially believe that we are now so ingrained into the EU that it will be impossible to leave (at least completely). And Scotland has been part of the UK prior to 1972!