Although it doesn't directly affect me, and I can't directly relate, given that I am English rather than Scottish, first and foremost I like to consider myself British (and proudly so), and for this reason I feel strongly about the United Kingdom staying together. It is therefore with sadness that I see debate gaining momentum again regarding whether Scotland remains part of the United Kingdom or not. As the debate gets going again, there are arguments that remain the same, as well as new ones that have emerged since the last vote 7 years ago.
My head tells me that remaining in the union provides the economic security that being part of the broader union, one of the top 10 largest economies in the world, has to offer, as well as the military security of one of the top 10 military spenders in the world. In addition to this broader security is the flexibility devolution offers, with many aspects of policy at a Scottish rather than UK-wide level. Although some would argue the European Union would provide a better alternative, its economic and defensive commitments would be looser, and it's not clear how long it would take for Scotland to join after independence- particularly as some EU member states, notably Spain, are hostile towards the precedent a breakaway country could potentially set for others such as Catalonia, leaving Scotland entirely alone for an undetermined amount of time. Such delays impact the currency debate of whether in the long term an independent Scotland would look to keep the Pound (challenging to keep a currency between completely independent countries, as Scotland and the rest of the UK would be), create a new currency (which could be vulnerable and unpredictable), or adopt the Euro, which is dependent on the consent (however long that would take to achieve) of EU member states. Brexit seems to be the determinant for this reignited debate, and it is Brexit that brings new arguments to the debate. Initial challenges over Northern Ireland as part of the UK that is connected geographically with the EU hint at similar difficulties that could arise if a hard border were established between Scotland and the rest of the UK. Disruption to borders and currencies are bound to cause economic and social issues that have a greater impact on smaller countries.
My heart is in sync with the argument that the status quo allows for the best of both worlds. As well as the practical benefits of being in the UK (and, whilst the future of Brexit Britain is difficult to predict, the unique vaccine programme has been a clear positive as opposed to the slower progress of the EU's collective approach), there are the emotional ties too, as our cultures have been intertwined and influenced each other for centuries. We have fought alongside each other as partners in many conflicts such as the Second World War, built a country together based on great common values such as democracy and fairness, and, whilst in the past the UK enjoyed the prestige of being arguably the most powerful country in the world, today the UK collectively still achieves a significant amount. As mentioned, the UK remains one the world's greatest economic and military powers, which would diminish if we broke up, and we similarly collaborate to accomplish great success in other fields such as sport (Team GB coming within the top few countries in the medals table in the past two Olympic games), while our actors and singers are world renowned for their talent. Meanwhile, in addition to (not instead of) this British identity are the identities of the separate UK nations such as Scotland. Aspects of Scottish identity, such as the Gaelic language and many others, are encouraged and allowed to thrive, while the adoption of distinct policies is often possible thanks to devolution. If we were to look elsewhere in the world, the celebration of multiple identities would not be so easy: in China, it's not a stretch to imagine that the Scottish National Party would be banned for being unpatriotic, politicians like Nicola Sturgeon would be imprisoned for her separatist opinions, and maybe the English would be encouraged to relocate en masse to Scotland to dilute Scottish nationalism.
I greatly respect democracy and self-determination, hence why, however much it goes against my personal wishes, if Scottish opinion goes strongly in favour of independence, or at least another referendum, I definitely believe that should be respected. But I hope that the heads and hearts of Scotland over the coming years will shift more decisively in favour of embracing not only Scottishness but also Britishness. I believe Scotland could definitely succeed as an independent country, but I hope a majority conclude that remaining in the UK is the preferable option.
