Even less would get decided / done and those things were decided
would be by the few (ie Germany) and dictated to the rest.

.

Who gives a !!!! what Spains motives are for Vetoing Scotlands Membership to the European anathema. If it means scotland is out of Europe I'd vote for inependence tomorrow.

Aye, you'll have had your tea?

Well, it looks as if there will be a lot of Property here in France (and other EU Countries) on the Market at bargain prices as Scots resident in the EU will lose the right of abode in the EU if their native Country secedes from the Union.

For those who didn't catch it first time 'round...

As "successor states", as opposed to "new member states", "A" & "B" would only require a majority of the 27(8) to approve continued EU membership in their revised constitutional form. No single member, e.g. Spain, would have a veto.

So don't go rushing down to the immobiliers just yet expecting to find a bargain or three.

The "Union" as per the above scenario would be of the European, rather than British, variety.

It would be a whole lot simpler if we just expanded the original WW2 Anthrax trials to the rest of the Country. :E


Still think he is playing call my bluff, after all if they did go through with it, I think they would soon regret their independence.

That would seem to be open to debate. Paper from 2001 by the The Esme'e Fairbairn Charitable Trust.

Scotland's Place in Europe

Conclusions:

a The Vienna Convention on State Succession in Respect of Treaties was drawn up against a colonial background and lays down the rules relating to newly independent States (which are given a clean slate) and other successor States (which are presumed to succeed automatically to the treaty heritage of their predecessors), which do not accurately reflect customary law and have not proved generally acceptable.

There is no automatic right to membership of the European Union. State succession to treaties has to be governed by the nature of the treaty. Continued cover by the EU Treaty of the Scottish territory would thus only be possible with the approval of all Member States.

Realistically, Scotland can expect - more or less automatically - negotiations for EU membership to begin before independence is gained. In the event that the negotiations are not completed at the date of independence there would probably be a continuation of the imposition of the acquis on an agreed basis until negotiations are completed and all sides ratify the agreement.

Should all negotiations fail, Community regulations and directives would continue to apply in Scotland as they are part of Scots law by virtue of the European Communities Act 1972 as amended. Scottish nationals and companies would, however, lose EU rights elsewhere in Europe (including UK).

However, Scotland would be under no legal obligation to adopt any future EC legislation or follow any decisions of the ECJ. Moreover, the provisions of the EU Treaty would cease to be binding on Scotland and its citizens.

More "banter"? I suppose the ":E" makes it so.

Would such be acceptable if, for example, it were people in Israel, rather than Scotland, being discussed? Even with the benefit of a ":E" thrown in? I wonder...

The paper from The Esme'e Fairbairn Charitable Trust is just that, a discussion paper, it is not therefore the law but one possible interpretation of it.

The Vienna Convention on State Succession in Respect of Treaties is a UN convention, not that of the EU, whose opening line states: "Considering the profound transformation of the international community brought about by the decolonization process".

I'm no expert on international law, but that statement doesn't quite fit the British model of former sovereign states who, having entered into a political union via treaties enacted by each other's legislature in order to create a single sovereign state, enact further legislation to dissolve that single state and revert instead to two.

Just trying to get the point across I think Salmond is playing a bluff to get greater power out of it, I do not think the Scotish people for one minute would go for total independence, if they turned it down, I cannot see the point of running 3 assemblies if they are not independent.. I would bring all those that declined to go it alone back to parliament....with the the costs involved running x3 assemblies, something previously done by 1 parliament, the savings in this cash strapped country would be staggering.. the one thing that hasn't seemed to diminish is the Government duplication.

Well, they're just about to have that annual farce of mumbling gibberish to a sheep's stomach stuffed with offal,oatmeal and onions whilst getting even more drunk than usual, so will probably have forgotten all about this daft independence idea by the time they've recovered from their hangovers!

Have they come up with a deep-fried haggis yet?

Beagle, remember that the main difference between the Scottish and English cultures is Oats.

The Scots have it for Breakfast and the English feed it to their horses.

Can't wait for the vote. It'll be so nice to see them come to the conclusion that they need us more than we need them.

How much will it cost them to set up their Army, Navy, Air Force?!

Only sad thing is the Union Flag will have to change. Only just got the hang of which way was up!

SM.

Depends if we wish to continue being dragged to the dry, brown corners of the globe on the coat-tails of Uncle Sam.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...reland.svg.png

No difficulties there as to which way up.

Cannot see any reason to remove the blue, after all it is historically the UK's flag and no doubt Cameron could argue that with his "special relationship" it is for the other country in the marriage.... France.

where would one stop, remove the blue from the roundels and tail flashes?

... the answer BEags I almost fear to say is yes.

One saw it once in a chippy in Troon - did not sample it though. (Which probably explains why I'm still alive).

[fao rab-k - this too is banter]

Also depends on how much you want to protect that oil! most of its a long way off dry land and a punt armed with a catapult isnt going to be of much use

Maybe England should succeed from the UK, then fail in negotiation to stay part of the EU! :E

Or...

http://www.projectoceanvision.com/im...ms/England.jpg

For now, why not stop foot stamping at the worst possible time (except, amybe, for party gain) and be...

http://www.projectoceanvision.com/im...ms/britain.jpg

Ride out the storm and then happy to see you go, if that's what you want.