Without Scotland, Premier Says, Britain Would Be Less ‘Great’
Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/08/world/europe/cameron-urges-scots-to-remain-in-united-kingdom.html?rref=world&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=World&pgtype=article
Summary: British Prime Minister David Cameron is trying to convince Scotland to remain in Britain before a referendum for Scottish independence in a park in East London, only to be criticised by Scottish ministers for failing to deliver the speech in Scotland.
Aspects:
Political aspect
British territorial boundaries will definitely be threatened if Scotland decides to secede from Britain. This will have the added effect of making Britain non-existent since the British will no longer have the cross on the flag of Britain. To the British government, this is definitely not the desired outcome, so the British prime minister is trying to convince the Scottish to remain in the Union.
However, the Scottish people may have different beliefs on the matter. Some Scottish people may say that the bulk of taxes go to the British government, which is unfair to the Scottish people.
Economic aspect
The loss of Scotland will have a profound impact on the British economy. Already struggling to make ends meet, the loss of revenue from Scotland may send the British government into further economic perils and even force the government to declare bankruptcy(like in Greece). This will immediately generate worldwide problems for the globalised world, including Singapore.
My opinions
As Britain is one of the main world powers in the United Nations, the loss of Scotland will be a blow to the United Nations as a whole, as Britain without Scotland would be a loss of major power status for Britain( as England alone is not enough to be a major power). As Britain is a main supporter in the fight against Terrorism, many people in and outside the United Nations would support Scotland remaining in the Union, as Scotland is a main supplier of British troops. The loss of troops would mean Britain may have to pull out of terrorist-prone areas like Afghanistan, which would increase terrorist determination to incite fear into people's lives.
However, a seperatist Scotland may also be good for Britain, as many pensioners live in Scotland, hence the loss of Scotland may help the economically strapped Britain. Although there is a loss or revenue, the loss of population may make the financial situation at least better for Britain.
Although the report in the article shows increasing number of people voting for Scottish independence, I highly doubt that the majority of people will vote to seperate from the Union. In fact, independence from Britain would mean the loss of pension income for retirees, the loss of healthcare benefits and the government in place might not choose to provide all these welfare benefits after independence. Hence, the people who benefit the most from welfare should vote for Scotland remaining in Britain.
I await the results of the referendum with some fear, as the Scottish decision will affect the world economy, which will mean affecting Singapore. With countries and world situation becoming more unstable, the world economy is unpredictable these days. I hope that the Scottish people will make the right decision in the long run, not just for their people but also with the world in mind.
