Douglas Carswell's Blog

Why I support a Scottish referendum

It’s not just because I favour localism and direct democracy. We need a debate about how closely decisions are taken to those they affect in every part of the United Kingdom.

Like many people on this island, I am a mixture of English, Scottish and Welsh. My Unionism is very real, but it is not the product of constitutional arrangements put in place by the elite. For me, unionism is organic and spontaneous – what happens when free people living in different parts of these islands are able meet, mix, move, marry and trade. 

During the coming referendum campaign, I hope that no one in Scotland will be put off by the idea that Scotland is somehow “too small” to prosper as a self-governing nation. Norway, Switzerland and Singapore are each of a comparable size, and seem to be doing okay. Indeed, look at the most successful nations around the world in terms of per capita GDP, and there seems to be something of a small state advantage....

For all her Euro induced troubles, does anyone seriously imagine that the Irish Republic would be better governed today if she was still run from London?  You might even say that Ireland’s spot of bother came about precisely because she surrendered her monetary self-determination. I imagine that the Scots would be canny enough to ensure that they do not merely replace government from London with government by Brussels.

Giving Scotland fiscal autonomy would mean her political class having to live within their tax base. The centre of political gravity would shift away from the left, towards a credible, small state alternative.  

But if allowing Scotland to take full responsibility over her own affairs is desirable, why not allow the voters of Scotland the choice of doing so while remaining part of the United Kingdom? 

A federal United Kingdom?  It's almost beginning to sound like traditional Lib Dem policy ....

Perhaps the main argument against giving people in Scotland the option of becoming independent within the United Kingdom is fear that that is precisely what many might actually want.

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