With just a month to go before the referendum on Scottish independence, Danny Alexander gave an interview to yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph emphasising that a vote for independence would be forever and that he would be “desperately sad” to see the UK, with its strong social and economic ties, break up.
He suggested that people from other parts of the UK could urge their family and friends in Scotland to vote No on September 18th.
That word forever is really important,” he said. “This referendum actually for me is the most important vote I will ever cast in my life. There is no going back from independence.
“It is an irreversible decision – something that will affect my country forever.
“It is not like a general election where if you elect an MP and don’t like them you kick them out five years later or if you don’t like the Government you kick them out five years later – this is a one-off. This is a decision that is forever.”
Mr Alexander told The Sunday Telegraph how he would be personally “desperately sad” if the United Kingdom borke up.
“Like millions of people in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland I would be desperately sad if the UK broke up,” he said.
“I believe that our campaign has the momentum now – we are winning the argument, there is a silent majority in Scotland but we absolutely must leave no stone unturned to make sure we do win because there is a lot of this argument to be had.
“In the final month of the campaign we must be doing all that we can to make sure that we do win because breaking up the United Kingdom would be something that would be painful, difficult and we would all lose.”
Mr Alexander said he hoped that the campaign would encourage people living south of the Border readers to help to save the Union.
He said: “I hope that it will motivate people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as in Scotland to have their say. One of the things that we have got to get across to people is that this is a decision that is irreversible.”
You can read the whole interview here.
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16 Comments
can anyone name a state that, having decided upon self-determination, actually ever wanted to go back ?
johnmc: East Germany?
In the interview Danny Alexander says:
This would only be true if the both sides, but particularly the rUK side, decide to be obstructive.
We should be taking the line that however the vote goes, Liberal Democrats will advocate all measures that minimise disruption and respect the support for Scottish self determination. There is really no reason why an independent Scotland and the rUK cannot amicably and co-opreratively co-exist. It is true that the democratic oversight of shared structures could be problematic, however with Scotland in the union there are also problematic democratic issues.
I would like to see the Party look towards a post referendum Scotland, that whether YES or NO, would not be so very different either way.
Martin – I’m quite sure that things would in reality be amicable. This issue seems to have creates a lot of internet bombast for reasons that aren’t really all that obvious to me. After all the ex-Yugoslavia managed to sort lots of this out in the middle of civil war. That said, the currency issue for example shows up that, unfortunately there are going to be problems that can’t be easily glossed over.
The institutions of the rUK would represent the rUK. I can see that iScotland would have a reasonable expectation of cooperation, but I don’t see it would have any expectation that those institutions would work in the Scottish interest. I can absolutely see why, for example, an rUK would not be happy with a currency union without some pretty stringent political union. Plus quite possibly a referendum in the rUK. So yes – amicable is what we all should aim for. But independence means just that.
Johnmc
East Germany. Texas. Puerto Rico (pending). Scotland.
“It is an irreversible decision” – of course it is. That only adds to the attraction of it for those Scots who feel that Westminster has historically taken too many decisions for them. We know how important a decision it is – please do not patronise us. No-one imagines for a minute the decision will be anything other than lasting.
Better Together is “winning the argument”. I disagree. Actually, the quality of “the argument” itself has been poor, and generally obscured by media obsession with polls, personalities and the unnecessary and undignified spat over currency union.
From the perspective of Lib Dem federalism, what is so wonderful about the Union? Better Together had it right when they created the “UK-OK” slogan. That sums it up – it’s OK; that’s it. It’s a marriage of co-dependency. But some divorces can be both amicable and profitable, and the debate isn’t about whether Scotland CAN be independent, but whether Scotland SHOULD be.
Instead of labouring the point about the irreversible nature of the referendum vote, perhaps Danny should tell us why he believes that it is in Scotland’s interests to vote no. It is noted that he gives no other reason than that it would make him “desperately sad”. Sorry Danny, your personal sadness isn’t going to convince me.
Sorry, but did east Germany really chose self determination?
I rather thought it was torn asunder with rape and plunder in the name of Stalins mad desire to spread communism across Europe.
I agreed with Jedibeeftrix. I don’t think the Germans had much say in the matter when Germany was divided into two. Not sure there is much point asking the English to protest against Scottish independence. Lots of English people I know would welcome it. It would solve the West Lothian question. If Scotland goes, then I think the Westminster government should respect the Scottish decision and come to an amicable compromise over co-operation in respect of everything from foreign policy to currency. Perhaps that’s too much to ask of politicians who have invested so much in a No vote and told us that Scottish independence will lead to disaster, though.
Johnmc and Martin.
You should also consider all those independent states that have pooled their sovereignty to form federations of one sort or another- the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa. Germany in the nineteenth century is another. There are also examples in Latin America, I think, although I don’t know much about them: Mexico and Brazil.
Lib Dems believe some form of federalism should be appropriate for the UK. It’s admittedly difficult to devise because of the discrepancy in population size between the constituent nations, but surely it should not be beyond our ingenuity?
Despite the Mc in my surname, I have no Scottish blood and the decision is for the people of Scotland, but like Danny I will feel devastated if we go our separate ways.
There isn’t the slightest indication of Yes having a chance to win. The discussion the Party should be having — if it plans on being truly forward-thinking and not merely reactive — is about what to do after the referendum fails.
The likelihood, of course, is that everyone will say “thank goodness that’s over,” and try to forget that the relationships between the countries are seriously broken — if not, this referendum wouldn’t even be taking place. The Liberal Democrats should be seizing the chance to demand a new constitutional settlement that more fairly allocate power away from the centre. Lib Dems should put forward plans for a written constitution that would abolish the HoL, introduce a proportional electoral system, and accept Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as sovereign entities that happen to share common institutions. If that isn’t in the cards for Westminster, then Lib Dems should call for a proportionally elected English parliament which would be responsible for domestic legislation in England. If Westminster cannot be brought into this century, then its powers should be given to institutions that are up to date.
John McHugo
I think Italy is a good example of various states coalescing into one state, although it happened in the period before clear cut democratic votes.
David-1: I would predict a backlash in favour of the Scots Nats and against the NO campaigners in the (likely) event of the NO vote prevailing. I hope Danny Alexander has his feet on the ground in his own constituency.
Danny Alexander must not assume that he speaks for the people of Wales. There are many of us who are willing to give our efforts to encouraging the Scots to take their great opportunity to govern themselves. The ‘free and equal partnership’ that the Conservative-Liberal government in London likes to talk about has never existed in Britain. It is a myth. London’s wishes have always prevailed, The smaller nations of Britain; Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, [and the north-east of England] have always been overlooked. They are only noticed when they rise in opposition to London policies or threaten the stability of London Government.
As an Anglo Scot, my Grandfather & Grandmother were born on Stroma, the “Island in the Stream”, I can see the emotional argument but not the political or economic. Throughout my working life I heard the “bleat” that “we have no say” or ” Westminster imposes decisions on us without any input from us” Nonsense, you have many MP’s in Parliament, are they all silent non entities? I worked for a multinational with one of it’s offices in Glasgow. Whenever a decision had to be implemented, Glasgow was always ” a member of the awkward squad”, complaining that their views had been ignored! As an Anglo witth a Scottish Name, I was sent to bring them into line. I just wish that those currently living “North of the Border” would divest themselves of “the monkey on their backs” that is their prejudcial view of Westminster & just concentrate on the only valid argument, will we be better off as an Independeant Nation. I think not.
speaking as a resident of wales, of english extraction, and descendants that also hale from scotland and ireland:
let me say how happy i am to see Danny supporting the Union.
jedibeeftrix, I concur with your sentiments wholeheartedly, I live in England and I am of some partial Welsh extraction. I’m proud to be British and it is time we put this nonsensical and extreme separatism to bed once and for all. Our union is a fairly natural one as if it wasn’t it wouldn’t have survived for over three centuries. The fact is we are co-dependent on each other and will always be and that is why we have this union.
I am glad the Liberal Democrats are fighting hard for the union. I just hope it isn’t too late as the separatists have been allowed to have it their way and spouting their spurious arguments for far too long.