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That was cheap. He didn't need to mention John Swinney. And what was the argument? The fact that AB's father never questioned the union is not a reason for Andy Burnham not to. Many people of that generation, and earlier ones, never questioned the union. I never heard my parents do so. So what?

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Andy Burnham could go down in history as the first English prime minister. (None before 1707.) It could be a revitalised, rewired England, taking its place in Europe as a normal European country, not as some part of a music hall Britannia arising from an azure main and aspiring to rule the waves.

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Andy Burnham will "lay out to the country, what I believe the different options are for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners". Britain? Did he mean the UK? NI can't be ignored and the potentially different views in, and interests of, Scotland and Wales should not be ignored.

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Andy Burnham mentioned Scotland by name only once in his speech. It was when he said he would rewire the UK - "Driving power out of Whitehall and into every postcode of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England .." I don't believe it, but I do like the reverse alphabetical order.

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Another thing about Andy Burnham's speech seen from Scotland. He said re Brexit that Britain "has changed dramatically since 2016". Dead right. And it has changed even more dramatically since 2014. So no more of this "once in a generation" nonsense please.

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It’s just that the type of tearful nostalgia displayed by Andy Burnham ignores the potentially liberating and transformative effect of putting all that imperialist stuff behind us and making England and Scotland independent again. MEASIA. It’s worth thinking about.

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Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the union has been bad for Scotland and England. I think it has in the past benefited both - often, to an extent now seen as shameful, at the expense of other people and peoples. But that is in the past.

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Seems to me that if Scotland had not been merged in GB in 1707 there might still have been trade unions, the cooperative movement, the NHS and a country (or two) that stood up to fascism.And also the industrial revolution which, he says, was led from the midlands and north of England!

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I didn't want to comment on Andy Burnham's speech until I had read it in full. I now have. It is 90% about England - housing, water, social care, education. On the GB union he says it gave us trade unions, the cooperative movement, the NHS and a country that stood up to fascism. The union? Really?

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Membership was through the UK, but Scotland and NI voted for the UK to stay in. They don't have the psychological and political baggage England has. Spain has said it would not block Scottish membership of the EU if there is a lawful leaving of the UK. Spain can hardly block Irish reunification.

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Northern Ireland and Scotland have better routes. They never wanted to leave. No need to wait for the agonising in England. No need to move at the speed of the slowest.

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Eric Clive @ericclive.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

To even present the FWS case as if it were a great human rights case is quite absurd. It was a case where the court held, to the surprise of many, that one Act made provision for another Act not to apply for its purposes even though it did not contain any section making such provision.

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I wonder if "the different options ... for Britain’s long-term relationship with our European partners” will include the different parts of Britain being independent members in their own right if they so choose. Much to be said for that. No mention of N Ireland. Its options might also be included.

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Reposted by Eric Clive

Yes for EU @yesforeu.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

@yes.cymru it's great news that activists from the #CelticAlliance nations are working together to promote self determination! Check out our email to you @scottishindypod.bsky.social @laurapollock.bsky.social @nationalyesnetwork.eurosky.social @alynsmith.bsky.social @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social

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Eric Clive @ericclive.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

There is something far wrong with the law on the protection of beliefs under the Equality Act. The Forstater case took it further in a wrong direction. I found the following a very good analysis. Protected Beliefs Under the Equality Act: Grainger Questioned academic.oup.com/ilj/article/...

academic.oup.com

Validate User

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As an English PM he did brilliantly and will give Labour a boost, esp as the only response from the Conservatives was the tired old mantra of being low tax, low spend. which everybody knows and many dislike.

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AB did mention Scotland once, but not by name, when he observed that there already was free personal care elsewhere in the UK.

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Andy Burnham was impressive on the Laura Kuenssberg show. All about England though. It would be a kindness to him if Scotland just left and let him get on with it.

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Good to see pressure building for a UK shift towards the EU. Important for Scotland to be strongly represented in any talks. Any reset agreement should e.g. provide in principle for the new arrangements to continue re Scotland in the period after leaving UK but before joining EU.

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Nicely put and absolutely right - but I think you mean the EU. The UK is finished. Unnecessary. Lopsided. Inefficient. No protections for smaller members. No good exit mechanism. Too small a union for the modern world.

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It looks bad though. Are the ScotLibDems saying Scotland is not a nation or that it has no right to determine its own future or both? This will limit electoral appeal.

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Could modern electric powered and/or wind assisted ships be useful here?

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I’d really love to see a maritime trade from east coast Scottish ports to the European continent reviving and flourishing again.

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The "vote yes and lose SM" argument is a good one. Reminds me of the "vote yes and lose EU membership" we got in 2014 (even though the SNP policy was to apply for EU membership). Look what happened. Your'e right though. There will be transitional difficulties and they should not be underestimated.

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Steven Seggie @stevenhseggie.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I doubt if the rUK would join before Scotland. It might join after. If it did join first do you really think it would veto Scottish membership? Who would benefit from that? I think it would want to help its closest neighbour in, just as Scotland would in the reverse situation.

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Reposted by Eric Clive

I bet she didn’t do maths A level

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The hard border argument is like project fear all over again. I think that by the time Scotland becomes independent that issue will have diminished to almost nothing because England will have seen some sense even if it has not yet seen complete sense.

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I say that in the long term there would be no "hard" border. There is pressure the other way. Just look at how things are going. If, temporarily, there has to be (as you insist is the case) then that would be a price worth paying for being in a bigger, better, fairer and less constraining union.

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You've lost me. I don't want hard borders within Europe. Scotland doesn't want them. Scotland and NI didn't vote for them. E & W did.You say that the need for a "hard" border with England is a strong argument against Scotland joining the EU via independence. I say it is not.

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The Scotland/England land border is only 96 miles long with only a few road crossings. No great problem to install some temporary infrastructure. Not worth going to great expense because England would probably soon follow Scotland into the EU.

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For Scotland to become an independent state within the EU would take time and there would be transitional problems. This is accepted. But much of the work which would have to be done would be beneficial in the long term, especially if England stayed out of the EU.

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I did the fridge and pantry check you suggested. Most of the non supermarket stuff (fresh fruit, veg and basics) from Scotland. Much of the supermarket stuff from Lidl or Aldi, some sourced in Scotland, some from all over the world.

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GylesNaMopaleen @gylesnamopaleen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Thank you. So in the period after Scotland becomes independent but before it becomes an EU member both Scotland and rUK would be nonEU states, one of them applying to be a member and the other (maybe) not. I don't see it being in the interests of either to make trade between them more difficult.

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Reposted by Eric Clive

Quick 🧵on the NI life & times survey released today. On identity, "Irish" & "Northern Irish" identities now eclipse "British" among young people in Northern Ireland, according to the NI life & times survey released today. TL;DR: Yikes! 1/4

Question on national identity.

How would you describe your national identity? (Multiple Response Table)
Northern Irish 50
Irish 45
British 23
English 2
Scottish 1
Welsh <1
Other 6
I don't know 2
I prefer not to say 1

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Thanks for engaging constructively and in such a well informed way. I am just wondering if the EU could not negotiate with Scotland (or maybe in theory with an office of the UK set up for the purpose) in the period between the decision on independence and the actual date of independence.

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There would be transitional difficulties and systems to set up but in the long run trade between Scotland (as an EU member state) and other EU countries (even via England) should be easier than at present. Ireland would provide a model.

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And how is trade going right now between the UK and the EU (not to mention NI)? Not as well as it could, obviously, but it continues. It would be a similar situation if Scotland were an EU member, but there would be even more pressure on England to join or ease border problems in other ways.

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The SNP might on principle decline to vote on purely E & W domestic issues (as with the recent assisted dying Bill) but that wouldn’t stop them being a useful natural part of an anti far right alliance.

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Sure. Not an insurmountable problem. Scotland will have the normal accession hurdles to clear but it doesn’t have the psychological and political barriers to full EU membership that England has.

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I hope so too. Some of us in Scotland think Scotland could get in faster via independence but that a fine ultimate setup would be for all the citizens of the current UK to be again citizens of the EU in one way or another.

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OK, but "hard" does not mean impenetrable. It just means normal (as between an EU member and a non-EU member) - and all the pressure is going to be towards making the normal as tolerable as possible.

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Lab + LibDems + SNP = 352 seats. For many years in the Scottish Parliament that was a natural progressive alliance on issues of social policy, like reforming the law on the corporal punishment of children or gender recognition reform. It could be a natural alliance in the UK Parliament too.

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I think Scotland could function with a normal border (for a EU country) with a rather isolated England . Others do. Anyway we’re talking of a few years down the line. A lot will change in EU/ UK relations and probably for the better.

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Jim Russell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. @jazzyrussell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Why on earth could an independent Scotland not join the EU?

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Reposted by Eric Clive

It is notable that Infant mortality in England is over 18% higher than in Scotland. Why is this not highlighted in the press? Because it is not the story our English MP's want you to hear.

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There are respectable arguments for favouring Scottish membership of the British union over membership of the European union (and equally respectable arguments the other way). The non-democratic bit is opposing Scotland's right to decide.

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Good to know that this motion passed. Meanwhile in the Scottish Parliament the Lib Dems voted with the Conservatives (and only with the Conservatives) against the motion “that the Parliament agrees that Scotland is a nation that has a right to decide its own future”. What's going on?

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