What if... Scotland had voted YES to independence | The News Agents

[@brianferguson7840]

We in Scotland are in a long term abusive relationship where we can't get a divorce, or even ask for a divorce, without the permission of our abusive partner

[@ne-ht4zx]

Short memory huh?

[@toriesdontgettazered7464]

​@@ne-ht4zxnot a democracy supporter are you

[@Deranged316]

Yous literally had the chance 10 years ago to leave and yous said no EDIT: I forgot add sadly on at the end 😭

[@malcolmmcblain3954]

“Yous” is that a word?

[@Sapprz93]

@@malcolmmcblain3954 yeah i wonder what it could mean

[@snufkin84]

If we had voted yes we would be ten years into making a better country: no monarchy, ending foreign investors buying our land, more democracy. Maybe not richer, but definitely fairer.

[@brianferguson7840]

And, probably still a (valued) member of the European Union

[@Alexander-yb1zc]

​@@brianferguson7840 An EU that is currently stalling with the cracks starting to show as the far right and Euroskeptics grow ever stronger and gain more and more power with the AFD in Germany, RN in France as well as far right goverments in Austria, Hungary and the Netherlands. I'm not Scottish so I have no opinion on the independence debate but we have to talk about the current state of the EU if its being discussed at all.

[@Ayeright.]

And ending the trillions of pounds in oil revenue that's gone straight to London.

[@OffordDarcy]

Why didn't you then?

[@icklejack01]

@@OffordDarcy because too many english call this place home.

[@sonofthesea]

I was a supporter of independence during the referendum and the amount of bias within the BBC when you both worked, there was absolutely appalling. I personally think it was more than just editorial bias, which is always understandable. To this day, I always cross reference different news sources now, because quite simply that institution can no longer be trusted.

[@gavinmartin5151]

The BBC are not Bias ,But some of their reporting was not correct. I have not seen the BBC backing a yes vote and a no vote back in 2014, and the same goes to the other UK and Scottish Broadcasters at the time, But GB News and Talk TV are Bias from Top to Bottom because both news channels back the Tories and Reform UK and they can't keep their views to theirself's

[@Ayeright.]

The BBC (British Broadcasting Conservative channel) is tun by the Tories. It's a publicly funded media service that's being used by the Tories to spread their lies and Tory propaganda.

[@TheLucanicLord]

I wasn't then, but I would be now.

[@Fedupg101]

Aw it was horrendous the bias on ALL channels. I remember watching it on the telly

[@LexieBeaver]

And the no campaign brock purduh law with no consequence. The UK establishment has no trgard never mind respect for the Scots. We are nothing but a sourses of natrul resources for them

[@annharding2968]

Split up of a country?... We are separate countries. We are NOT part of England. We would have joined EFTA.

[@Ayeright.]

Unfortunately, we are a colony of England.

[@John-e5k9x]

Its telling that’s its three British media people talking about Scotland. Scotland’s people are the constant observers. We are never consulted, this is a deliberate policy to belittle the Scottish people. Our history our culture is appropriated by the British, everything about us that is positive is British and the negatives are wholly Scottish.

[@ou7shined972]

I think Emily basically had our backs here... although she did make a couple of anglo-centric faux pas... the other two? Well, par for the course.

[@vjo38]

Colonial mentality.

[@alancrowe7406]

Scotland and England don't have a common legal system.

[@TheLucanicLord]

They're more similar to each other than either is to the froggy system.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

Scotland has a separate legal system.

[@valeriebrown6079]

And education and (for what it’s worth) religion. Even the Honours still exist for a monarchy (if Scotland went down that route) and the basis of a written constitution going back for hundreds of years.

[@malcolmmcblain3954]

These people are illiterate when it comes to Scotlands place in the world. Three patronising English hacks.

[@hilarykirkby4771]

Unfortunately it can still be over-ruled on the whim of England, However, it is certainly closer to a European model.

[@Mark-Haddow]

​@hilarykirkby4771 No, it can't. Scots law is sovereign. It iis part of the act of Union agreement. The Supreme Court was established for UK exclusive laws, not Scots laws. As in, no Scots law states how Scotland could hold a referendum unilaterally. Unfortunately!

[@patriciafergus6231]

Only listened for 10 minutes and have to point out that Scotland has a different legal system and Spain has come out many times saying they would not have blocked us from joining the EU !

[@Fernweh1965]

Whilst I am not a nationalist and frankly can't stand the way they conduct themselves, if I had for 1 second thought brexit was going to happen I'd have voted yes.

[@Alexander-yb1zc]

Let all be honest, in 2014 NO ONE thought brexit would have happened.

[@Ayeright.]

English nationalism and perceived exceptionalism made them think they're the greatest nation in the world.

[@Alexander-yb1zc]

@@Ayeright. If it was just that then why is Euroskepticism on the rise across Europe. The AFD in Germany, RN in France in the last EU elections 15 countries has a voter turnout less than 50%. This attitude that it was "just English nationalism and exceptionism" blinded the EU to the fact that there was a real problem with the EU system that allowed misinformation to spread so rampantly during the Brexit referendum.

[@MattMcQueen1]

@@Alexander-yb1zc not only that, we were told that Brexit wouldn't happen.

[@ou7shined972]

@@Alexander-yb1zc Because the right have discovered how to harness the hate-o-sphere through social media... and have unlimited funding from large corps and b/millionaires (whose interests are best served by the right being in power) to stoke the fires. If you don't believe me and consider yourself right leaning, ask yourself why there are 3 or 4 groups of people in this country today you detest daily because of what they are doing to the country... and also cast your mind back 10 years and try and remember if you even thought about these 3 or 4 groups at all back then.

[@stephenmclean23]

The problem is England can never be a Independent country. England is too poor and small. England could never run itself. Look at the amount of begging that the English people did in 2014 as they know that England could never run its own affairs and be an independent county.

[@TheLucanicLord]

We're going to be the 51st state. Hot diggety dang!

[@maryotoole7389]

We got a referendum but the amount of lies and pressure on it and we wouldn’t get if we had Westminster wouldn’t have allowed it

[@alanconway94]

I think you'll find the voters of England are overwhelmingly responsible for Brexit. By the way, if you want a "What if?", here's one ... What if Nick Clegg had had any principles and told Cameron he wasn't getting a coalition?

[@Fernweh1965]

Wales too

[@mollycuddle9990]

what if Brexit had only been imposed on England who voted for it yet scotland remained as we did not? ni was dragged out too, sadly.

[@staryjanek]

We did vote yes, there was shenanigans galore going on

[@johnmurray1044]

Of course we are to blame we in Scotland have become so uppity we do not want to subsidize them anymore. So inconsiderate of us.

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

Scotland could have joined efta straight away

[@gordonmackenzie4512]

Scotland has an opened ended offer to join EFTA and the Nordic Council.

[@maryotoole7389]

You are talking but not listening we were told if we voted yes we would be out of the Europe and of course we were taken out anyway

[@RichWoods23]

Weren't you interested in learning the likely consequences before settling on your choice? I was. Brexit was a terrible idea.

[@grahamleiper1538]

​@@RichWoods23but we'd have been trying to get back in.

[@ou7shined972]

@@RichWoods23 There wasn't time. "The Vow" was literally delivered the day before polling (and immediately after polls revealed YES was ahead).... which explicitly goes against electoral rules, but hey, who cares it's just the Scots, am I right?

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

Salmond would have been able to handle those negotiations.

[@supercadcc]

I didn't like Salmond all that much. But, yes he probably could have. England, would have been a problem if Brexit didn't happen.

[@patriciafergus6231]

Cannot listen to this any longer..... the bias is ridiculous, the facts wrong, etc.

[@jonathanashworth353]

The thing to remember is if Cameron had lost the Scottish referendum, he wouldn't have been PM for an in/out EU vote.

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

Cameron got cocky after the No vote and thought he could shut down the Eurosceptics once and for all…..oh the arrogance of it

[@kalebdaark100]

For my money, the worst PM we have had in the last 50 years.

[@ou7shined972]

@@kalebdaark100 Johnson? Truss?

[@kalebdaark100]

@@ou7shined972 Nope definitely Cameron. First thing Cameron and his chancellor, Osbourne, did is make the poorest people in society pay for bailing out the richest people in society with the austerity policy. Without austerity would Scotland have been as keen for an independence vote? He then goes on to settle a party unity issue by calling a referendum. For that referendum he took a massively complex issue like our membership of the EU, rendered it down to a simple "in or out" question and handed it over to people seriously under equipped to understand it, the general voting public. Without austerity would there even have been a Brexit vote? It wasn't really on the political radar of most people before he came in. Without Brexit would Johnson ever have got to be PM? Would Truss? By the time Truss was installed the country was showing serious signs of breakage from the austerity and no one really knew what to do about how badly Brexit was going. So yes, Cameron for my money is by far the worst PM.

[@Alexander-yb1zc]

​@kalebdaark100 I agree heavily here, history will not be kind to Cameron. I think we're very lucky that somehow the US and EU are looking like they will create a bigger mess than brexit.

[@kalebdaark100]

@@Alexander-yb1zc I'm fairly sure "lucky" is not the right word, but yes there are problems everywhere.

[@tomullathorne2704]

Do you agree that it was illegal for the Better Together campaign to make 'The Vow' a week out from a vote ie in the Purdah period? Asking for 1.6M friends 😊

[@MattMcQueen1]

It's well seen that you have no Scottish contributors to this video. If you had, they may have mentioned that the Scottish legal system is different to that in England and Wales. They may also have pointed out that Spain have said repeatedly that they would not stand in the way of an independent Scotland joining the European Union. A Scottish representative may even have reminded you that Scotland wanted the Brexit referendum to only be successful if each individual nation in the UK voted Yes. Cameron did not allow that, so we left the European Union because two of the nations, England and Wales, voted for it. English nationalism is the reason for Brexit.

[@andywhite1712]

I got as far as 'Would an Independent Scotland then seek to rejoin the U.K' before the laughter got too dangerous for my health.

[@vkgraphics]

Scotland had NO SAY in the EU referendum. TELL ME I'M WRONG..

[@ou7shined972]

Exactly. 62% said remain, 38% said leave... we all got England's pick.

[@kitbag9033]

You had the same vote as everyone else. Scotland was once a proud nation; the SNP has turned Scotland into a nation of pathetic victims

[@tamhunter5025]

Thats england now,have a word with yourself ​@kitbag9033

[@donrayjay]

Cameron would have had to resign if Scotland voted for independence, obviously. What sort of analysis is this?

[@jimbrown1143]

Scotland would have joined EFTA. within weeks

[@kaikaiser92]

or what if the Brexit vote was first then maybe Scotland would be it's own country now

[@Mark-Haddow]

It absolutely would be in that scenario. It was the EU voters that made the difference. They were never going to vote to leave Scotland. Brexit, they were barred from voting...

[@TheLucanicLord]

* its

[@mollycuddle9990]

what if Brexit hadn't been imposed on scotland and NI?

[@andrewmason7207]

england would be nothing without scotland , and scotland doesnt have to rely on oil as you keep saying, we generate enough green energy for the whole country onfor it to go via england before we get to use it at higher costs

[@woofpet]

And England sells some of it on to Europe - and has the nerve to classify it as an English revenue!

[@Support-your-local-team]

No chance I'm watching this but the question in the thumbnail is utter insanity.

[@ReeTM]

Clickbait propaganda

[@davidcush3768]

Charles is not and Never will be King of Scotland. The people of Scotland choose their King, it is not for England to decide. We never agreed to union in the past and we don’t now, that’s why we had so many battles in the past.

[@Alexander-yb1zc]

.....are you forgetting that King James VI was literally the Scottish king and inherited the throne of England from Elizabeth I after the action of Union in 1707 ???

[@woofpet]

@@Alexander-yb1zcmaybe you need to check the facts. James VI died in 1625., 82 years BEFORE the Act of Union. This is commonly (but erroneously - there never was and never can be such a union) labelled “the Union of the Crowns”. James VI succeeded to the English throne by virtue of being cousin to Elizabeth I of England. The fact that he was already King of Scotland is incidental to his becoming king of England.

[@icklejack01]

I like this podcast, but Lewis talks about Common Legal Systems, which is wrong. And Emily thinks losing 60% of Remain votes in Scotland would have meant Brexit would never have happened! FFS. And then to say Scotland would have been refused entry to the EU, when we've always been more EU-focused than Westminster has ever been, is just ludicrous. And John saying you can't have sepratists breaking up countries.... Scotland IS a country. The UK, is a UNION of Countries. This whole bullsh*t discussion by 3 English-centric journalists, proves there's a bias (either known or unknown) and makes my blood boil.

[@ou7shined972]

I agree. I respect this podcast (specifically Emily's integrity) more than most I listen to... but you will never get the whole truth about Scottish independence from anglo-centric journos. Especially the best informed ones understandably looking out for THEIR country's best interests.

[@gordonmackenzie4512]

More than 140 Countries have gained independence. 63 of the from England. 50 gained independence from England since WW2. 3 EU member States are former English colonies.

[@callumw9067]

15:59 information, did you know that every household in scotland was sent a book outlining what would happen if the yes vote prevailed. It was at least 150 pages - it was the no vote side that didn't tell us what would happen if we voted no. The promises made in "the vow" (published only a few days before the vote) were one by one voted down in parliament after the vote.

[@andrewmason7207]

leaving the uk didnt mean being kicked out the eu as a recognised country under eec

[@malcolmmcblain3954]

These roasters think that the EU would have rejected the country with the biggest untapped oil reserves in Western Europe. They’re a trio of pretentious dopes

[@vkgraphics]

I love the way these presenters ask their what ifs...with a smile on their faces. What a basket case we are.....

[@jekanyika]

Don't blame brexit on Scotland

[@ajsctech8249]

Yes.its True. the failed Scottish Indy Referendum triggered enormous levels of English nationalism which is still going strong in the form of The Reform Party

[@colincampbell4261]

The Sun is a comic.

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

Yes the EU would have welcomed us

[@BigAlCapwn]

When your political analysis has been so wrong over the last year, you have to come up with a feature where you analyze something that didn't happen a decade ago (and thus can't be proved wrong)

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

Not a voluntary unnion

[@Lawrence4000-s3k]

This simply wouldn't have happened. The referendum would have been held to be advisory by London and there would then have been a people's vote to give the Scots a chance to think again. This course of action wouldn't have caused any problems at all...

[@NickDartnall]

They are laid back about the UK splitting with Scotland because we would still be in their beloved EU😂

[@tnimigon]

The Scotland referendum draws a lot of parallels with the Quebec separation referendums in the 1970s and 1990 in Canada. If Scotland voted to separate by 51% I think in all cases would have brought down the Cameron government but Westminster would have never go through with breaking the UK apart. I think we would have quickly seen the passing of a UK version of Canada’s Clarity Act which would set the terms of any separation negotiations, foremost being the insistence of supermajority to exist. Breaking up the UK on a wavering 51% of Scots would have been insane and unacceptable for the national security of the country, primarily due to the repercussions for the nuclear deterrent.

[@cathalduffy1618]

First up , you would have a fresh drinking water problem.

[@MattMcQueen1]

Indeed. Water is the new oil.

[@PortilloMoment]

@@MattMcQueen1 And large parts of England have very little of it. Way less than is needed.

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

Cameron was so bad in so many ways. The worst PM ever. I admit the others afterwards were even worse, but Cameron was quite appalling.

[@MultiAGW]

What a poorly informed wee chat.... I think you might find the Usher Hall a tad EMPTY.

[@brianpark8758]

"It may not have been mired in misinformation?" See: The Bigger the Lie. `The media coverage leading up to the Scottish referendum.` If you watch the short documentary & you`re interested in propaganda, the manufacture of consent etc. Take note of the sequence of numbers 1,3,5/ 2,4.W\tch the short film & you`ll know what I`m talking about.

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

Can’t continue to listen . Incredibly Anglo centric and patronising. Lewis doesn’t have a clue about Scottish politics

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

Scotland needs immigrants as does England

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

I wish we had. Saor Alba

[@stevejones4275]

who is the smug boy who calls democracy a quirk?

[@michaelmouse4024]

Emily Maitlis is such a babe. Great hair, great smile, clever, anti brexit bs & beautiful... No wonder the Torys get upset

[@hornetgamer8980]

15:15 to 16:01 literally explains all global politics since.

[@oolongoolong789]

Looks like The News Agents are desperate for material. What if....they quit.

[@Mark-Haddow]

It's really LBC under another name.

[@tonymccann1978]

Desperate stuff here.

[@ThomasBoyd-r6k]

England London United Kingdom vote yes leave EU mistake politically. Vote No Scottish independence. I am Italian citizen Bargi Italy 🇮🇹 with British passport. Alex Salmond RIP Age 69. Not he care about Scottish parliament he prefers House of Commons. Scotland votes Yes England London in trouble politically. 2001926 votes yes stay in Great Britain that Scotland 84% Turnout did panic British government yes.

[@ntodd1972]

A few points! Scotland does have it's own legal system. They would have been able to join the single market under EFTA and retained EU market access, the breakup deal would have been cross party and not driven by one like Brexit.

[@infostudy101]

Is there a reason this is all being discussed now? Political Currency have just talked to Sturgeon about the Scottish referendum..

[@ou7shined972]

Scottish independence has never gone away mate. It never will. If you live here it's a daily discussion. Self governance is the normal state of being for almost all the countries of the world. At its core it's a fight for normalcy.

[@infostudy101]

@@ou7shined972 I guess just a coincidence. 10 years on and both discussing the issue at the same time. It was a watershed moment.

[@Earbrass1]

This "counterfactual history" series reminds me of the greatest contribution of all time to the genre; I refer of course to James Thurber's 'If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox'

[@ross4039]

Deputy PM has no automatic right of succession and the First Secretary (Hague) would have likely been acting PM. Also, Cameron promised the referendum in 2013 and the Scottish result was the following year. Without Scotland, the Conservative majority would have been bigger in 2015 and the Leave margin would have also been bigger. In the event Scotland was facing the prospect of being outside the EU, the remainder of the UK might have judged leaving to be easier.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

If what the SNP had proposed was *real* independence(i. e. out of the EU, out of NATO, out of the IMF, out of the UN, out of the UN, out of the WEF, establishing their own currency rather Sterling, etc.) then I could actually respect that, as at least that is a more authentic position.

[@Mark-Haddow]

Sterling literally is a Scots currency. Scotland established the Bank of Scotland, Bank of England and the Bank of France.

[@woofpet]

What total nonsense. Try taking a bit more water with it 😂😂😂

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

I find your comments about Scottish self determination absolutely erroneous and disgusting. You are so pro establishment that you make me sick. Saor Alba . Gosh caring about the rich royals is so important. Who cares about child poverty or pensioners?

[@WakeupAndsmelltherosemarys]

Cameron agreed due to pressure from the European council of ministers

[@registeredmental]

O if only

[@davidgross316]

More of this please

[@weswheel4834]

You mentioned briefly about Blair being nice to Murdoch. Starmer hasn't really done that as much. Do you think if he had done, then he'd be more popular now?

[@brianforrester7707]

North Sea oil production has dropped, predictably, from a peak of 2.8 million barrels per day in 1998 to around 0.5 million barrels per day currently. Many of the fields developed in the 1970’s and 1980’s are now producing at low levels or have been decommissioned. More recent discoveries will merely extend oil & gas production but will not return the North Sea to its former glories. Even if negotiations surrounding the break-up of the UK left all of the benefits of the North Sea only to Scotland. There would have been no post-independence bonanza, Scotland is well-placed to develop renewables, but its future was never going to be based on exploiting hydrocarbons. That ship sailed a long time ago.

[@ou7shined972]

That's right, were a progressive country. That's why new fields would have been licenced out to other countries still dependent on fossil fuels. Most current fields are sold off to outside interests by the UK govt. so can't make us anything anyway. I live in Aberdeen... formerly known as The Oil Capital of Europe. Let that sink in.... THE OIL CAPITAL OF EUROPE! It is a miserable sh!thole with no signs of our supposed oil prosperity whatever. Nada, zero, nothing. It was all syphoned off during the boom to develop London. Trust me we are used to living without oil revenue up here. Norway pity us. Probably because they didn't hand all their oil over to Sweden because half a dozen crooked noblemen signed their entire country off to their big neighbour 350 years ago for land rights.

[@alamuzz]

It would have went the same way as Brexit or worse.

[@jonathanashworth353]

How can you do a counter factual show covering 2010 and not first cover 2007. Brown should have gone to the electorate. Even if his majority had been 30, it would have seen off Cameron and the boy George.

[@ramstrong1961]

Sargon of Akkad - The Revolution has Begun

[@RichWoods23]

Sargon of Akkad died four millennia ago. Or do you mean the obnoxiously bigoted conspiracy theorist who uses that pseudonym?

[@scotlandtheinsane3359]

I hope so!

[@RalphBrooker-gn9iv]

Tickets! Show! Plugging the show! Alan Partridge has so much to answer for.

[@stevenwilliamson6236]

Cameron is a big resigning guy alright.

[@NickDartnall]

'What if?' these clowns weren't such woke lefty biased TDS melts😂😂 Mad Maitlis upset about lives ruined - quite ironic considering her support of Huw Edwards😂

[@ou7shined972]

What if.... your dad had pulled out? The rest of us wouldn't have to risk becoming dumber from reading your posts. Merry xmas.

[@clario2178]

No London middle class lefty W⚓️ are you

[@domclarke5097]

One of these was as bias as they come during her presentation on newsnight.

[@NigelThompson-hb5jg]

Kudos

[@tamhunter5025]

Little England presenters

[@ValerieMcleod-w1g]

Me too!

[@Blorp_]

Terrible title and thumbnail, hope the video performs as such

[@louisjadot9194]

Who knows ?

[@vkgraphics]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 desperate stuff....

[@RobertThomson-y4m]

Why would scots swap london rule gor Brussels rule? Real scots nats knew it was a con.

[@ou7shined972]

Jeez. You literally learned nothing from brexit.

[@johncollins-rh2cj]

Please engage another braincell this one is defunct

[@tinamac2380]

Salmond and Sturgeon didn’t enter into ‘discussions and negotiations’ with the UK government about an independent Scotland, they ‘went to war’ from the outset. It was aggression, pointing fingers and grievance. The moment Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling showed up - calm, re-assuring and statesman like, the contrast with the SNP leadership was startling. The game was up.

[@babelton1]

It was a question about the continuence of the UK, so why was it that only 10 percent (the Scots) got a vote? Why should 5 million people dictate the future of the other 58 millon? It would have impacted everyone in the UK so why was it that everyone in the UK wasn't incluced? The arguement was that London was too far from Edinburgh, but is Brussels is further away and across a sea? I might well have been inclinded to vote out Scotland if given a chance, why would anyone want a liason with a group of people that didn't want to be in that relationship? As it was (and is) Scotland is divided practically 50/50 on the question of independence , so like the Brexit situation, what you'd have is a nation fighting against itself

[@ou7shined972]

Haha you're so funny! How do you think a vote between 58M on one side vs 5M on the other would go? 🤣 side note (once the penny drops) - this is literally Scotland's position in every General Election