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Losing Scotland would be devastating for UK: Analyst

Sunday, 26 June 2016 4:06 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 26 June 2016 4:06 PM ]

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (AFP photo)

Press TV has interviewed David Lindorff, an investigative journalist in Philadelphia, about Scotland's government working on preparations for a second independence referendum following Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.

A rough transcription of the interview appears below.

Press TV: Well wow, a lot of things going on in Europe. So let’s look at this side of it, Scotland now. What does it mean? Do you think that Scotland will actually vote for independence?

Lindorff: Well all you can do is look at the original vote which was 10 percent margin for staying inside the UK and that actually is a five percent shift that is required for it to become ..., you know five percent plus one have been a vote to leave the UK, so with the latest vote showing 62 percent of Scottish people wanting to stay in the EU, that is a lot of people who are going to be convincible on leaving the UK so that Scotland stays in the EU.

So I think that is why the Scottish National Party is calling for an election because they think there is a good chance that this time around they will get that extra five percent out of the margin and they will win and maybe do better than that.

Press TV: What would an independent Scotland mean to ..., basically losing Scotland mean to the United Kingdom?

Lindorff: Well it would be devastating I think to England both from a national consciousness idea, I mean England would be back to where it was before it started to become an island-wide and later empire.

Scotland has been very important to England for many, many reasons, not the least of which their Trident submarines which give them some kind of credibility as a nuclear power have to be based in Scotland because it is a deep water port that can sustain a large vessel like that and I am not sure that anywhere else in England would want to have it based there, in the lower part of the actual England.

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