What rules apply? EU Citizenship and Scotland

To Liza

If there is a citizenship, you would all owe a duty of allegiance to the new Union. What else is citizenship about? There will be a duty to uphold its laws. What will happen if the allegiance to the Union comes into conflict with the allegiance to our own country?

Margaret Thatcher, speech in the House of Lords, 7th of June 1993

 

In 2014, it was reasonable for a Scot wishing to further enjoy the benefits of her country’s EU membership to vote “Remain” at the Scottish Independence Referendum. In 2017, her variety of options is virtually narrowed down to choosing between the least of the evils. Resisting the Scottish secession and the addition of “r” (“rest of”) to the remaining parts of the state once called “the United Kingdom” will only lead to Scots leaving Europe aboard with their English, Welsh and Irish compatriots. Supporting the campaign for the second independence referendum and, if successful, the case for Scottish independence may eventually lead to securing the future of Scotland in Europe. However, this path is far from being clear.

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Why I am Pro-European: The Democratic Case for Bremain

In many articles, this blog articulates a pro-European perspective. With the British referendum on UK membership in the European Union only a few days ahead, I thought that it’s about time to explain the basis for this endorsement of European integration. After Jonny has shone light on the two sides of the referendum debate, finding that the Leave campaign’s strategy is aimed at misinformation, I will provide a more general justification for an integrated European polity and thus, also, a remain vote.

Different to many rationales we hear in the debate on the British EU referendum, my argument for European integration is not based on economic or security concerns. Nor does it rest on the idea of a European cultural or philosophical heritage or even a nation-like sense of ‘togetherness’ some Europhiles proclaim can be found in Europe. These aspects can provide good reasons for supporting the EU, but for me, they are not convincing enough. My endorsement of European integration is based on my fundamental support for democracy.

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Brexit: The UK hurt itself in Confusion

With a week left to go before the referendum, I thought I’d post my thoughts about it. Despite my reservations about having a referendum in the first place, when it was made for-certain that a referendum on our membership of the EU would happen I thought that it would be a chance for the UK to have a much-needed education about the EU. But this does not seem to be what is happening, and the Leave campaign does not want people to be educated about the EU. „Brexit: The UK hurt itself in Confusion“ weiterlesen

Will 2015 change UK Politics?

Since 1935 the United Kingdom has held its General Elections on a Thursday, unlike other European countries which tend to hold their elections on Sundays. This year, the Election is going to be held on the 7 May and the campaign is well under way. With fewer than three weeks before the election, it’s probably time that this blog’s UK correspondent chimes in!

From the time when the UK moved to being a ‘true’ democracy at the turn of the 20th Century, typically, the UK’s political landscape has been dominated by a succession of Conservative governments, punctuated by the occasional Labour government. This phenomenon can be attributed to, among other things, but probably most significantly, the use of the ‘first past the post’ system. Other than making psephology a relatively easy task in the UK, it has meant that a certain degree of stability can be more or less guaranteed.

Something which, if you’re invested in Labour or Conservative, is great!

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Have the Eurosceptics peaked?

Last time I wrote an entry in this blog it was about whether the UK should actually have its referendum on EU membership, so it’s only right that I continue this theme and look at the state of Euroscepticism. This will be a short entry and, out of pure laziness, I’m going to take a British perspective too.
Ipsos MORI, a polling company based in the UK, has released a new poll indicating that support for EU membership is the highest it has been for 23 years, and this is despite the gains the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has been making recently. We have similar news from the European Parliament that the European political group, ‚Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy‘ (EFDD), has been struggling to maintain support, collapsing for four days after Latvia’s Iveta Grigule MEP defected from the group causing it to lose its required representation from seven member-states; Polish MEP Robert Iwaszkiewicz from the Congress of the New Right party joined the group on 20 October, restoring its required representation.

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