Nationality for nationalists
Yesterday we passingly mentioned how Home Secretary Theresa May this week claimed that Scots could lose their British passports and be denied dual nationality following a ‘Yes’ vote for independence in next year’s referendum.
Mystifyingly none of the newspapers reporting the story bothered to research the facts behind her claim, so we had to get our investigating hats on.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is generally agreed to be the foundation of international human-rights law and covers the issue of nationality that would arise if Theresa May was to follow through on her warning. The article states:
Specifically, we’re interested in Article 15, which states:
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
The UK has been a signatory to this treaty since 10 December 1948. In fact it was Charles Dukes (one-time Labour MP), along with Eleanor (wife of Franklin D.) Roosevelt, who helped draft the resolution, and tied signatory nations into following it to the letter by inserting Article 30:
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
As such, the simple legal position is that Theresa May has no choice but to accept that any Scottish person living in Scotland who wishes to retain their UK passport is indeed a UK citizen who merely happens to be living in a different state, as millions do now. Should she attempt to interfere with that choice the UK would be in breach of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, which would be more than a touch problematic for international relations.
Of course, the Declaration stipulates the right to a nationality, singular. When the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, its citizens were forced to choose membership of just one of the new states created. This was still in keeping with the spirit and letter of the Declaration, because it allowed people the right to choose – including, if they wished, to be a Russian and living in Ukraine.
But that situation isn’t analogous – the USSR ceased to exist, and its passports went with it. The No camp insists that Scotland will be leaving the UK rather than dissolving it, and that the rest of it will continue as a successor state. That’s an arguable assertion, but they certainly can’t have it both ways.
Current UK Borders Agency advice states that British subjects who take on another nationality can keep their British nationality and passport, as long as the second country allows dual nationality – something the SNP has explicitly stated would be its policy, and which it’s extremely hard to see any of the other parties opposing.
(Indeed, British nationality is something UK citizens have to actively renounce, and are not guaranteed to be allowed to do – see section 11 of that document for the conditions. You can find further interesting details on dual nationality here.)
Theresa May’s threat to send border guards into Scotland to cut up everyone’s UK passport (which in any event is in reality an EU passport, merely issued by the UK) is empty Unionist posturing aimed at sowing fear, uncertainty and doubt. Or as we call it in the independence debate, business as usual.
I can’t believe that she has rolled out this line again. Seriously, even amongst the Unionists …do they honestly believe the drivel she is spouting? I seriously doubt it.
To be honest …if she wants to remove my British Nationality …then go for it! I truly believe that all I need to say, when I enter another country, is to say the three immortal lines, ‘I’m from Scotland’ …and doors will swing not only open …but wide open.
British Nationality is damaged thanks to Blair and the Iraq war. The Arabs / Muslims don’t trust us, and even the EU is sick to the back teeth of Britain’s cold shouldering towards them.
So in view of all that, yes Theresa, you may remove my British Nationality from me. I would have kept it, since I do come from these isles. Scottish first, British second, but you know what, being just Scottish suits me fine, so please …I call your bluff …remove it from me!
I look forward to hearing this being explained on Call Kaye this morning, and tonight’s Reporting Scotland, as well as reading about it in The Scotsman, Herald and Daily Record shortly.
Oh, wait a minute…
Either she is so stupid she thinks that Scots will believe/care about this spurious threat, or she thinks we are,
you’ll have to do better than that May
we can add that to the list of empty rhetoric from the Tories such as we need trident to defend ourselves against an attack from North Korea
Upon independence, I’ll send her mine by FedEx.
I’ll include a pair of scissors (children’s safety ones obviously).
I read recently (I think on this site!) that 54% of us feel Scottish first, then British. Can’t help but think that this ‘threat’ is more likely to increase the Yes vote. I wonder if we can get them to make her ramblings an official policy, thus guaranteeing the right result next year! 😉
My UK issued passport runs out in 2015. I’ve decided not to renew it. I will however be applying for a SCOTTISH PASSPORT when the time comes!
Slightly O/T, My 4 children have dual citizenship, UK and Australian. They may or may not feel like foreigners come 2014, but I doubt it.
I don’t have a passport and don’t intend to get one until I can get a Scottish one.
According to some of my English offshore colleagues I’m Jockanese.
I’m not sure if that complicates matters or not.
Theresa May, yet another in a long line of self seeking careerists ready, willing and eager to terrify members of their own electorate. Don’t respond well to even implied threat masel’. So I’m with skier. I’ll be more than happy to post my passport doon the road with sincerest thanks for all the happy memories.
P.S. She can get her own scissors, I’m no made O’ money.
Theresa May is currently the voice of the British state, which doesn’t have a very good record when it comes to human rights or meeting UN obligations.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2013/may/31/uk-human-rights-record-un-panel?INTCMP=SRCH
Vote Yes for a modern Scottish state that respects human rights and international law. Hopefully. 😉
@Cameron B
“Theresa May is currently the voice of the British state, which doesn’t have a very good record when it comes to human rights or meeting UN obligations.”
Thats true EXCEPT they will want to be squeaky clean at the point of independence…
They wont want to be jeapordising their permanent seat on the secutiry council by flaunting one of the MAIN articles of the UN…
Nope, they will act like good UN members to ensure no blowback against their permanent seat.
So nice to compare and contrast Mays empty Passport threats with Nicola Sturgeons calm explanation regards sharing Welfare Administration on the very good Scotland Tonight last night. The questions were tough but handled well and the answers accepted then also fairly reviewed by a decent Expert pairing. More of the same please STV,
They can have my passport post-indy, but they’ll have to take an urn or something to carry it in…
@ Scott Minto (Aka Sneekyboy)
When has meeting human rights obligations EVER been a crucial issue to the permanent seat on the UN security council? Or am I missing the irony in your comment?
May thinks we are all idiots.
She opens her mouth and lets it be known to all that she is.
Is that the best they can do?
It has to be said, STV, so far, is coming out of the referendum debate with far more journalistic credibility than the BBC and supposed heavyweights like the Telegraph and Guardian (I’m not going to entertain for one second that the Scotsman is a heavyweight any more). The Herald is beginning to show some green shoots of journalistic credibility I hope this flowers over the next 18 months.
May is a bit of shocker and is prone to Jackie Baillie “making it up on the (albeit expensive) hoof. She has done this with other more general Home Office issues too. Credibility is not her middle name.
@Cameron B
The rUK is going to have a job on its hands keeping that seat post indy regardless of anything else.
Losing Scotland and a home for Trident will dent their claim to keeping the seat. India is angling for a seat and would be well placed to replace the rUK.
In order to ensure they dont give other countries ammunition to have their seat removed the rUK would not want to be flaunting UN Law.
Ordinarily the permanent members ‘get away with murder’ but in this instance the rUK will be keenly aware the world is watching and they have a valid excuse to remove them from the UNSC permanent seat.
As such they are not likely to go through with their passport threats.
But other than that you are right… the UK does have an abysmal record on human rights and these current jokers want to make it even easier to flaunt them!
I think it is time for the GB and French seats to be merged into a EU seat with India brought on to represent the developing world.
I too look forward to holding a Scottish passport. I really couldn’t give a toss about having an rUK one.
On STV, McWhirter’s “Road” was a real trip down memory lane last night. Given the huge amount of detail to cover I think this could easily have been a 5 or 6 part documentary. I would have liked more time and depth on the 79 debacle. One telling comment was that in 79 the Yes camp was all over the place and the No camp very unified. This time it looks like shoe is on the other foot.
HandandShrimp
I thought the same last night; the opposite of 1979 when the Yes camp was too fragmented.
I agree on the UNSC Seat for EU.
I’ll be delighted to send her my British passport……… with a few suggestions on where she can shove it!
Got rid of my british passport years ago thanks to an Irish Grandfather.When we are an independent country again I’ll return my Irish passport with a letter of thanks for allowing me to travel on their passport.
It’s unlikely that rUK would lose its permanent seat on UNSC. They are sure to be seen as the successor state in the event of Scottish secession from the Union, and there are precedents. The USSR was replaced by the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China replaced the Republic of China, and de Gaulle’s French Fifth Republic replaced the Fourth Republic, all quite seamlessly.
Over the course of its membership France lost a number of possessions without jeopardising its seat – and as regards human rights, the bloody French repression of Algerian independence caused them no problems with the UN. Also, the Americans will wish to keep their Ukanian poodles at the table and that will count for a lot.
Well although I’m resident in England I’ll most certainly NBR applying for my Scottish passport. I’ll probably shred my UK one! 😉
I saw May’s threat in the headline on the Scotsman website the other day, but was too bored to read it. Seems like they’ve run out of scare stories after 6 months, so the next 12 months will just be regurgitation of the same.
There was a wee competition for the collective noun for unionists on another thread: I hereby posit “a regurgitation of unionists”.
Of course this is not her daftest lie, erm, i mean mistake.
When up in Edinburgh not so long ago she actually said that British Intelligence would not cooperate with any intelligence service set up by an independent Scottish government, now think about that, say the Scottish intelligence service gets wind of a bomb plot in London and tries to contact BI, is she actually trying to tell us that BI will say go away we have not to play with you!
‘Be’, not ‘NBR’. No idea what happened there!????
@Vronsky you are right regarding USSR / Russia and UNSC but they pulled that off by being successor state and other cuntries being New States…
We looked at that a while back – Possessed under law
In any instance it is going to be interesting to see how the world reacts to a United Kingdom without the only other signatory to its creation still a part of it.
Thanks, Rev, for this investigation.
If I understand your findings correctly, then our passports could become obsolete the day after independence, but only if the UK dissolves into separate countries (cf the USSR).
This is the scenario in which Scotland and the ROTUK (presumably under a different name) are treated equally as applicant EU members. Perhaps it is time to bang the drum for those who argue that iScotland will have to leave the EU and re-apply for membership. The same, of course would go for the ROTUK.
This could provoke a large section of the English Press into cheering for us. Let Scotland vote YES, and automatically, Engerland will be out of the EU. How easy for them, in that case, just not to reapply!
Another advantages for them – the decision date will be next year, not 2017, as ‘promised’ by David Cameron.
Theresa May is a glassy eyed throbber, a drone and a robot. She’s one of those types of politicians who will say and do anything and do it all with a conviction bordering on manic once she’s decided she believes something to be the case – even if in the cold light of reality; it isn’t.
I really don’t like her, the way she comports herself in interviews – she thinks she’s being strong & decisive when in fact she just being close-minded & dogmatic. She would probably claim to have an open mind, but only to ideas that suit her narrow agenda.
Nope, I don’t like her at all.
David Smith – thanks for clearing that up, I just didn’t get it, thought it must be one of those new fancy abbreviations.
I think it’s a bit of a misnomer to talk about British passports post-independence. If we say ‘EWNI passports’ instead, it sounds somewhat less obvious that Scots should have the right to get one.
I think the most likely scenario is that current British passports will not be cancelled. However, when they expire, I imagine you’ll need to be able to tick one of the following boxes to get a EWNI one: (1) Born in EWNI; (2) one parent born in EWNI; (3) living in EWNI; (4) having lived in EWNI for at least five years in the past.
Scotland will of course make similar rules. As a consequence, a large number of people will qualify for both a Scottish and a EWNI passport and will thus have dual nationality; however, Scots who have no EWNI parents and have never lived in EWNI will most likely not qualify for a EWNI passport.
It’s instructive to look also at the current rules governing British citizenship for citizens of the RoI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_nationality_law_and_the_Republic_of_Ireland
@pa_broon
Couldn’t agree more pa. I’d rather turn my back on a rattle snake.
Scott. Was that a Freudian slip of the keyboard or did you deliberatly try to suggest that rUK would be a cuntry? Does that mean it’s going to be run by c*&ts? I suppose it’s almost certain to be since the current UK is!
In any instance it is going to be interesting to see how the world reacts to a United Kingdom without the only other signatory to its creation still a part of it.
It will still be the United Kingdom (of ‘Lesser’ Britain and Northern Ireland), thanks to the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland being united in 1801 (which is when ‘United Kingdom’ was first used officially as the name of the state).
Incidentally, and slightly O/T, I note that the 1707 Act of Union was not popular with one group. “Tories were not in favour of union and only one was represented among the commissioners.” Maybe we should remind them of that every time they bring up things like Darien! 😉
Scotland outperforms Uk employment figures. The BBC in Scotland runs with the story but only with a comment from Moore stating the UKs policies are working. For some reason they dont work in England and Wales, strange that.
Ach, give the tories a break. They are trying really hard to get rid of us.
I agree about the UNSC Seat for the EU, but would rather see Brazil over India get the ‘spare’ seat to represent the emerging economies – a bit more distance from the ‘great game’ in Central Asia would be a good thing IMO.
Also, i think a non-nuke state as a permanent member of the UNSC would send a better signal than a state which not only has nukes, but isn’t even a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty.
Better Together anyone?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22868740
Did anyone check with Alistair or Johann about this?
“Thanks, Rev, for this investigation.”
It is, of course, Scott’s investigation…
“It is, of course, Scott’s investigation…”
I have no idea what you mean.
(Am I doing it right?)
re Marker Post – collective nouns
a Fright of Unionists
a Denial of Unionists
a Lament of Unionists
‘a Lamont of Unionists’ – WINNER
“Thanks, Rev, for this investigation.”
I wrote these words. If I could go back and edit my post, I would of course do so and say: “I have no idea what you mean.”
So, Scott, please accept my apologies.
“Desimond says:
12 June, 2013 at 11:00 am
re Marker Post – collective nouns
a Fright of Unionists
a Denial of Unionists
a Lament of Unionists”
How about “a rope of unionists”…
I don’t want a British Passport, so i don’t really care apart from, I hope she gets her way. I would be delighted to see her take away the British citizenship of Ruth Davidson, Willie Rennie, Johann Lamont….And all the other unionists.
LOL!
A “boak of unionists”?
A Bunion of Unionists.
I cant embed a picture but just folow this link for ROFLCOPTERS at BBC Scotlandshire
http://www.bbc.scotlandshire.co.uk/index.php/city-news/438-alistair-is-the-darling-of-the-tory-conference.html
Collective Nouns:
a Scaremongering of Unionists;
an Assertion of Unionists;
a Media of Unionists;
the BBC!
The legal analysis here isn’t the best to be honest. The UN rights charter is a largely aspirational document with no direct standing in Scots law. For more effective rights you need to look to EU law and the ECHR, but that is beside the point.
What really bothers me is how many people (very sadly) actually believe this nonsense. Whilst we may laugh, scorn and parody Theresa May and her ilk, these “scarebombs” do have more than a little collateral damage. This one, the currency question and pensions will carry great weight with older voters, particularly as, especially in the case of the first two, there can be no conclusive certainty for the YES camp, as they depend ultimately on post-independence agreement. Whilst the politically aware educated intelligentsia can see through these spurious claims, for many they have a continuing impact, re-enforcing pre-existing doubts.
What strikes me most about the debate right now is the enormous disconnect there is between the intelligent, well-informed debates going on in blogs such as this, and in others, not to mention the enormous academic interest in all aspects of the referendum debate from all around the world, with the shallow partisan media coverage, which is all the average voter will base their decision on. There really are two referendum debates going on as far as I can see it. It would be nice to see some positive momentum in the opinion polls. I believe people will come around eventually and many of the most absurd arguments are already starting to slip away, but those of us committed to independence would be foolish to underestimate the power these kind of stories have, baseless as they are.
A stupidity of unionists?
BBC Headline:
UK unemployment falls by 5,000
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22868901
Tucked away in Scotlandshire news:
The number of jobless [in Scotland] fell by 6,000
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-22869852
Do the math.
Does this mean the Scottish Government can claim credit for falling UK unemployment?
A brain cell (barely) of unionists?
pa_broon74
Nope, I don’t like her at all.
That about covers it for me. It also spares me adding expletives.
I like a FUD of unionists.
Isn’t there some rule about ministers misleading parliament?
Why isn’t she being asked to explain herself, apologise and “consider her position”?
“The legal analysis here isn’t the best to be honest.”
The word “legal” was being used in quite a loose sense. Breaking the UDHR isn’t technically a breach of law as such, but would still be a source of considerable difficulty.
“Indication” is scraping the barrel of scariness. I’ve had to redefine the Hoots! Factor of scare story ranking over on
Better Together: You Scots are as Thick as Mince & We Harbour a Special Loathing For You
@Wayne,
Its REALPOLITIK… The rUK wants what the UN has and cant be seen to be flaunting UN rules or run the risk of losing thier prize.
Of course if they did decide to do what they claim they would be treating Scots diffrently to EVERY other country in the world.
In what way is that a respectful relationship and wouldnt we be better out of it?
I dont think they will be creating a rod for their own backs over this.
Yes vote in 2014.
2015 the Scottish Government, in response to the RUK’s decision not to allow Scots to keep their British passports, agrees to issue new Scottish passports to all Scots who have suffered from this iniquitous legislation.
The Scottish Government will charge a nominal fee for a Scottish passport. The remainder of the cost to be paid for by the Government.
Upon all persons concerned receiving their new Scottish passport the Government in Edinburgh will set a date for a mass burning of the redundant British passports. (estimated date October 2015)
The Freedom Fires, as they will come to be known, will be held in every major city in Scotland.
I want mine on the top of the pile so I can see it go up in smoke.
This is the woman that Abu Hamza has been hooking his nose at for about a decade, and thinks the best way to improve border controls is to scrap the agency. She has a sketchy knowledge of human rights law at the best of times- if she’s ever been in a courtroom, I’m sure she has L-plates on her back. I don’t take her threats seriously at all!
A scare of Unionists?
I can’t be the only Welshman looking forward to becoming a Scottish citizen and cutting up his UK passport. And continuing to live in Wales.
A glummery of Unionists…
A bawbag of unionists.
Dear Mrs May, please promise to take my rUK passport away – I can’t wait to use my Scottish one. Thanks very much for your support for independence.
Ian MacWhirter’s book now on Amazon with a 1-2 month delivery (bizarre) but kindle download available now.
A wittering of unionists.
My passport runs out in August 2014, a month before the referendum.
I might travel passportless to the Lake District for a short break the weekend after the referendum, phone Teresa May when I get there, and ask what she is going to do about it.
Why would anyone who supports Independence want a UK passport, or to keep stirling or to keep the Queen? Maybe stirling as a transitional currency, but the rest? Even then surely transitional to either a Scottish currency or the Euro. doesn’t staying with stirling severely limit economic independence. Isn’t economic independence one of the main goals, as without this, creating the kind of society that Scotland wants wouldn’t be achievable, would it?
Gareth re welshman who is a Scottish citizen without living in Scotland? How would that work? Could anyone apply for Scottish citizenship without living in Scotland?
Sterling?
I look forward to being rid of my British passport and getting a nice new Scottish on with “Wha daur meddle wi me?” written on it’s maroon cover.
It can’t come too soon.
I think we should keep our old UK passports for 2016, when UK PM Boris sends Deputy PM Farage up to Scottiland to sign off the deal. Then we can bombard him with them, having written a warm farewell message. They can then be swept up and burnt in a biomass plant, and export the generated electricity.
A bonfire of the profanities!
A Fleg of Unionists!
Fleg meaning fright (for those who don’t know.)
A flatulation of unionists.
Am I missing something here? is it a nuance between British and UK?
Surely when Scotland becomes independent ‘Britain’ (created with the union in 1707) will cease to exist? so how can there be a British passport? The remaining countries will be what is left of the UK? I guess they could still have a UK passport as the UK would still continue to operate but without Scotland.
So after fighting long and hard for Independence why on earth would anyone want a UK passport?
Doh ! Yeah sorry Sterling, I apologise to anyone living in Stirling. Sorry!
JC….what’s wrong with Stirling? It’s a nice wee place ( apart from the one-way system), personally I’m for keeping it.
A dornel of unionists
Dornel—-Horse’s anus (Scots)
I might travel passportless to the Lake District for a short break the weekend after the referendum, phone Teresa May when I get there, and ask what she is going to do about it.
She’ll deport you. But it’ll take her 10 years, so your weekend is probably safe.
What about my Human Rights ?
She doesn’t approve of human rights for Scots and other non-human races.
A ‘foosty scrotum’ of Unionists….
Unwanted, unpopular, but hard to keep hidden!
How about a Cloaca of Unionists.
A Cloaca is a combined erse and pisser, as in some animals, like frogs.
The WC is also known as a Cloac in Denmark.
So basically the Unionists are just a combined font of shite and piss.
In fact it could be applied to the unionist press equally.
Act of Union 1707
The Acts of Union, passed by the English and Scottish Parliaments in 1707, led to the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain on 1 May of that year. The UK Parliament met for the first time in October 1707.
Jiggsboro believes the united kingdom was created a century later but this is from westminster’s own historical account of the act of union, he says it was first ‘used’ in 1801 when Ireland became part of a continued act but this is a mistake on his behalf.
“How about a Cloaca of Unionists.
A Cloaca is a combined erse and pisser, as in some animals, like frogs.”
Is that why we sometimes call toilets “cloakrooms”?
I, too, will happily return “their” UK passport, ready cut up for them. As many have said before, a Scottish passport is one that I would be truly proud to hold as it would represent a nation that holds the interests of its own citizens at heart as well as being responsible citizen of the world. As central government continues to alienate the UK from much of the world as well as alienating more and more of it’s own citizens, a UK passport is becoming something of a source of shame for me.
Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
12 June, 2013 at 4:17 pm
“How about a Cloaca of Unionists.
A Cloaca is a combined erse and pisser, as in some animals, like frogs.”
Is that why we sometimes call toilets “cloakrooms”?
If you are being serious, on the other hand, I really don’t know. I suspect is just a coincidence that cloaks, overcoats, etc are kept there. Never thought of it. It could just be some English perversion of course.
Anyway, what you do in your own cloakroom is between you and the cloak.
ADDENDUM
The biological Cloaca also includes a genital opening so, we are back to English Public Schools again.
Which brand of shredder is able to destroy my British Passport without it jamming?
And I shall be buying shares of that company as I predict an upsurge in demand sometime soon after next year.
G H Graham says:
12 June, 2013 at 4:35 pm
Which brand of shredder is able to destroy my British Passport without it jamming?
And I shall be buying shares of that company as I predict an upsurge in demand sometime soon after next year.
Pigs are quite good at that sort of thing and the resultant recovered bits would be a nice parting gift to send to Whitehall
John Lyons says:
I don’t want a British Passport, so i don’t really care apart from, I hope she gets her way. I would be delighted to see her take away the British citizenship of Ruth Davidson, Willie Rennie, Johann Lamont….And all the other unionists.
———————-
Ha Ha Ha …good one, John… never thought of that. I can just hear the wailing and swearing right now …
JC says:
Am I missing something here? is it a nuance between British and UK?
Surely when Scotland becomes independent ‘Britain’ (created with the union in 1707) will cease to exist? so how can there be a British passport? The remaining countries will be what is left of the UK? I guess they could still have a UK passport as the UK would still continue to operate but without Scotland.
So after fighting long and hard for Independence why on earth would anyone want a UK passport?
JC—————–
To be honest, JC, I’ve thought about this too.
The front cover of the passport has the Royal emblem on it. On one side is the Lion (England), on the other, the Unicorn (Scotland). The UK might keep the emblem, but I think they are hard pushed to mention Britain anywhere on it. Britain is in effect, England and Scotland. What remains after Independence will be the Kingdom of England, the Principality of Wales, and the Province of Ulster. That …is not Britain. Maybe they could call it something like …’Remnants of the British Empire’. Apart from the Falkland’s and Gibraltar …there is hee-haw left!
more scaremongering B.S. from the unionists.the sooner we rid ourselves of this bunch of lying corrupt scroungers the better. SAOR ALBA
Consequently, British citizens naturalized in the US remain British citizens in the eyes of the British government even after they renounce British allegiance to the satisfaction of U.S. authorities.
It’s amazing what you can pick up online these days!
@JLT
Aye, right enough, England will be left with ”sweet Rockall”.
Aye, right enough, England will be left with ”sweet Rockall”.
Actually Westminster classes it as in Scottish waters, so we get it too 😀
Who remembers the late John Mackintosh Labour MP?
John Pitcairn Mackintosh (24 August 1929 – 30 July 1978) was a Scottish Labour Party politician known for his advocacy of devolution, at a time when it was anathema to the Labour leadership,[1] and for his pro-Europeanism. He advanced the concept of dual nationality: that Scots could be both Scottish and British, and indeed European.
Alister Darling gave the last lecture named after John Mackintosh.
So who’s gonna tell them?
@Adrian B , we could maybe go haufers with Ireland on it. To save any arguments
So how is it that Northern Irish citizens are able to have Irish or British passports, or did I pick that up wrong?
Taking comment 100
That is all…
Given they’re so scarce on the ground, what about ‘a rumour of Unionists’?
1. a scrotum of unionists…
A shitpile of Unionists.
Theresa May, you can gladly pull that UK passport from my warm, alive hands.
Then, you won’t see me for dust as I rush to apply for my supercalafragalisticexpeealidocious new Scottish passport, even if, to you, the sound of it is something quite atrocious! So I’ll say it again just to annoy you, except louder this time: NEW SCOTTISH PASSPORT!
Dal Riata
NEW SCOTTISH PASSPORT!
Just think what it will be like a few years from now, standing in the queue with your NEW SCOTTISH PASSPORT – instantly recognisable as Scots. As unlike some folk I have always felt Scottish NOT British.
So to Theresa May I say thank you, never do I want to be part of your ‘Britishness’ and will gladly surrender my UK passport at the first possible opportunity.