The Principality of Hutt River (if anyone could be bothered to Google 
on it) is interesting because it's not like Pimlico (just a 1949 
comedy), nor like Rutland (an independent county paying English taxes 
and nothing very remarkable).  It does not pay Australian taxes, 
declined to be bound by wheat quotas and succeeded - at least for 
FORTY YEARS (but it's not all that serious for all that).

Mary, many people share your concerns, and would add others to 
them.  Whether those with concerns are a majority or a minority is 
harder to say.  I undoubtedly have minority views on some issues, 
some people seem to have minority views on every issue.

Scotland has no future as a truly independent nation-state in the old 
fashioned sense, and Alex Salmond has missed the peak of the oil 
boom, BUT it _might_ have as bright a future as a province of the 
European Union as would have as a significant part of the United 
Kingdom - that's very hard to say.

I'm a unionist and I believe that the rest of the United Kingdom 
(whether Scotland gets richer OR poorer) will eventually be worse off 
in every sense - economic and political if Scotland leaves.

But if there is to be a debate about Scottish Independence ENGLAND 
(not the unionist cause which is distinct) needs to be 
represented.  There may be  significant sentiment in England that 
would be quite happy to see Scotland independent for any number of 
reasons, not least among conservatives who believe we could end up 
with a Conservative government for the next 1/4 century at least.

_England_ might appear better off to many if it was not propping up 
Scotland, or N Ireland or Wales, indeed whether Scotland should 
simply be told that N Ireland is Scotland's responsibility might be 
something ENGLISH representatives wanted to put on the table.

In the end from a purely English viewpoint and quite seriously the 
last person in the whole world I would want representing me in any of 
this is David Cameron, absolutely regardless of his attributes as a 
UK Prime Minister or his other political allegiances (and that is not 
just because he either is or could be seen as essentially Scottish).

Most of us recognize that we need to be part of some kind of union, 
United Kingdom, European Union, English Speaking Peoples, there have 
to be issues that bring us together, even if there are others that divide us.

There should be an English parliament and government as soon as 
possible and negotiations between England and Scotland, while 
Scotland is still part of the union, could then be held on a sensible 
basis whatever the majority view in England is.

Julian


At 12:59 17/02/2012, you wrote:
>Life's too short - being English my MP will be regarded as having no
>legitimate interest in anything happening in Scotland - especially if he
>disagrees with Alec Salmon's claims!
>Sorry no-one else shares my concerns - but not greatly surprised
>
>Mary Hawking