annhig

kasja - I was looking at how people could become "Scottish" - which is a different question. I can't see any prospect that the government of what would be left [Small Britain? Just Britain? or just Britain?] would prevent those who currently qualify for british citizenship from continuing to do so.

<<Someone born in New York to a British citizen otherwise than by decent is still entitled to British citizenship by birth, whether the parent was born in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK.>>

I don't follow this. how can you be born "otherwise than by decent" [sic] ? in your example, the child would be entitled to british citizenship by descent, not by birth.

dotheboyshall

<i>Scots have EU passports. After independence they will still have EU passports. Simple, really.</i>

No such thing as an EU passport so Scots can't continue to have something that doesn't exist

There's severe doubts, despite SNP claims, that Scotland would be automatically a member of the EU on independence.

dotheboyshall

<i>I wouldn't rule that out either, since Cameron is being dragged by the backbenchers ever closer to the European exit anyway.</i>

He's also being dragged by the backbenchers (sounds painful) into not giving an independent Scotland an inch.

PatrickLondon

>>(sounds painful) <<

I trust that it is - and especially that they don't actually get there.

Sojourntraveller

Well we will know tomorrow whether to continue this discussion or not but if it is a Yes vote and questions for travellers are relevant, I can see some potentially serious issues arising.

Suppose for example, someone currently has a UK passport and ties to Scotland (living there or not). Will they have to choose between a UK or Scottish passport or will they be able to hold both under current UK dual citizenship rules?

The UK allows dual citizenship now. Until they passed a law changing that someone who also happened to have a Scottish passport could hold both unless an independent Scotland did not allow dual citizenship.

The issue there is 'grandfathering'. If you already have a UK passport you would be 'grandfathered' in. To stop that, the UK would actually have to pass a law disallowing dual citizenship between the UK and Scotland and make it retroactive. I don't know if they could even legally do that under UK law.

Assume another scenario. You have to choose one or the other passport and Scotland is not in the EU. Do you now give up your right to live and work in all the EU countries in favour of just the right to live and work in Scotland?

So many questions, so few answers. Yet people are voting without knowing what it may bring. There is something wrong with that picture.

Nonconformist

When the various colonies gained independence, residents there who were British citizens became overnight citizens of the new country, and no longer British (unless they had an independent claim based on birth in the UK itself). I would expect the same to apply to Scotland.

bvlenci

Scotland was never a colony. A better analogy would be the Irish case.

Dickie_Gr

Nonconformist

Please read a history book or three before putting your fingers on keyboard.

I am not bothering to correct the rest of most the total piffle on this thread.

EU passport ? God help.

Nonconformist

Excuse me?

Pepper_von_snoot

What in the name of the Marchioness of Tavistock is an EU Passport?

Have you been sniffing the glue pots again?


Who writes books about Scot Passports?

Muriel Spark?

Anne MacLeod?

John Banville?

Certainly not Edward St. Aubyn or Will Self.

Thin, wearing saltires cardi to work on Friday