In a nutshell..don't ask daft questions..what difference to your family did you think Scotland's independence might make to you?
Did you think you might be asked to leave Scotland?
Thought some of you might find this interesting
Basically I asked what it would mean to my family and I if the vote is a yes. Explained that we are an English family living and working in Scotland and that I am worried.
Here is the response in its' entirety.
Dear Ms Mather,
Thank you for your e-mail of 8 February to the referendum 2014 website regarding your families future in an independent Scotland. Please accept my apologies for the delay in response, which was caused by the receipt of a large number of enquiries.
It is the policy of the current Scottish Government that an independent Scotland will have an inclusive model of citizenship. The Scottish Government’s proposal is that on day one of independence, British citizens who are habitually resident in Scotland and British citizens born in Scotland but residing elsewhere, will automatically be considered Scottish citizens.
Scottish citizens will have the right to hold a Scottish passport and will be able to apply for one on day one of independence, although, as in most countries, there will be no requirement to hold one. The Scottish Government plans to recognise valid UK passports until they expire. This Government will also not place any barriers in the way of Scottish citizens holding dual or multiple nationalities. British nationality rules will be a matter for the rest of the UK to decide, however the UK already provides for dual citizenship with virtually every other country in the world and the UK Government recently confirmed in their paper Scotland Analysis: Borders and Citizenship that there would likely be ‘no barriers’ to joint citizenship with an independent Scotland.
Scottish citizens will be European Union (EU) citizens with all the benefits that brings, such as the right to free movement to live, study and work in all European Economic Area (EEA) countries and benefit from the healthcare and social security systems. EEA national migrants, including UK citizens, who move to Scotland to exercise their right to free movement, have a legitimate reason to be here and will always be welcomed - not only for their contribution to our economy but also the vibrancy and diversity they bring to our nation.
An independent Scotland will operate overseas offices which will provide support and protection for Scots abroad, just as it is currently provided by the UK. In addition, an EU citizen has the right to request the consular or diplomatic protection of any other EU member state including the UK.
Full details of the Scottish Government’s proposals for independence are set out in the Scottish Government’s White Paper Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland. Chapter 7 sets out proposals for citizenship, passports and immigration. There is also a Q&A section in Part 5 (Q&A 372 – 387 for citizenship and passports), which will hopefully answer any other questions that you may have. You can access Scotland’s Future, which is published on the Scottish Government website here: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/11/9348.
I hope this is helpful in understanding the policy of the current Scottish Government with regards to the information you have supplied in your e-mail. However, I should clarify that any arrangements for independence following the referendum on Scottish Independence depend on relevant legislation brought forward in this area. Any legislation could be subject to consideration, enactment or approval in parliament. There may also be changes or additions to the current policy intention.
Kind regards,
Nickola Paul
Make of that what you will. Then explain it to me pretty please
In a nutshell..don't ask daft questions..what difference to your family did you think Scotland's independence might make to you?
Did you think you might be asked to leave Scotland?
Interesting!
I asked both the SNP & the Scottish Govt a couple of pointed questions quite some time ago, the SNP never bothered to reply and ScotGov referred me to Westminster!
Go figure.
Interesting response?? You'll be able to have a Scottish passport & dual nationality if you wanted as you are English. Surely if Scotland is allowed to stay in the EU then those rules apply, typical skirting around your real question. I don't think they have an answer, no one has. At least they responded.
Had What do you think is the real question? It seems a pretty comprehensive answer
"There may also be changes or additions to the current policy intention" - this little bit at the end would be the worry, basically "these are our intentions but who knows what'll happen?"
Not a daft question at all.
If I was considered an immigrant would I get any help if I needed it? Would I need private health insurance?
I may not be asked to leave but it could be made that I chose to.
On another note if after a yes vote all UK residents in Scotland would be allowed to apply for a Scottish passport would that be enough to make a nationalist Scot vote no?
I'm also quite disappointed at the "your families" grammatical howler. Maybe in an independent Scotland we could get a better education and guarantee that our public servants can spell.
Yes I agree, it seems they are taking for granted some fairly important obstacles!
And if Scotland is not accepted then all the non Scottish born people living in Scotland would be wondering how and if it affected them. And if Scotland was not part of Europe any more all of the native Scots living elsewhere in Europe would maybe have to go home as they would not be part of Europe any longer?
If Scotland was not accepted into the EU, you are and would remain a British Citizen and therefore entitled to all the help and support outlined in the letter until Scotland IS accepted into the EU, nothing taken for granted. Southern-gal where have you got the idea that you would be treated as an "immigrant" from? Why would a nationalist Scot vote "no" because anyone living in Scotland can apply for a passport? The letter, everything in the white paper, the whole independence debate has been around people who live in Scotland being the ones to decide what happens, the people living in Scotland being welcome wherever they are from. There is a YES meeting tomorrow night in Thurso details are a bit further down the board. Why font you go along and chat about it? It should help to put your mind at rest.
Squidge ,your statement that if we were not accepted into the EU we would retain our British citizenship I find rather confusing, I thought after indy that that was the whole point - that we would no longer be British and only be Scottish
No spurtle, the whole point is that the money which is paid in Scotland by the people of Scotland will be spent by a Scottish Government on priorities decided by us. The Scottish voter. Whether that voter is English, Polish, welsh, Chinese, Indian or from Mars, is immaterial. This referendum is not about nationality it is about democracy. If you are Scottish born in Scotland lived in Scotland all your life then you are a British citizen and, unless you choose to give that up then you will remain so all your life lol. I am English and British and I will STILL be English and British after independence. It's about making our own decisions Spurtle not making us all Scottish.
That really doesn't make sense
Spurtle How doesn't it make sense? golach - maybe because she still has questions for the YES campaign which she seems to want an answer to so she might be best asking the people who are part of the yes campaign.....
I can see little point in getting any answers when the catchline is 'However, I should clarify that any arrangements for independence following the referendum on Scottish Independence depend on relevant legislation brought forward in this area. Any legislation could be subject to consideration, enactment or approval in parliament. There may also be changes or additions to the current policy intention.'
Which is why Scotland will be accepted.....the EU has no mechanism for removing EU citizenship and can hardly leave their citizens in limbo in a country without reciprocal arrangements. An EU bent on enlargement isn't going to refuse Scotland anyway and unlike many of the Eastern bloc countries, newly joined and in the process of doing so, Scotland already meets pretty much all of the criteria required for accession.(Though personally, I'd rather we joined EFTA, and I hope some political party will have a vote on EU membership in their manifesto in 2016.)
It takes two years to work yourself out of the EU.........ask Greenland.
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