General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Hi DU! I'll be voting in the Scottish Independence Referendum on Thursday... [View all]muriel_volestrangler
(106,160 posts)was already the joint monarch, yes, I'd say there was an effective commitment not to "unjoin". There was no mechanism left for Scotland to make a decision (unlike a US state which elects a governor, and has some form of state congress). The 21st century Scottish Parliament was created by Blair's government, elected by the UK as a whole.
Yes, secession would be complicated for some states, especially inland ones, but not for all of them. If some east coast states left, then inland states could ship goods south or north. You'd expect those states to inherit part of the military (as Scotland will, if it does vote for independence). And being a large country means some states would be larger than Scotland, and more viable as independent countries.