General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Hi DU! I'll be voting in the Scottish Independence Referendum on Thursday... [View all]muriel_volestrangler
(106,157 posts)You said "It voted itself in with express agreement to remain in forever. " That was what I was saying. That is equivalent to an American state.
"Nothing is more representative of Scotland than a vote of its population."
Yes, and in the 18th century, there was no concept of a vote of the population. They had representative government (with a highly restricted electorate, just as all parliaments did then), and no-one had heard of a 'referendum' (the first referendum in British history was in the 1970s, about staying in the EU). The government of Scotland voluntarily abolished itself, and merged with the rest of Great Britain. I'm not saying that the modern referendum is invalid; I'm saying that it was never thought of as a way to make a valid decision, when the union was made. So the union was seen as permanent.