I am not British and so I have no real stake in whether or not Scotland chooses to leave the United Kingdom and strike out on their own. I believe that Scottish independence will result in a more or less permanently conservative bent to the Parliament in London, accompanied by a very socialist government in Scotland. I’m not sure that I look forward to the likely repercussions of that political future, although they will surely be mixed.
I do agree with Boris Johnson, however, that the very character of Britishness will be destroyed with this split. I’m uncertain if the Northern Irish and the Welsh will continue to see Britishness as a thing that is worth maintaining. I hope Scotland doesn’t blow the whole thing up, but I will at least be entertained by what ensues if they choose independence.
This is a very civil way of having a civil war, but just try to imagine if this country had actually split apart in the 1860’s. I don’t think we’d be happy with the result.