How to strengthen the Union?

How to strengthen the Union?

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With the ghastly SNP pushing for a second independence referendum rather than fix Scotland's appalling education system with some of the lowest standards in Europe, I thought it would be good to discuss/debate how to strengthen our Union and fend off the nationalists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. What meaningful policies/ways can you think of to make the United Kingdom stronger?

I always felt in 2014 that the No campaign was awful, and listening to Cameron and Osborne witter on with scare stories made me want to seize the microphone and give a speech myself. A speech on how millions of Scots have died alongside Englishmen in the trenches, in deserts, in jungles defending one country. A speech on how the people of these islands are of shared blood, with my own family having Scot, Ulster and English blood. A speech on how our nuclear weapons and military keep us safe flying the Union Jack, not the St George's Cross or Saltire. You get the picture. Emotive! In my view, the SNP have only got this far because no one has yet made that bloody obvious argument.

Here's my ideas. What do you think of them? Agree, disagree or think of anything better?

Ways to save the Union: 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇯🇪 #indyref2

1. Refuse any referendum, we had one in 2014 and the SNP themselves said it was a once-in-a-generation. Hold firm as the SNP will only demand a 3rd if they lose a 2nd. Nothing gained by holding one.

1/

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

2. Like the EU plastered its flag over all funding initiatives, so too must Whitehall. The Union Jack ought to be plastered all over anything funded from Whitehall, with prominent display mandated by law as EU flag was.

2/ pic.twitter.com/Db09IqIf0O

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

3. Mandate a UK-wide history/citizenship class in all state schools across the country. Focus on constitution, emotive topics such as wars/sacrifice and values.

3/ pic.twitter.com/ZMqWmIMGFt

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

4. All UK schools must fly the Union flag, either alongside the saltires/crosses or alone. Australia did this in 1990s when support for flag was faltering, and support is now at 65%+ in support of flag. Instil pride.

4/ pic.twitter.com/i59MxvZVQ2

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

5. Reconnect British transport links, particularly rail. The country used to be much better connected, with direct rail links from Liverpool Exchange to Scotland. Now impossible to go direct. In other words, reverse Lord Beeching.

/5 pic.twitter.com/vC7bSJLnau

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

6. Provide funding so that every British child has the opportunity of a school trip to another part of the kingdom outside of their constituent country. Class trip to Edinburgh from Wolverhampton, class trip from Aberdeen to London. Quash "another country" thinking early.

6/ pic.twitter.com/WrXXvWXfVg

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

7. Creation of a British football team. Can be done without fury by just re-naming the England team (the only one which usually qualifies) into a UK one and taking Scots/Irish/Welsh into. Easily done.

7/ pic.twitter.com/RwKI8SRdrJ

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

8. Vary ceremonial event venues. No reason why an incoming PM with intense media coverage can't sometimes go to Balmoral Castle to kiss ring of the Queen and form a government. Less London-centric.

/end pic.twitter.com/7kgOJt4inW

— Daniel (@instaDG) January 23, 2021

I agree with all of the above.

Espeically this:

Refuse any referendum

Quite frankly, I am fed up of Sturgeon going on and on and on about independence every damn time. She just wants her name in the history books. All politicians are selfish. I have so many Scottish customers, none of them want independence, and they are spread all over Scotland. Actually, they think Nicola is crazy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Saurav

I agree with all of the above.

Espeically this:

Refuse any referendum

Quite frankly, I am fed up of Sturgeon going on and on and on about independence every damn time. She just wants her name in the history books. All politicians are selfish. I have so many Scottish customers, none of them want independence, and they are spread all over Scotland. Actually, they think Nicola is crazy.

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To be quite frank, even if she were to get to hold a second referendum and won I don't see why there shouldn't then be a third referendum.

In 2014 as strong as a Unionist as I am, I backed the referendum going ahead to settle the issue which clearly had significant support in Scotland. But if she's going to just dismiss that first referendum because it didn't go her and the nationalists way, I don't see why unionists like myself and the other half of Scotland should accept the results of a second referendum that went in her favour. As they say, what's good for the goose...

Sturgeon clearly doesn't accept referendum results (2014 Scotland, 2016 Brexit) so why the hell should anyone accept when she wins one?

Oh boy I could go on all day about this.

Simply put, if it doesn't die down after the next few years, which hopefully are stable (Both COVID-19 and Brexit have done wonders for the SNP), then give them a 2nd referendum, but alllow British Citizens in Scotland to vote as well as people born in Scotland living elsewhere in the UK to vote. Do that, get a bigger No majority, and you've killed the movement.