The SNP Scottish government has rolled out its latest paper on independence, this time focused on citizenship. Like others in the series (this is the fifth paper on secession in twelve months) it offers nothing new, goes big on fantasising about a future that won’t happen, and is completely removed from the day-to-day needs of Scots.
The paper works off the assumption that an independent Scotland will be a member of the European Union. Yet it ignores the obvious economic and potential political impediments to this happening, at least in any reasonable timeframe.
It also assumes that an independent Scotland will be in the EU but with an opt-out from the Schengen Agreement, which provides for completely unrestricted movement of people between member states. With this opt-out secure, an independent Scotland will continue to be part of the UK/Ireland common travel area, the paper again assumes.
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