Truth hurts eh?

Well, no, because Woodrow from The Internet has hee-haw idea about discussions and what intentions are, and what negotiations might be.

The clamour for EU membership is down the Scottish Gov because it knows that Scotland is not viable outside of the UK on its own, so needs the safety net of the EU.

After the last referendum and the invective on both sides, most 'noisy neighbours' down here couldn't give a toss if you left.

Just have the courage of your convictions and go.

What negotiations? The idea that the EU will even talk to Scotland formally at the expense of the half dozen countries that have been bustin' their arses for years to meet EU criteria is farcical. Your another one that needs to get down the doctors sharpish.

Sadly it isn't going to get that safety net, no matter how much people read into words to make them say things they want them to say.

It's funny really, the thought that the EU would do something that would severely jeopardise not only their current agreements with existing members, but harm them in terms of agreements with other Countries seeking to join, in order to let Scotland side step the formal processes...
Why, because Scotland is pro-EU? Are all of the other Countries that want to join, and those that have joined not pro-EU?

Definitely, and without doubt the EU hierarchy already know that. They will also be wondering how long will it take for Scotland to upset the applecart.

To be fair, there's no reason why an independent Scotland wouldn't be able to join the EU as a member state in its own right.

But the unfortunate snag is that it would have to apply like any other prospective member state has to. There wouldn't be any special treatment for it.

Again nothing more than your own personal assertions and wishes.

I had to read this twice, I thought it was written by somebody that was English, and then realised it wasn't.
p.s. you forgot to mention Westminster

Prove it. In recent years Iceland look set to be fast tracked into the EU when it's economy was struggling. Prove that Scotland would be out in the cold and at the back of the queue.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...celand-join-eu

Eventually there will be £248 million per week less going into the coffers. I doubt if they will be that generous in the future.

That article is nearly 8 years old. Things have changed you know.

When Sturgeon popped off to Brussels after the EU referendum result, she was told that before scotland would be considered for EU membership it would have to first be independent of the UK.

That's the message that was given to her from the horses mouth. I expect she kinda regrets her haste to go there now after that seeing as it put an end to any speculation over it like there was in the run up the referendum 2 years ago.

I'm pretty sure you didn't miss this at the time.

Missed this one but I can assure you despite the message the SNP chose to put on a ballot paper, and it could be any message. We don't directly elect our FM in Scotland. Maybe you should move to the US, they do directly elect thief leader.

What it shows is that the EU is willing to make exceptions and given that Scotland has been in the EU since day one the claim that we'd be sent to the back of the queue sounds like embittered and tragic wishful thinking on the part of people like yourself. Get a life.

No what it shows(or predicts) is that Iceland did apply to join in july 2009 and subsequently dropped the application in 2015. Fast track indeed.

It's a great idea but how would you put it into practice? Would we be devolved into the EU? Who would pay our EU contributions? Would we have free movement across the EU and how woukdnthe rest of the UK control this? Would it mean English students might qualify for free uni fees?

While an idea that might just work I can't see a situation where the UK is out of the EU but Scotland and NI are fully in it. How would trade work, do the rest of the UK drive all the goods to Scotland to ship them to the EU?

I think the SNP like this idea because it's set up to fail. Given that we have no ide what Brexit looks like yet then once again we are jumping the gun here.

nail on head

and when it does fail they can blame westminster rather than admit it was just not viable in the first place

just another example of the SNP's "grievance politics"

People are just being realistic. This doesn't mean scotland would be "sent to the back of the queue" as if is some sort of spiteful thing. It's just that it would have to formally apply like any other prospective member state. I don't see why anybody should have a problem with that.

EU has also had its fingers burnt in recent years with the blind eyes that it's turned in the past coming back to bite it in the arse - Greece being a good example. So it is most certainly going to be wary, and of course, one of the top net contributors is not renewing its membership. That's something else it will have to be considering.

As has been said by Anndra, that's your opinion and that's it. The EU is changing following Brexit, has to, and I wouldn't think they'd be too reluctant to let an independent Scotland in following the UK's actions. But, that's my opinion only, just as your posting is yours. My judgement, though, is based on the fact Sturgeon has had some conversations already, and statements made by people who will, in time, make these decisions. There's a starting point there, with work to do. But, there's a starting point.

Certainly, its not a complete no no as you say, unless you have magical mind reading powers from afar. Do you? Do you have magical mind reading powers from afar?

Are you an X-Man???

Good practical points. Also what would happen to the 31,000 civil servants based in Scotland but work for central government?

If people couldn't give a toss, why do people contribute to this thread, and are so vocal against it? If you actually shut up, and let the process continue and conclude one way or the other, it will be done.

As I said, noisy neighbours. "What the hell are they doing, who do they fink they are?" Its like living next to a household of chavs who are a bit wary of those foreigners.

Bill you are free to return to Scotland at any time and leave those nasty English behind surely that is your ambition isn't it?

No one is forcing you to live a life of misery in Portsmouth.

If we step back from the argument for a weeminute and consider the real options from an EU perspective here for a moment.

Brexit happens and the EU lose a huge contributing nation, leaving a large hole in the EU funding for countries that are beneficiaries.

Scotland goes independent and is given EU status straight away but wait, Scotland now wants £15 billion a year just to keep level. The alternative is to take on a Scotland that could end up like Greece in their eyes.

On top of this we also have other EU nations like Belgium and Spain worried about their own countries independence movements.

If you are running the EU what would you do?

On the other hand I think it would be really good if the EU simply said Yes or No before any referendum, this would simplify matters either way.