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Londoner
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What will replace the Union government?I can see the very real advantages that independence will bring to Scotland (although the fact that the people want independence is of course sufficient in itself). However has there been much thought about what sort of structures will need to be set up to discuss issues of mutual interest between an independent Scotland and England? For example, will there be some or all of the following:
Will each nation have large embassies in the other's capital?
Will there be some Council of the Islands?
Will there be informal day-to-day consultation on the range of issues that are of common interest?
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Aventinian
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An diplomatic mission within the Commonwealth is a High Commission, not an embassy.
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Corby Boy
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Av, you are assuming here that Scotland stays within the commonwealth. If it were to become a republic, than an embassy is wholly appropriate don't you think?
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Economist
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Re: What will replace the Union government? | Londoner wrote: | | Will each nation have large embassies in the other's capital? |
Embassies or High Commissions, yes.
| Londoner wrote: | | Will there be some Council of the Islands? |
Such a body already exists, but I would imagine this would continue and have a role in co-ordinating communication between the independent Governments. There is lots of ways it could work. Delegations from each country could meet every so often to discuss areas of mutual interest, or just the Heads of Government of the 4 countries (5 if we include Eire).
| Londoner wrote: | | Will there be informal day-to-day consultation on the range of issues that are of common interest? |
I don't know about day-to-day consultation on issues of common interest, I don't think it would be so frequent.
I'd imagine the relationship between the countries would develop in the way that the relationship between the UK and Eire has developed.
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Aventinian
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| Corby Boy wrote: | | Av, you are assuming here that Scotland stays within the commonwealth. If it were to become a republic, than an embassy is wholly appropriate don't you think? |
If I recall correctly, most Commonwealth nations don't have the Queen as head of state.
The only ex-colonies who aren't in it are either unstable, have a hugely inflated ego (America) or a giant chip on their shoulder (Ireland).
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Cymro
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How about Hong Kong Aventinan?
Iraq, Burma, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Sudan, Somalia, Kuwait, Eritrea, Bahrain, Bhutan, the UAE, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Qatar could all join if they wanted due to historic links.
A republic can be members, they merely recognise the Queen as head of the Commonwealth not as head of the State.
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Pip
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I think a council of the isles is a great idea, provided no one tries to give it any power.
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Corby Boy
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This council exists now as part of the good Friday agreement re: NI.
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Aventinian
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| Cymro wrote: | | How about Hong Kong Aventinan? |
Hong Kong was absorbed, without the consent of anybody other than the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, into a mildly insane Communist country with a terrible human rights record.
[quote] Iraq, Burma, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Sudan, Somalia, Kuwait, Eritrea, Bahrain, Bhutan, the UAE, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Qatar could all join if they wanted due to historic links.
Many of these countries had only parts under British rule, any many of them are dictatorships or at least lack an adequate human rights record to be considered.
Take Somalia for example, only a small part of that was composed of British Somaliland. Plus I don't think they have a government at the moment...
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SouthernJock
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Im going to stick my tuppence worth in on this
You dont have to have been British, or speak English to be a memner of the Commonwealth
Case in point is Mozambique, which is a former Portuguese colony and Portuguese is the languague spoken there
For all members of the Commonwealth, the embassies are called high commissions, in each others country.
So with an independent Scotland, it would have High Commissions in the other Commonwealth countries, republic or otherwise.
The only change that may happen is the Commonwealth has already dropped its 'British' prefix and is known simply as The commonwealth
or The Commonwealth of Nations
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Blackleaf
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| Quote: | | Av, you are assuming here that Scotland stays within the commonwealth. If it were to become a republic, than an embassy is wholly appropriate don't you think? |
Could it not be a republic in the Commonwealth?
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Pip
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| Quote: | | This council exists now as part of the good Friday agreement re: NI |
Yeah, it's call the British-Irish Council IIRC. I;d like to see them commission enlightening pamphlets and documentaries, orrganize joint summer camps for children etc, to improve understanding and good feeling, as well as the discussions they have at the moment.
Currently there's no specifically English representation, as there;s no body to represent specifically England.
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