New EU deal could ‘pave the way’ for Scottish independence

A (Image: Getty)

Scots who person had their hearts acceptable connected its independency could beryllium successful luck for 1 astonishing reason, an planetary affairs adept has said.

Despite being hundreds of miles distant from Scotland, the result of a referendum connected Iceland’s introduction into the European Union could clasp the keys to the country's future.

Iceland’s speedy acceptance into the EU, arsenic it meets the union’s azygous marketplace criteria, would embolden those hoping to reintegrate an autarkic Scotland, Dr Kirsty Hughes, erstwhile manager of the European Centre connected European Relations said.

“An Iceland accession process moving up of each the different existent candidates is rather likely,” Dr Hughes wrote successful an online blog.

“A swift process for Iceland would show that an autarkic Scotland applying to articulation the EU could determination comparatively accelerated too.”

Scottish independency has agelong been a cornerstone of SNP argumentation (Image: Getty)

“Iceland’s caller authorities intelligibly sees [the] governmental benefits of having a spot astatine the EU array … If a state 10 times smaller than Scotland by colonisation sees governmental benefits from being successful the club, wherefore wouldn’t Scotland?” she added.

Iceland has a colonisation of astir 393,600 successful 2023, portion Scotland’s reached a highest of 5,490,100 successful the aforesaid year.

A caller authorities was installed successful Iceland connected December 21 nether Social Democrat Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir. Its stated aims were to chopped ostentation and interest rates and clasp a referendum connected EU rank earlier 2027, according to Reuters.

While the UK arsenic a full voted to permission the EU successful 2016, the bulk of Scottish voters wanted to stay - making the welcoming of an autarkic Scotland backmost into the fold an charismatic imaginable for many. Dissenters person warned that the process could instrumentality years and effect successful a hard borderline with England.

But the messaging could beryllium cardinal to unlocking much of the country’s vote, or, to punctuation First Minister John Swinney, assistance to “build governmental enactment for independency truthful that [it] is simply a compelling proposition to the radical of Scotland”.

A referendum connected Scottish independency from the United Kingdom was held successful Scotland connected 18 September 2014 - with voters choosing to stay arsenic portion of the UK.

“Scottish independency volition lone travel astir if 2 things happen: if enactment for the SNP is precise high; and if radical are convinced by the merits and arguments for Scottish independence,” Mr Swinney told the BBC earlier this month.

He added that portion helium wanted independence, which has been a cornerstone SNP argumentation for decades, “as rapidly arsenic possible”, the alteration “will lone hap erstwhile the radical of Scotland are persuaded successful capable numbers that independency is the champion aboriginal for our country”.

Mr Swinney was accused of pontificating by the seat of pro-UK run radical Scotland successful Union, however, who said the shrinking fig of SNP representatives elected past July showed a “rejection” of the independency telephone from “the radical of Scotland”.

“People volition beryllium precise acrophobic to perceive the First Minister picture separation arsenic an urgent precedence portion the NHS is connected its knees, acquisition is successful free-fall and assembly services person been chopped to the bone,” helium said.

He added: “The nationalist privation a authorities focused connected existent priorities, not the SNP’s obsession with breaking up the UK.”