If Scotland becomes independent, it won't be because the UK doesn't believe in itself, it's because the UK believes it's a democratic and consensual union. Beli

If Scotland becomes independent, it won't be because the UK doesn't believe in itself, it's because the UK believes it's a democratic and consensual union. Believing in democracy the way the UK does can only happen if it has consequences. (Other countries have other ideas about what democracy means; I don't mean to say they don't believe in democracy because they draw different conclusions.) Even the Scottish and Catalonian referenda were different: The Scottish referendum happened with the toleration of the central government, whereas the Catalonian referendum was ruled unlawful and widely boycotted. This was precisely because the UK believed in itself. Spain had a different understanding of itself - equally strong - and didn't want to go to the polls for it.