I wasn't saying Brexit isn't a valid reason for another referendum. I was defending my earlier statement that modern Scottish identity is partly based on a feeling of moral superiority to the English and that this alone would be sufficient to cause the union to break up (let alone the other reasons). My view was described as baseless, it sounds like you think Scots (collectively) are morally superior to English (collectively)?
I'd be interested to hear how you draw the conclusion that Scottish identity is partly based on a feeling of moral superiority. It's not a feeling
I have, and certainly not one that most of my friends and family share. For me it's a desire for self-determination and the ability to govern our affairs at a national level. Since devolution we have gone our own way on certain issues, but have lacked the full powers to deal with others because they're reserved to Westminster. If you think that being proud of certain policies like free prescriptions, university education etc. is virtue signalling, then so be it.
I won't deny that there is some anti-English sentiment among those who desire independence, but this is not the way that all Scots think. You also need to acknowledge that there's a great deal of anti-Scottish sentiment south of the border; in the course of my work I've been told on more than one occasion to get back to my own country, despite sitting at my desk
in my home country.
Scotland wants a lot of immigration to grow its economy and boost its international importance. The population has hardly increased over the last 100 years. On this matter there is clear divergence from England, and another reason for independence. EU membership would provide it with free movement and if England is still outside the EU that stops immigrants moving straight to England, at least straight away.
I haven't agreed with many of your posts so far, but this is important. Our tourism industry relies on immigrant workers, particularly in rural parts where work tends to be seasonal and relatively low-paid; the "native" workforce are here all year round and cannot rely on those wages to keep them going throughout the year.
Maybe if those jobs provided a living wage and were a little more secure, we wouldn't need to bring people from outside the UK to fulfil them.
All I see Scottish Independence achieving is a divided Scotland. The percentage vote isn't likely to be too different to the Brexit UK percentage so you'll be forcing a significant minority to accept independence. Look where the UK are now, a Brexit deal and still divided. History, no matter how old or recent, seems to be something that politicians don't learn from. How much business will leave Scotland if it does go independent? My sister lives and works there and isn't very optimistic about an independent Scotland and she is a very intelligent, well read individual who will have done her research before making a statement like that. Remember meeting some Scots in 2014 in Ireland just before the independence referendum and they said why would they want independence, look at Ireland was their attitude saying it took it 40/50 years just to get back to where is started.
Scotland has been divided for years, so don't pretend that this is a new thing. It's divided along Protestant/Catholic lines, Tory/Labour, Toonser/Teuchter, Remainer/Leaver etc. It's not really much different to the UK as a whole in that respect. What's important is where we find compromise, and there's more chance of that with the electoral system that we have here.
As for "how much business will leave Scotland", this is yet another myth peddled by the (original) Project Fear Brigade. Businesses will stay provided the economic conditions are right for trading. What those economic conditions will be shall be determined by the elected government of a newly-independent Scotland.
We'll manage, thank you.