Letters / Not a foreign country
I see that once again a member of the No campaign (‘Tavish goes on tour to defend the union’, SN 16/7/14) is coming out with the assertion that if we have the temerity to vote Yes on the 18th of September “we will be a foreign country”.
Can I point out that the Republic of Ireland is an independent country but is not a foreign country.
This is not just my opinion, it is in fact the legal position as set out in British constitutional law.
The Ireland Act 1949 states unequivocally: “It is hereby declared that, notwithstanding that the Republic of Ireland is not part of His Majesty’s dominions, the Republic of Ireland is not a foreign country for the purposes of any law in force in any part of the United Kingdom…”
Given that an independent Scotland would be sharing the Queen as head of state with other Commonwealth countries, I should be most interested to hear Tavish Scott’s explanation as to why (in his opinion) Scotland and the other Home Nations in the British Isles would be foreign one to another when the Republic of Ireland, despite being outwith the Commonwealth, is not a foreign country.
Bill Adams,
Lerwick
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