I did say it. The referendum campaign was a shit show and brought out the worst on all sides, as expected. It fostered and encouraged anti English sentiment, and resulted in anti Scottish sentiment too for that matter. I'm not surprised by that, just as I'm not surprised how the forthcoming EU referendum is being handled by the politicians, media, and public at large either. Electioneering is not set up to appeal to reason and positivity. The soundbites, headlines and social media posts certainly aren't.

I don't know why the other guy thought I took issue with what the Scots do with their votes. Why would I? The issues surrounding the Union are in many cases to do with fairness and balance, and that can reasonably be someone's position regardless of whichever soap box they occupy. I'm as eager to address this as the average SNP supporter is. I also don't particularly care if the dissolution of the Union is the end result, although I likely harbour a little more sentiment for it than what I commonly hear expressed these days.

I also don't have a low opinion of the electorate, as has been leveled at me by others. Wanting to leave the EU and dissolve the Union, for example, is no less a valid position to take by someone than wanting to stay in the EU and dissolve the Union is. Whether you're an SNP, Lib, Labour, Tory, in, out or shake it all about supporter may well be a perfectly valid stance to take depending upon the circumstances of the individual, or of the cause they champion. That's not to say that I can't consider them misguided, manipulated, deluded, or just plain wrong, but that is the case for every single one of us if you switch your viewpoint. It's hardly as if the majority vote for what they think is actually best for all concerned over the entire UK; they instead vote for their self interest, their "traditional" party (whether influenced through location, class, economic and/or familial considerations), or for whoever has delivered the point that preyed best upon their emotions. I'm influenced by all these factors and many more, just as any other human is, and while my reading of the current situation and where my vote shall be cast may differ from yours, I assure you I did not come by it flippantly.

My post was not meant to be about that anyway. It was simply intended to point out that, for a considerable number of the English electorate, the EU referendum gives them two factors of influence for their vote with regards to potentially leaving the EU and therefore also nudging Scotland towards exit from the Union. Millions of people in England would not need to compromise their views whatsoever to find that an acceptable outcome on both counts.