Lord Robertson Quotes

The Scottish desire for independence is, to some extent, a fabrication. They want to identify themselves as Scots but still to be part of a, to enjoy the subsidy they get from being part of the kingdom.

Georgians aren't interested in labels or affiliation, they're interested in solutions. And that begins by making Washington smaller and America bigger!

As Scots, we certainly want change today, but the change the Nationalists offer is not the change we want or need.

When you have people in a geographical area who do not want to be a part of a country, you cannot keep them in that country forever.

States should have enormous input into the decisions that affect them.

In the space of just 18 months from 1999 to 2001, one of the world’s most centralized nations [Indonesia] burst apart to become one of its most decentralized.

No, I don't think I've ever really favoured English independence. My view is that if the Scots want to be independent then we should aim for the same thing.

Everyone from Silesians to Sicilians to Scots seems to want autonomy or independence. The British voted to leave the European Union, and hostility to the superstate is rising across the continent.

Rename has always been much moor powerful being France on its own than being a province of the European Union.

You may agree or not with Gaddafi's political ideas, but no one has the right to question the existence of Libya as an independent state and member of the United Nations.

The Soviet Union collapsed without a lot of people thinking it should or would, whereas for Estonia, it was something we'd been praying for for 60 years.

That is when the Left is going to love America - when it is not America anymore.

Tory governments are bad for Scotland.

The SNP became a minority government in 2007, then a majority one in 2011. But Labour viewed what was happening as some kind of aberration. They felt the problem wasn't theirs: they didn't have to change; the Scottish people had just gone down this wrong road, and if they waited long enough, they would find their way back.

First and foremost, Scotland is my home, and I do consider myself Scottish, but I also feel very British, and I hope that Scotland stays within the Union. I have a real concern about independence.

I just think it is entirely normal for the United Kingdom to be an independent nation state.

The state has got to be its own master. The modalities of civic life may not be prescribed for it through any power standing outside of that state - be it a private person or be it a community superior, collateral, or subordinate to that state.

I believe a real democracy can only flourish when you have your own nation state, your own identity, even your own flag you can rally around.

The younger generation has become very nationalistic, self-confident. Increasingly, they do not see the Congress as their party.

I want there to be another independence referendum at some stage. I want Scotland to be independent, but I wouldn't choose to have it happen because England votes to come out of the E.U.

Many of the Victorian and Edwardian activists who campaigned for Irish home rule, for instance, also wanted what they called 'home rule all round': separate parliaments not simply for Ireland but also for the Scots and the Welsh - and for the English.

The Catalonian movement is quite serious; I don't think it's simply symbolic. I think that they believe that Catalonia can be more successful on its own than as part of Spain.

This is an absolute turning point in the story of our country because I think if we go on with being enmeshed in the E.U., it will continue to erode our democracy. That is something that worries me.

I happen to belong to that group opinion which holds the break-up of the United Kingdom to be imminent.

We don't need a strongman. But we need a strong country that is not subordinate to Europe.