Queen Elizabeth: Scotland Should ‘Think Very Carefully’ Before Possibly Leaving U.K.

Scotland goes to the polls in just a few days on the question of whether to declare independence from the United Kingdom and stand on its own two feet.

In recent months, politicians have been streaming north from London, urging the countrymen of William Wallace to maintain unity with its island neighbors and preserve what is the current United Kingdom.

But one of the voices not yet heard in the run up to a vote on independence was that of her majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

The silence was broken Sunday (September 14), as the queen instructed Scots to think carefully about the possibility of declaring independence from the United Kingdom, according to The Associated Press.

The Associated Press also reported that the queen had attended church near her estate at Balmoral in Scotland, and told a well-wisher that all Scots should “think very carefully about the future.”

Many looking at the future of Scotland and the United Kingdom have focused not only on the question of independence, but the economic realities independence would bring to the island in northern Europe.

Among those taking a look at the economics of Scottish succession is the New York Times editorial board, which said the county would “face significant economic risks if it leaves Britain.”

“This will be particularly true if it keeps using the pound as its currency.

“Scotland’s economy relies heavily on financial services and oil production, and it is in much better shape than the economies of other European nations. Its unemployment rate, for instance, was 6.4 percent in the second quarter, substantially lower than the unemployment rate of 11.5 percent in the 18-country eurozone. But independence could make Scotland vulnerable to new problems that cannot be easily dismissed.

“Scottish independence leaders say the country will continue using the British pound, even after independence. That would be a terrible idea. The euro crisis provides a vivid example of the dangers of a currency union that is not accompanied by a political union.”

The Times editorial board said such a move is what caused the recessions that are still felt in countries like Greece and Spain, noting that the nations did not have a central bank.

The editorial board also noted the impact oil and gas production would have on the country, which has large operations based offshore in the North Sea.

So what do you think? Do the risks outweigh the freedom the nation would experience if it left the U.K.? And what do you think of the queen’s comments? Tell us in the comments section.

[Image via dd4cottage.blogspot.com]