Look forward to it I know our politics differ but do respect your opinion.
I for leave for both because there is a democratic deficit for both.
Ok, I'll kick off though I suspect this may need to be a multipart answer.
Basically I see there as being a benefit in being made at the best level for them following the idea of subsidiarity but this has to be overlaid with what is possible to achieve and what are the best next steps.
To take independence for Scotland first, I for a long time was a federalist, ideally I still would be. However, we went through a period where we centralised UK powers reducing local democracy and then along came the Scottish parliament. After a number of years, it was clear that federalism wouldn't happen (the powerhouse of the North which is closest in recent times looks a piece of window dressing). Also the parliament lead us to not just a democratic deficit but a responsibility deficit where no one seemed to be really responsible. Along with the historic differences as regards law and education, it seemed to me the best thing on offer to address a problem apparent for a hundred years or more that was on offer was independence.
Note I thought that would also deal with a mis-shape in the democracy in the overall UK or at least kick off dealing with it. It was a pity that the unionist parties didn't pop a devo max option on the ballot paper as I think given it was policy for some and would have addressed the responsibility deficit pretty fully, it would have given them real status in Scotland and allowed them to fully expose the ' don't frighten the horses' approach of the SNP. The Vow with its vagueness and being all things to all unionists has just ended up with a further gap in democracy not having been voted for and no one really knowing what it meant.
This may lead to something useful but to take an example you mentioned elsewhere, the income tax bid by Labour illustrates the mess. Fair enough it was an attempt to regain their anti austerity credentials but it was always doomed. That wouldn't be bad if it didn't show up the current problems. So the Scottish Govt can only adjust all tax bands the same, so it looked as if they would end,up taxing the lower rate tax payers and regressively at that. Instead of having planned to deal with something that had to happen, they then ran round talking about a rebate system that appeared to cost more to implement than they were going to raise. As the further powers crystallise it may be that this sort of issue can be avoided, one hopes so.
That leaves me hoping that over the next couple of years there is a proper devolution of powers, though without full devolution of welfare, it's a difficult juggling game for any Scottish Govt. I don't think we should have another referendum for the foreseeable future, but I think the problems remain. Should there be a vote to leave the EU overall but a strong vote to stay in Scotland, there is a definite argument for another referendum but, as I agreed with Prof D, the complexity of how any leave/stay mechanisms work seem to be a nightmare.
The case for staying in the EU to me seems to be that the democratic deficit is one that could be addressed internally, it is currently much more federated than the UK ever could be. Also many of the decisions taken, such as the refugee crisis which is likely to get worse in my opinion, but also questions of what defense means, seem to me to need to be taken in a large block. Larger than the UK and in one that because of how it is currently constituted has the means to develop forward.
I worry that the UK would become essentially a reaction to the loss of its central role that still haunts the rhetoric of many leavers. That along with a strong hint of less support for workers and deregulation that will only help the rich. And yes there is a problem with the sign up to TTIP with staying in the EU, I just don't see that following with less protection in an out UK.
As noted, this will need to be part of a larger set of posts and I haven't begun to address what I think are very valid challenges from Jack Knave about the control of fiscal policy under ever closer union. Or looked at how independent any nation currently is. But think that is enough for a start.
One thing is I'm not wedded to either side emotionally here, nor do I think it is clear that there is a right side. It's an accumulation of guesses and having to come down on one side eventually. One thing that I suspect was a mistake from Cameron was the timing. It means for us in Scotland, Wales and NI we will follow parliamentary elections with another campaign. I think the vote may be down simply because of boredom. Given the current polling that is bad news for stay in the EU.
