Scottish Independence

[Laurinaohtar 133]

How many Scots do we have here? Just wondering how you all plan to vote.

 

Personally I'm of the opinion that we would all be better off with a 'No' vote but being English I probably don't have any reason to wish for Scotland to split from the rest of UK. I do think parliament should be better organised so that the Scottish MPs can't vote on issues that only affect Wales, England or NI and vice versa but as whole I think we are a stronger country together.

[LordVorontur 185]

Heh. (I'm no Scotsman)

I am of the opinion that No would be better for Scotland as a whole, and also the UK as a whole.

I personally believe this is about Alex Salmond and the fact that he wants more power and a better title than First Minister of Scotland.

Saying that, should they decide to stay this madness, I urge them to beg the Swedish government to be allowed to be Swedes and to cede Scotland to Sweden

[Laurinaohtar 133]

Off topic: Showing my ignorance but I only recently became aware that Sweden had a royal family, who knew?!

[Doro 818]

Off topic: Showing my ignorance but I only recently became aware that Sweden had a royal family, who knew?!

Most European countries have some form of (now redundant and vestigial) royal family... and they're all fucking related!

[fittybolger 77]

I can't comment on Scottish yes / no as I'm not familiar with the details.

 

In Canada we have had Quebec separation looming over the political landscape for decades and while I'm sure the issues are very different I would bet there is at least one similarity... the rest of the UK will be pissed and will not want to make it an easy ride to independence.

 

Quebec wanted to keep Canadian currency, pensions, passports... and of course didn't want to discuss their share of the national debt.

 

Wanting to pick and choose what you like and don't like about the nation you are breaking up is likely to be met by a fair amount of hostility in the negotiations.

[Laurinaohtar 133]

There are a lot of unanswered questions in this instance as well.

 

Those in the Yes campaign want to keep the pound but parliament says it is unlikely to let that happen. What then?

English working in Scotland and vice versa suddenly become foreigners, do they need a work permit? A visa?

Border control, will there be any? The UK doesn't sign up to the rest of the EU with having open borders, it is unlikely to want to leave a big loophole to that in Scotland.

The UK hosts most of its nuclear weapons in Scotland, where do they go now?

How much of the national debt do Scotland have to take?

Do Scottish soldiers join the Scottish army or stay in there regiments?

and many more...

 

There may be good answers to many of these and I have just missed them but there does seem to be a lot still to sort out in the event of a Yes vote.

[Thunderloin 153]

I listened to a BBC radio interview with one of the English party leaders a couple of nights ago - I don't remember which party he was from.

 

He sounded very paternalistic, almost patronizing, throughout the interview.  There was a lot of, "What the Scottish people really want..." from him.

 

I'm an American, so I don't have a dog in this fight, but even so I thought that if I were a Scotsman, hearing this guy speak I would've been thinking, "Oh, really?  Tell me more about how you know what's best for me and what I want, you pompous prick."

[Doro 818]

I listened to a BBC radio interview with one of the English party leaders a couple of nights ago - I don't remember which party he was from.

 

He sounded very paternalistic, almost patronizing, throughout the interview.  There was a lot of, "What the Scottish people really want..." from him.

 

I'm an American, so I don't have a dog in this fight, but even so I thought that if I were a Scotsman, hearing this guy speak I would've been thinking, "Oh, really?  Tell me more about how you know what's best for me and what I want, you pompous prick."

Welcome to politics.

[Jedy2 30]

There are a lot of unanswered questions in this instance as well.

 

1 - Those in the Yes campaign want to keep the pound but parliament says it is unlikely to let that happen. What then?

2 - English working in Scotland and vice versa suddenly become foreigners, do they need a work permit? A visa?

3 - Border control, will there be any? The UK doesn't sign up to the rest of the EU with having open borders, it is unlikely to want to leave a big loophole to that in Scotland.

4 - The UK hosts most of its nuclear weapons in Scotland, where do they go now?

 

 

 

1 - Euro

2 - Quick way to learn what it is to be a bloody foreigner..

3- Hadrian's Wall, been there....

4 - As  Ukraine - let Britain, USA and a few other coutries give Sctoland guarantees in return...

 

Freedom for Munchkins!!!!

[MueR 1,511]

and they're all fucking related!

That's usually how family ties start, yes.

[Thunderloin 153]

Welcome to politics.

 

Very true.

[Spidey 123]

I think a violent seccession would be best.

[cossieuk 209]

As a Scotsman, I will try to answer these as best as I cant.

 

There are a lot of unanswered questions in this instance as well.
 
Those in the Yes campaign want to keep the pound but parliament says it is unlikely to let that happen. What then?

Scotland can use the pound, but not in a currency union which the Yes campaign want. This means they will not have a lender of last resort to bail them out when times are tough. Also borrowing cost will be higher as there is more risk of defaults. Eventually they would most likely have to use the Euro as that is a requirement for all new countries joining.

 
 

 

English working in Scotland and vice versa suddenly become foreigners, do they need a work permit? A visa?

[androclese 83]

There are a lot of unanswered questions in this instance as well.

There are only two really important questions to be asked in relation to Scotland:

• What do they wear under their kilts
• Did Donald ever find his troosers

All else is irrelevant

[Darmokk 163]

This thing has many practical problems starting with currency, the national debt of the U.K. and if they want no part of the debt do they get any part of the assets? Especially oil fields. Want no debt? Get no resources. The only debt free country in the world. Then starting to make debt at a rapid rate.

Personally I like more people in the U.K. since that raises the chance to have saner politics in the future, e.g. the nanny and snoop state would probably get worse if the voter pool is reduced.

[LordVorontur 185]

Last poll suggest No side will get more of the Vote.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland-s-decision-the-scotsman-s-verdict-1-3537857

Btw, have put up some really good arguments why it's not a good idea for Scots to vote yes.

 

And yesterday, there were a fair few banks and other major employers who's said that they'll pack up and move south of the Border if there's a Yes vote.

 

To be honest, Alex Salmond can crow about it all he likes, but the facts suggest that Independence will lose Scotland a lot of jobs and won't be economically viable.

As a new country, they'd have to wait 5-6 years to join the EU(takes that long, apparently).

[cossieuk 209]

Last poll suggest No side will get more of the Vote.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland-s-decision-the-scotsman-s-verdict-1-3537857

Btw, have put up some really good arguments why it's not a good idea for Scots to vote yes.

 

And yesterday, there were a fair few banks and other major employers who's said that they'll pack up and move south of the Border if there's a Yes vote.

 

To be honest, Alex Salmond can crow about it all he likes, but the facts suggest that Independence will lose Scotland a lot of jobs and won't be economically viable.

As a new country, they'd have to wait 5-6 years to join the EU(takes that long, apparently).

 

Ant time anyone speaks against Independence the Yes campaign accuse them of bullying and scaremongering.  As for as the Yes campaign believe only Alex Salmond is telling the truth.  In once recent poll 19% of those that will vote Yes believe the vote will be fixed so that No wins

[bhoris 23]

As an Englishman I hope the yes campign wins (although I suspect it won't) purely because it will be interesting to see how things pan out if Scotland leaves the UK.

[Tinker 90]

I have Scottish friends who are adamantly in the 'yes' camp and English friends who are just as strongly on the 'no' side. It's like a really bad, complicated divorce on a massive scale.

[cossieuk 209]

As an Englishman I hope the yes campign wins (although I suspect it won't) purely because it will be interesting to see how things pan out if Scotland leaves the UK.

 

 

In the short term everyone will suffer.  The economy of all countries concerned will take a dip, but it will be worse in Scotland.  Also there is no going back from independence, so if it is really bad on either side then tough we are stuck with it.

[Bango 136]

As an Englishman my own view is that Scotland needs independence, so it can stand on its own two feet, be proud of what it can achieve for itself but more importantly to stop treating the English as though we're out to subjugate them. This also needs to happen for Wales. Northern Ireland is a tricky issue and can accept why the population there would reject any attempt at a reunification with Ireland.

 

Our government can then be focussed around a Westminster parliament with devolved power to counties and districts, with all that regional crap consigned to the dustbin.

[Maconabo 13]

The young Turks sum it up quite well.

 

 

 

 

 

[Thunderloin 153]

The young Turks sum it up quite well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

/applause

[Spidey 123]

There are only two really important questions to be asked in relation to Scotland:

• What do they wear under their kilts
• Did Donald ever find his troosers

All else is irrelevant

You forgot Scotch whiskey!!! As long as it still flows I don't care.

This thing has many practical problems starting with currency, the national debt of the U.K. and if they want no part of the debt do they get any part of the assets? Especially oil fields. Want no debt? Get no resources. The only debt free country in the world. Then starting to make debt at a rapid rate.

Personally I like more people in the U.K. since that raises the chance to have saner politics in the future, e.g. the nanny and snoop state would probably get worse if the voter pool is reduced.

How can you deny a country resources that are contained in said country?

[Maconabo 13]

You forgot Scotch whiskey!!! As long as it still flows I don't care.

How can you deny a country resources that are contained in said country?

 

You cant.

 

 

Scotland will honour its debt- unless England reject a currecy union. If they reject a currency union they have all of th bank of Englands assets and of course its debt. Its not about Scotland wanting no debt, quite the opposit. No currency union = no debt.. Thats why there will be a currency union.