Independent Scotland....

[Sam]

Thanks for your thoughts Wade, that's what I'm after - some well balanced response.

As I was kind of getting at in the round-off to my last post, Salmond really really isn't the man to do any of this. If Scotland want's it to work they need to be head hunting the best of the best, not drawing up policy in the pub on the back of napkins and answering questions with the opposite of what the UK parliamentary minister sat next to him has said.

I completely agree that the UK on the whole needs reform, that's why I support the Green party - before you snigger, have a look at their policy, you will be blown away. There financial reforms are brilliant. I did the benefit calculator on UGov the other day and myself and my partner are a grand total of.... £41 a year better off working, how does that work!?

One of the big issues, which is what my partners family who live in Scotland keep coming back to, is that originally all Mr Salmond was chasing was more power for Scotland - not a separation from the UK. As a last minute change to manefesto in 2010(?) he lobbed in the promise of a referendum on the UK, as a bit of a hook for any stray 'UKIP' camp voters. He won. He was now stuck with it.

Essentially, Scottish independence - on balance is probably, well... balanced. Unfortunately you have the Scottish version of Nigel Farage leading the charge, which really isn't good for anyone.

[Jackie Treehorn]

Interesting to see the Yes camp "threatening companies with ‘a day of reckoning’ after independence"

  If the Yes camp don't have any counter argument other than the now completely over used "Westminster scare mongering" then the line about the day of reckoning and possible repatriation of the oil industry in the North sea should scare voters enough to vote no.  He added: “BP, in an independent Scotland, will need to learn the meaning of nationalisation, in part or in whole, as it has in other countries who have not been as soft as we have forced to be."

If Scotland votes no, I hope it send a clear message to Salmond and the SNP that 300 years of working together for the greater good of this small island is more important than his parties fanciful ideas.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-independence-fear-and-loathing-in-the-battle-for-scotland-9730442.html


saw this and thought, it makes you wonder how it can all be paid for?

Firstly don't default and pay your debt

- Inland revenue dept
- Home Office - policing and internal security including migration policy and policing
- Foreign Office - unless you want to live under a rock
- Part of Foreign Office - embassies & consulates all over the world - Or use an EU country Embassy which is allowed (if you get in the EU) so basically using UK embassy like before...
- DVLA
- Rail network, rolling stock, track administration and leasing?
- Justice - to lock up the law breakers
- Defence - fast jets, Wars ships and 3,000 - 7000 army including logistically hardware, and existing sites purchased from MOD
- Health Service - not the UK's hospitals in Scotland (we pay and own the hospitals with our NHS contribution) so they will need to be leased I guess tp the Scottish government?
- Agriculture & Environment (Nation trust type administration?)
- Energy & Climate Change - funding set aside for future plans and development, gas purchased from Europe or UK?
- Culture, Media & Sport - together or split up - no BBC?
- Regulation - banks, insurance, telecoms (big phone companies due to make an announcement in the next few days on the future service to Scotland and price hikes for small population service.
- Work, Pensions and Benefit claims administered and paid for, that bill will be huge.
- Communities & Local Government - not needed - Alec with tell them what to do...
- Security Services - expensive and absolutely required in the 21st century

Balancing the books I guess is difficult for any country, and i know the above list is a little tong in cheek, but I don't think i would like to take a walk into the unknown with Salmond TBH.

[CraigW]

If Scotland votes no, I hope it send a clear message to Salmond and the SNP that 300 years of working together for the greater good of this small island is more important than his parties fanciful ideas.

Well said - Couldn't agree more 

[Sam]

Well... this is a pretty powerful interview. I didn't know about West Scotlands resources, it still doesn't change my view on a lot of things nor does it enlighten me to the english media bias - but it's definitely food for thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmAKnchI3ek

On another note, this guy is bloody brilliant to follow on facebook/his blog (and he takes the opposite view to myself on the ref).

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Another-Angry-Voice/185180654855189?fref=ts

http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/liberal-democrats-compassion-welfare.html

[bobbarley]

I just don't really care to be honest.  Although it's obvious Scotland needs the UK more than the UK needs Scotland.  Seems a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.

[damien010685]

I just don't really care to be honest.  Although it's obvious Scotland needs the UK more than the UK needs Scotland.  Seems a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.

Bob I usually agree with a lot you say but that's hilarious!   

[roberto]

I just don't really care to be honest.  Although it's obvious Scotland needs the UK more than the UK needs Scotland.  Seems a bit like biting the hand that feeds you.

:rolleyes:he who doesn't care is usually clueless on the subject of his comments

[Waspy]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-28879267

So, out of interest, what happens when the oil runs out?

[damien010685]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-28879267

So, out of interest, what happens when the oil runs out?

Well it won't happen in the next 10 yrs that's for sure mate so why would we worry west coast and west of Shetland mate barely even touched!! Been in the industry 10 yrs and my family have been in it for over 30 all this it will run out soon is utter pish we find bigger and better fields all the time and as technology gets better we can access reservoirs that we previously couldn't..... And of course that article is from the BBC so is 100% genuine also

[Skred]

Well my two cents is that I'm a born and bred Scot but I also think of myself as a Brit. Despite all of Britain's faults I genuinely feel everyone on this island is served better being united. I hope its a No result with every fibre of my being but it just could be a yes result. As I said, I regard myself as both a Scot and a Brit but its only when you have the prospect of having part of your nationality removed from you that you realise how crap it is.

It's just a shame that the way it has been set up could mean that half of the people of Scotland and the entire population of the rest of the UK are forced into an irreversible change for a nationalism movement that is voted for by mainly (be nice) people who aren't known for being thinkers.

Vote Yes for the movement of educated Scots and their capital moving south of the border? Vote Yes for collapsing house valuations? Vote Yes for higher living costs? Vote Yes for the removal of most of our armed forces strength? Vote Yes for HUGE redundancies across the financial and construction sector? Vote Yes for a Scottish financial depression. Non-thinking Scots everywhere vote Yes. No thanks.

Rule Britannia!!