Scottish Independence

[GodsDaughter1981]

Hi there UK Fred... daft question alert (sorry!)

Which group do you mean by "the most numerous constituent of that group in Scotland"?

 

[genestealerbroodlord]

I agree that we should take steps towards unity, but I don't see why an independent Scotland would help that.

Scotland as it's own independant state within a united Europe is purely my own preferance for my country. However, I do feel that England has always resisted being part of Europe and will eventually be left behind. I don't wan't that for Scotland.

There has always been a special relationship between the US and the UK, But as Europe grows closer, I believe America will lean more to Europe proper and again leaving England further behind.

I just don't wan't to be part of a country that is too stubborn to move with the times. The British Empire is dead and some people in power have to understand that and move forward to a better more unified world.

 

[TemperateSeaIsland]

Scottish independence: Salmond, Cameron loch horns over referendum - YouTube

 

[Nabobalis]

Scottish independence: Salmond, Cameron loch horns over referendum - YouTube

Is that real? I've seen many clips like that but I'm never sure if they are part of actual news shows.

 

[Cromulent]

I'm not going to bother replying to loads of individual posts, but two things have stuck out:

-An independent Scotland would not be a world military power, and would not need to engage in world military power levels of spending. Holyrood would not need attack submarines, aircraft carriers, and nuclear weapons. All Scotland would need would be a decent coastguard/navy to protect against drug trafficking/smuggling/illegal immigration, and a small army which could be sent to assist with peacekeeping operations, or disaster relief. Who's going to invade Scotland? Iceland?!

-Scotland should not have to give back all of the assets of the UK, but shoulder a proportion of the debt, as some are suggesting. Either they get a fair proportion of the assets, and the debt, or they get neither. The RBS comments are a little silly. The Scottish people aren't really any more responsible for the RBS collapse than the British people were responsible for BP's Deepwater Horizon.

 

[lismore]

Maybe the Scottish Government should start a legal challenge against the result of the 1707 referendum.

 

[Bish bash bosh]

Maybe the Scottish Government should start a legal challenge against the result of the 1707 referendum.

Maybe the NATS and Alex Salmond should try and end this massive period of uncertainty they have created?

Bish

 

[lismore]

Couldn't agree more. Labour are the scum of the entire UK!

It's unusual for a Catholic to be anti-Labour! Traditionally in Scotland the Catholic Church strongly supported Labour.

 

[GodsDaughter1981]

Maybe the NATS and Alex Salmond should try and end this massive period of uncertainty they have created?

Bish

Hi there,

Not sure what uncertainty you mean. If you're talking about George Osborne's list of companies which are apparently wary of investing in the UK due to the "uncertainty", I'd ask you to show me evidence of that.

On the other hand, several companies including Amazon seem to have had no such qualms. In addition, Alex Salmond is going over to the Middle East to negotiate investments. Now, since he didn't force his visit upon the people of Abu Dhabi, one must assume he was invited. And an invitation to talk about investments doesn't seem like an act of uncertainty to me.

Other than that, I'm not sure what uncertainty you mean. Maybe you could clarify a little?

Thanks and have a great day

** edit: lismore, after the appalling contempt shown by Labour to the people of Scotland (I'm thinking Glasgow in particular here) can you blame anyone, Catholic or otherwise, for wanting nothing more to do with the Labour party? I certainly can't. Labour are (and have been for a while) the party of self-serving irrelevance.

 

[theFijian]

On the other hand, several companies including Amazon seem to have had no such qualms.

Well would you have qualms about accepting £1.8m in tax-payers money?

 

[theFijian]

One positive note is that the Tory scallywags and their Liberal hirelings have absolutely no authority in Scotland. The Tories hold only one seat in Scotland and have no mandate for any say in any decisions here.

How many Conservative and Lib Dem MSPs are there?

Why aren't you answering a very simple question lismore?

 

[GodsDaughter1981]

Well would you have qualms about accepting £1.8m in tax-payers money?

Sorry, friend... you've lost me. Amazon, being a private company, don't receive public funding. I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Would you mind clarifying a bit?

 

[theFijian]

Sorry, friend... you've lost me. Amazon, being a private company, don't receive public funding. I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Would you mind clarifying a bit?

Lol did you not read your own link?

"Amazon is to get a grant of £1.8m from Scottish Enterprise"

Who is Scottish Enterprise and where do they get this kind of money from?

 

[GodsDaughter1981]

I could be wrong (it happens! ) but I always thought Scottish Enterprise was made up of both private business investors with and backing from the Scottish Govt. I'm happy to be corrected, though (as I am in all cases).

Forgive me, I still misunderstand: what does your argument have to do with Scottish Independence? The point I was making was that companies do indeed want to invest in Scotland, despite Westminster's scaremongering.

 

[Bish bash bosh]

Hi there,

Not sure what uncertainty you mean. If you're talking about George Osborne's list of companies which are apparently wary of investing in the UK due to the "uncertainty", I'd ask you to show me evidence of that.

I'm not sure what uncertainty you mean. Maybe you could clarify a little?

Thanks and have a great day

Surely, I'm talking about the uncertainty of EU membership, which currency Scotland retains and who controls interest rates of we keep the pound.


And here's a thought.The fiscal budget is largely determined by oil revenues (and consequently, oil prices and the strength of the dollar), when oil prices fall the Scottish Government would need to go to the financial market for cash to make up the short fall ... otherwise services would need to be cut.

Now that's what I call uncertainty.



Bish

 

[lismore]

Why aren't you answering a very simple question lismore?

I assumed you'd know. It's a matter of public record.

There is one Conservative MP in Scotland out of 59 seats.
There are eleven Liberal MPs in Scotland out of 59 seats.
12/59

There are 15 Conservative MSPs out of 129 seats.
There are 5 Liberal MSPs out of 129 seats.
20/129

Neither figure gives a majority.

Neither in MPs or MSPs were the coalition elected into government for Scotland. They have zero authority on Scottish matters.

There are more Giant Pandas in Scotland than Tory MPs and more Scottish beavers than liberals in either parliament.

 

[theFijian]

Neither in MPs or MSPs were the coalition elected into government for Scotland. They have zero authority on Scottish matters.

Really? So 15% of our elected representatives in the Scottish parliament have 'zero authority'? I'm not sure you're aware how democracy works

 

[GodsDaughter1981]

Actually, lismore is right. The coalition have no mandate to do anything in Scotland. They were not given a majority in parliament. The Conservatives and Lib Dems have mandates in their own constituencies, but that's it. As far as the whole of Scotland goes, they're an irrelevance.

when oil prices fall the Scottish Government would need to go to the financial market for cash to make up the short fall ... otherwise services would need to be cut.

So...why aren't Norway constantly running to the financial markets for assistance? Why would Scotland be any different?

 

[theFijian]

I could be wrong (it happens! ) but I always thought Scottish Enterprise was made up of both private business investors with and backing from the Scottish Govt. I'm happy to be corrected, though (as I am in all cases).

Forgive me, I still misunderstand: what does your argument have to do with Scottish Independence? The point I was making was that companies do indeed want to invest in Scotland, despite Westminster's scaremongering.

I suppose the point is that companies like Amazon, Aggreko, Motorola etc don't just move jobs here out of the goodness of their hearts, they are given tasty financial incentives to do so, which you are I are underwriting. Then in cases like Motorola when things aren't going so well they either want more money or they ship out just as quickly as they arrived but with slightly less fanfare.

 

[Bish bash bosh]

Actually, lismore is right. The coalition have no mandate to do anything in Scotland. They were not given a majority in parliament. The Conservatives and Lib Dems have mandates in their own constituencies, but that's it. As far as the whole of Scotland goes, they're an irrelevance.



So...why aren't Norway constantly running to the financial markets for assistance? Why would Scotland be any different?

O dear, Norway's Oil industry is state owned, unlike here I'm afraid.

Bish