Scottish Independence... What are your thoughts?

[MPS16]

....why is it generally assumed that Scotland will find it impossible to go it alone?

Its not !

But as Mel has said before on this thread its the fact that with one breath Mr Fish wants independance and then assumes he can cherry pick the best benefits of a union that will nolonger exist.

[astral276]

...why is it generally assumed that Scotland will find it impossible to go it alone?

It's not. I just don't think it will be as simple or as smooth as the pro camp make out it will be. Scotland will survive whatever, the question is will it be what the voters were led to expect.

[PetBazaar]

Its not !

But as Mel has said before on this thread its the fact that with one breath Mr Fish wants independance and then assumes he can cherry pick the best benefits of a union that will nolonger exist.

But isn't that exactly what the UK Goverment has done with the EEC/EU for all these years. Sign up and then try and get out of what they don't like.

I'm not sure how much cherry picking there is going on, keeping the monarchy and currency union really seem to be the only two. Currency union makes sense for both sides so not sure why there's an insistance that it shouldn't happen.

I think there are three options:

1. The Bank of England effectively becomes the central bank for more than one country. (Preferred by Scottish Government, Objected to by UK Government).
2. Scotland just uses English pounds (in the same way that Central American countries use US Dollars)
3. Scotland uses it's own pound pegged to the English pound, so for every pound we issue we have to hold one English pound (similar to Hong Kong tying itself to the US Dollar).

Mark Carney during his speech spoke about building "necessary foundations for a durable union” - perhaps that implies that his preferred option is #1 too. Which, if it's the case, means that he's closer to the position of the Scottish Government than the UK one.

[PetBazaar]

It's not. I just don't think it will be as simple or as smooth as the pro camp make out it will be. Scotland will survive whatever, the question is will it be what the voters were led to expect.

Again that's the problem with the debate at the moment. The pro-camp have everything as sweetness and light and the anti-camp have everything as an unmitigated disaster.

I think the majority realise that it will be something in between.

[astral276]

I know you (wisely) advised against listening to Alistair Darling, but the problem is that he's the head of the "No" campaign. So he's the voice that's always on the news and in the papers.

Funny, because the face that always crops up here is Salmond's.

The main protagonists on both sides are never going to tell the electorate the truth. For them it is not about Scotland, but all about either retaining existing powers or gaining more powers for themselves - and everything that comes with that power. The electorate, as always, are just an inconvenience that must be suffered to reach their goal.

I really don't envy you making an informed choice. In your place I would likely go with 'Better the Devil I know'.

BTW... I have Scottish ancestry, on my paternal side, so I am not simply a pure bred English oppressor of the Scots.

[PetBazaar]

Funny, because the face that always crops up here is Salmond's.

[snip]

I really don't envy you making an informed choice. In your place I would likely go with 'Better the Devil I know'.

Interesting about faces cropping up. How do the media portray the whole independence thing in England?

Up here the vast majority of the stories fall into one of two categories:

1. A "No" Campaign story about how awfull everything will be (barbed wire on the border, that sort of thing), usually accompanied by a picture of Alistair Darling or some other Better Together campaigner
2. A "No" Capaign story about how the "Yes" campaign's argument has been devastated or blown apart, usually accompanied by a picture of Alex Salmond.

A positive "Yes", or unbiased and neutral story is rarer than a Scottish Conservative MP.

Making an informed choice will be a tough one for most folk. To do that, you need to completely ignore the media and try and find things out for yourself.

[astral276]

Funny, because the face that always crops up here is Salmond's.

[snip]

I really don't envy you making an informed choice. In your place I would likely go with 'Better the Devil I know'.

You've given me the snip. Does that mean I can no longer father children?

[tonyreddevil]

Not true. PART of Ireland left the Union.

Ireland is Ireland(Dublin.)

Nothern Ireland is Northern Ireland and as Union with U.K(belfast.)


From one tony to another tony
Cheers Tony

[kreativebargains]

Not true. PART of Ireland left the Union.

And when that happened the world was a very different place. And recently the Irish Republic has encountered a few difficulties, though they do seem to be getting out of them now.

[PetBazaar]

You've given me the snip. Does that mean I can no longer father children?

I'm sure it's reversible. But the thought certainly makes the eyes water.