Do the Scots REALLY want Independance?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

.....What it does do, is make his posts stand out.....

It also makes it a lot more difficult to edit posts when different fonts, colours and sizes have been used. Thats if you are editing your own or if a mod corrects quoting mistakes or anything else. When you edit the post you can see all the stuff in square brackets. Thats why sometimes if I am fixing several quote errors in a thread Retlaws posts will end up in normal font, it's easier to strip out all the code so I can see the text I am correcting

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Neil

It also makes it a lot more difficult to edit posts when different fonts, colours and sizes have been used. Thats if you are editing your own or if a mod corrects quoting mistakes or anything else. When you edit the post you can see all the stuff in square brackets. Thats why sometimes if I am fixing several quote errors in a thread Retlaws posts will end up in normal font, it's easier to strip out all the code so I can see the text I am correcting

Neil, nobody promised that the life of a mod would be easy.

Anyway we know you are up to the job!

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Neil, nobody promised that the life of a mod would be easy.

Anyway we know you are up to the job!

Yep which is why I just remove it

[accyman]

Originally Posted by davebtelford

Current quoted odds (average) NO 1/5, YES 7/2.

what are they giving for AYE ?

[hilleluk]

I live in Scotland, all of my family are voting NO. The vast majority of the people I talk to are also voting NO. Alec Salmond is a chancer, watch 1st ministers questions on a Thursday at 12 noon if you want a LAUGH, never answers a question, & his side-kick Nicola Sturgeon is no better.

[cashman]

The jocks i know down here also aint much time fer yon mon.

[Retlaw]

One thing is puzzling me about this Scottish separation. They have now been told by the main three parties that they can no longer use the pound as currency. If they do vote yes, will Scottish banks in England have to close. Will the Scots have to return all the pounds now circulating in Scotland, what will they use to buy goods with the day after if the vote goes yes, will all the trade between the two countries suddenly cease, because of money problems. To me its gonna be a nightmare of a problem, or is every one just bluffing to see who gives way.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Retlaw, I think your last sentence sums up the situation very well.
If the scots vote to leave the union, then I am sure there would have to be some kind of transition period.....but it will be a very de-stabilising time for all concerned.

[Eric]

From what I can see, the question of Scottish independence is analogous to independence for the province of Quebec. There have been two votes on the question. Both times, though narrowly, Quebecois voted to stay in Canada. Today, the majority of Quebecois would vote "no" for independence.

When the "yes" side touts independence, they trot out all the advantages this would bring, although the majority of these "advantages" require tortuous argument in order to make them vaguely conform to political and economic realities. Perhaps, rather than focusing on some nebulous, wishfully thought out predictions, they should ask the question: "What are the disadvantages of the status quo"?

Maybe: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And it's cheaper this way.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Retlaw, I think your last sentence sums up the situation very well.
If the scots vote to leave the union, then I am sure there would have to be some kind of transition period.....but it will be a very de-stabilising time for all concerned.

It would have to be a quick transition, what are the Scots gonna pay all the workers on the oil rigs with, the workers in the shipyards building ships for the M.O.D. The emergency services, hospitals etc. They can't use the Euro the spaniards won't agree to that, looks like 1000's of scots will be moving south and claiming benefits, will that be allowed. All I can think of this situation is Bloody Hell. Some one needs to bump that salmon off, he's gonna destabalise the whole country if he wins.

[cashman]

To be honest, think hes more chance of being struck by lightening,than winning,The scots may have their faults, but stupidity aint one of em.

[Guinness]

Money is an imaginary concept...you have to believe that a piece of paper or cheap metal amalgam has a value.

It would be relatively easy to create an independent currency...all you need is a template, a row of printers and a stack of paper bought from the local stationery box on Sauchiehall Street. The hard part is getting Angus McPublic to believe that the currency has a value, didn't anyone notice that the 'i promise to pay the bearer' strapline has vanished from our own notes...(incidentally along with the gold reserves that were supposed to be paid by the bank if you wanted to exchange said piece of paper for something of tangible value)...the piece of paper in your wallet, is just that..a piece of paper...a promissory note from the bank to give you the value of it in gold, bread or mead.

Anyone been down to Lloyds/TSB to ask recently? My guess is you'd get a better deal trading the pieces of paper for goods at Tesco than trading them with a banker

Anyhoo..Scotland would have to hornswaggle the EU and every single trading partner it has, that the value of its oil, fishing and tourist industries are of enough value to make it's promissory notes a valid premise. (Good luck with that one Alex mate)

You also need to consider that the rest of the UK has as many tendrils in Scottish society as Norton virus killer has in your average desktop operating system, they would need a complete reformat, and Alex Salmond is not offering that as an option, he is picking and choosing, playing to the bravehearts and Rab C Nesbitts.

Personally I dont care one way or the other, although I do think that if they left the UK the Scots would have a very tough time of it for the forseeable future, Salmond cannot deliver on his promises..but hey, when has ANY politician ever delivered?

[Neil]

The EU are now saying it's unlikely they would let Scotland join the EU as an independent state so they can't use the Euro. If they were allowed to join they would not have the VAT breaks we have in the UK on things like kids clothes and books and some other stuff meaning prices would increase on those items in an independent Scotland.

No idea what would happen with benefits. I suppose there would have to be some sort of agreement reached regarding Scots in the UK and UK citizens living in Scotland. As a foreign country what would happen to Scots living in England with rights to the NHS etc

[Guinness]

If Scotland joined the Euro...they'd be like Ireland within the year...the Celtic Tiger became the Celtic Lapdog begging for scraps, they tried revolting and had their vote changed, under threat, until they agreed. A reasonably rich country that became destitute overnight simply by embracing the Euro, the EU and all its associated quangos, jobs for the boys and moronic statutes.

Now that really is something that Alex Salmond could rail against..but he won't, because at heart he's yet another politician on the gravy train trying to hoodwink the masses into believing he's the reincarnation of Robert The Bruce.

[davebtelford]

I hope they DO vote yes - otherwise Salmond and his ilk will keep blethering on about it (at least) for the rest of my life. If they get independence at least all the "what ifs" will be settled and we can get on and see how it works. (ps - There is an agreed 18 months consultation period following a yes vote before independence takes effect - I suppose they think that's long enough to resolve all the currency etc. issues.)