Scotland Independance vote

[19thagain]

In the House,at Scottish Question Time, the English MP's there present always state that we, the Scots, are
draining the 'pot' as we receive too much per head, in comparison to England.

Save yourselves all that cash and just let us go on our own then. Is it not strange that both the major parties now want to keep us in the Union?

On the subject of 16 year olds voting ... I wonder if a typical 16 year old is more knowledgeable about world affairs than a typical OAP whose world is now on how good things were 'when they were young' and find knowing the days of the week difficult and all modern tech is beyond their ken!

 

[Adi2Dassler]

On day one of devolution, can we have our pound back? Issue your own currency.

You can have back any one serving in the armed forces, government, civil service, nhs, etc. It is not England's fault they are out of work. It is the fault of devolution.

You can administer your own car licenses, car tax, mot, income tax, vat, business tax, petrol tax, tobacco and alcohol tax, etc.

You can set up your own civil service to run all this.

Do you have any idea what this all costs?

It's actually the UK pound, we're in the currency together.To suggest it's English is ignorant.

And we actually do want to administer all the things you mention as they are income streams that bypass Scotland.

We already have a civil service, much like we already have an NHS.

I've got no idea how much it would cost (I suspect you don't either) but we already have the infrastructure in place, if we gain income which we previously have, that'll do nicely.

 

[Junior]

Been reading this thread with interest as I must profess to not knowing the intricacies of both sides of the debate.

I actually don't mind if Scotland decides to breakaway from the rest of the UK. From reading the posts above it seems to have sufficient industry to survive. It will be interesting to see if Scotland will become a member of the EU and adopt the Euro ? Bowing to Brussels is a bug bare of mine and putting monies in the pot to bail out the flailing economies of Greece, Portugal, Italy when we have a fragile economy ourselves is not the right thing to do. Scotland would be best to give the EU a wide birth imo.

Where I have more of an issue is that we still pour millions and millions into the governments of India, China and Brazil, when infact these countries are much more wealthy, and have less debt than we do. I'm in the camp that in these uncertain times, the UK needs to look after itself before dishing money out all over the world. It's not as if we are heavily dependant on imports from these countries. We should be investing in UK industry and becoming more self sustainable.

 

[Bikky73]

Been reading this thread with interest as I must profess to not knowing the intricacies of both sides of the debate.

I actually don't mind if Scotland decides to breakaway from the rest of the UK. From reading the posts above it seems to have sufficient industry to survive. It will be interesting to see if Scotland will become a member of the EU and adopt the Euro ? Bowing to Brussels is a bug bare of mine and putting monies in the pot to bail out the flailing economies of Greece, Portugal, Italy when we have a fragile economy ourselves is not the right thing to do. Scotland would be best to give the EU a wide birth imo.

Where I have more of an issue is that we still pour millions and millions into the governments of India, China and Brazil, when infact these countries are much more wealthy, and have less debt than we do. I'm in the camp that in these uncertain times, the UK needs to look after itself before dishing money out all over the world. It's not as if we are heavily dependant on imports from these countries. We should be investing in UK industry and becoming more self sustainable.

I'd say not to join Europe. That is my same bugbear. After all....

If you pay to charity, pay for gym, pay kids clubs, kids clothes, and social life as well as mortgage and car. Then you take a big paycut for one reason or another. Do you 1. stop paying to charity, b. tell your kids they can't goto their clubs and have clothes and treats?

If your the British Government its B......

 

[USER1999]

Surely by devolving, Scotland would no longer be part of the UK, and hence could not continue to use the pound? If Scotland were to go bust, it would drag the pound down, through no fault of the remaining UK, who should have no responsibility for bailing out.

I have read that Salmond favours the Euro.

Good luck.

 

[thecraw]

Surely by devolving, Scotland would no longer be part of the UK, and hence could not continue to use the pound? If Scotland were to go bust, it would drag the pound down, through no fault of the remaining UK, who should have no responsibility for bailing out.

I have read that Salmond favours the Euro.

Good luck.

Murph, that is where you show your ignorance. We actually do have our own bank notes up here. Granted its in sterling but they are Scottish Bank Notes, Scottish currency. They are not classed as legal tender down south but strangely enough 90% of places south of the border are happy to accept them.

 

[USER1999]

Scottish notes are legal tender down here, and so people do have to take them.

Thing is, a currency is more than a bank note. We don't let France use the pound, so why should Scotland be allowed to continue using it. Once Scotland is devolved, it is a seperate country. It should need its own currency, you can't just choose the one you want.

 

[patricks148]

The simple reason the Uk Gov don’t want Scotland to leave the union is simply one word, Oil. Successive UK governments have been playing down the revenue to the UK exchequer from oil and natural gas and now we have wind and wave power, there’s even talk of selling water to England-shire. If Scotland was such a drain on the UK economy as some would have you believe, why do the Tories want us to stay?

Come on Alex

 

[Hobbit]

Forgetting all the financial implications, a fundamental question, do the Scots want independance? Why is money the driver, one way or another, when discussing something as fundamental as independance?

In reality it appears that there are quite a few Scots who'll have independance if it comes sugar coated with financial guarantees.

Forget the money, do you want self determination or not?

On the point of English MP's complaining about the huge difference in public spending per head between England and Scotland. The figure, as of August 2011, is £1,600 more per head in Scotland.

 

[Adi2Dassler]

Scottish notes are legal tender down here, and so people do have to take them.

Thing is, a currency is more than a bank note. We don't let France use the pound, so why should Scotland be allowed to continue using it. Once Scotland is devolved, it is a seperate country. It should need its own currency, you can't just choose the one you want.

You're missing the point.We do have a currency, it's called the pound!

 

[lobthewedge]

On the same lines as Hobbits post, I want to know why some people are so in favour of independance?

Is it purely for the potential financial gains?

 

[19thagain]

On the point of English MP's complaining about the huge difference in public spending per head between England and Scotland. The figure, as of August 2011, is £1,600 more per head in Scotland.

As I said above, if this is a NET figure i.e. the amount going OUT to Scotland and the Government has no additional INs from Scotland... just let us go! Why fight to keep a country that is costing money??

 

[brendy]

Scottish notes are legal tender down here, and so people do have to take them.
.

They actually are not legal tender, nor is the Northern Irish Banknotes (ie Ulster Bank, Northern Bank, Bank of Ireland) in England/Wales. Bank of England notes are not legal tender in Scotland nor Northern Ireland either but are widely accepted.
The isle of man is in there too with their banknotes, we all accept them too, its a reciprocal thing as they are all bits of paper valued the same (£5 is the same anywhere in the uk and IOM) in Sterling.

 

[johnboywalton]

This subject has been rumbling along for years and years, let`s just have the vote for FULL independence! I am sure most people will not vote on perceived financial gain alone, and judge it on other factors?

But that said I can not believe that we (England) will be worse off without Scotland!!!

 

[USER1999]

As I said above, if this is a NET figure i.e. the amount going OUT to Scotland and the Government has no additional INs from Scotland... just let us go! Why fight to keep a country that is costing money??

No Prime minister will want to be remembered as the guy in charge when the union broke up.

Labour don't want a split, as that would pretty much guarantee a Tory government forever.

 

[USER1999]

You're missing the point.We do have a currency, it's called the pound!

No, the pound is the currency of the union. You wouldn't be in it any more. Salmond knows this, as he wants to use the Euro.

 

[Adi2Dassler]

No, the pound is the currency of the union. You wouldn't be in it any more. Salmond knows this, as he wants to use the Euro.

So neither would England then? The 1707 act of Union saw England & Scotland come together ( Wales is classed as a principality) So we'd both be in the same boat.The obvious recourse is for both countries is to continue to use the same currency, it's not as if any break up would happen over-night, it would take years.

As for the Euro, I've never been a massive fan...and I think recent developments will have altered many peoples view, on both sides of Hadrians Wall.

 

[StuartD]

No Prime minister will want to be remembered as the guy in charge when the union broke up.

Labour don't want a split, as that would pretty much guarantee a Tory government forever.

In that theory when labour get back in then the Tories will no doubt support the breakaway because

A) they won't be charge when it happened

B) A Tory government will be pretty much guaranteed forever after the split

Can't see it though

 

[Deleted member 1418]

Surely by devolving, Scotland would no longer be part of the UK, and hence could not continue to use the pound? If Scotland were to go bust, it would drag the pound down, through no fault of the remaining UK, who should have no responsibility for bailing out.I have read that Salmond favours the Euro.Good luck.

If Scotland do break away from the UK, then the only way they can adopt the Euro is to join the EU, and they will have to apply to do so as by breaking away they cease to be, or be part of a 'Member State'. Depending on social and economic infratructure etc, this could take years, however with Scotland already adhering to EU laws already as part of the UK, they will be fast tracked in. The question with that though is whether the Scottish people want to be in the EU. Wonder if Salmond will offer the Scottish electorate a reforendum on that one! Interesting times ahead! Pesonally I am happy with Scotland gaining independence, but believe that it has to be either a full breakaway or nothing - all this 'devo max' is bollix; just holding the rest of the UK to ransom if he doesn't get what he really wants. However if that does turn out to be the case, from a legal perspective, can voters in the rest of the Union have a referendum as to whether we want Scotland to remain in on those terms? Could take years this one!

 

[Val]

Scottish notes are legal tender down here, and so people do have to take them.

Thing is, a currency is more than a bank note. We don't let France use the pound, so why should Scotland be allowed to continue using it. Once Scotland is devolved, it is a seperate country. It should need its own currency, you can't just choose the one you want.

As would England become a separate country, they would need to find a currency also based on your thinking.