[POLL] Should Scotland be an independent country?

[pcstru]

The plan : 1. Dissolve the Union. 2. Once independent, re-claim the monarchy under international law. 3. Nationalise the Monarchy, whereupon Scotland lays claim to substantial tracts of England currently owned by the Glaikit Windsors (the wee bam-pots).

[localzuk]

Lol. There's one slight plan with that. The current monarchy is a different family to the one from the one at the time of the Acts of Union... We've even gone through 2 different houses since then - Stuart -> Hanover -> Windsor. The Scottish link is long gone.

[pcstru]

Three words. James Sixth ... Smallprint.

 

But yes, there is the prickly question of who's going to pay the rent due to the Germans!

[localzuk]

I think things have changed a fair bit since then. The amount of Scottish blood in the House of Windsor is about the same amount of polar bear in mine.

 

Not to mention, you seem to be treating the monarchy like something we rent or own - but its the opposite way round, they own us effectively (hence us being subjects and not citizens).

[pcstru]

It is certainly a whole thicket of prickly questions. I think we might all agree that in Salmond, Cameron, Milliband, Clegg and all the others, we have assembled a world class "thick" bunch of .. pr, to tackle those questions.

[localzuk]

Absolutely. The lot of them seem intent on lying about every last detail.

[Gatt]

The main reason Salmond wants Independence is

 

He doesn't want a Tory Government

 

So I'm guessing he'll be marching Ruth Davidson and the rest of her party to the border in the event of as Yes vote then?

Will at leave give his ever expanding ego more room within the Scottish Parliament.

 

It was interesting how the current YouGov poll has drastically affected the Pound and the City!

Everyone is very worried about the prospects of a yes vote - I just hope Scottish voters take heed when they goto the polls next week

 

Oh and on that note - can I urge everyone in Scotland to vote!

Complacancy could lead to a Yes vote simply due to a low turnout

[Alkaline]

I'm guessing geography and politics arn't your strong points?

And the Scots wonder why Westminster gets it so wrong

 

This auto correct feature, always getting my text mixed up.

 

What I was trying to say is I would not like it, if my government was run by another country even if it was part of a union. That's also why I dislike the EU with many of our laws controlled by them. Out Out Out.

[ZeroHour]

Finally gov/rUK/Better Together have woken up to the chance Scotland may vote yes. I know people who were hardened no voters who are now yes in part because voting no mostly meant staying the same which I feel many don't want. The Better Together campaign had no response in the 2nd debate when asked about devolved job creating powers as they had nothing to offer, I just wish they had taken the whole thing seriously a year ago and campaigned fully with the upcoming proposal rather than 10 days before the vote. We still don't know exactly what's on the cards yet but I hope it decent.

[featured_spectre]

One thing I think Salmond hasn't realised, if Scotland gain independence, and then Join the EU, they have to commit to the Euro as the currency. As part of membership of all new states, they have to commit to the Euro once they reach a certain point of Economic Stability.

 

NB

 

I could be wrong, but I haven't seen him mention anything about it yet (if I am wrong, I do apologise)

Edited September 9, 2014 by featured_spectre

[sparkeh]

One thing I think Salmond hasn't realised, if Scotland gain independence, and then Join the EU, they have to commit to the Euro as the currency. As part of membership of all new states, they have to commit to the Euro once they reach a certain point of Economic Stability.

 

NB

 

I could be wrong, but I haven't seen him mention anything about it yet (if I am wrong, I do apologise)

Thing to do is out your fingers in your ears when people tell you stuff you don't like. Alex Salmond believes that they won't have to join the Euro:

'No prospect' of Scotland joining the euro, Alex Salmond insists as he boasts the EU will welcome him with open arms | Mail Online

 

Of course this is the Euro that he previously hinted that he wanted to dump the Pound for:

Alex Salmond: Euro membership is a 'strong argument' for independence - Telegraph

[featured_spectre]

So by the looks of it, he will be destabilising the Scottish economy to keep it with the £(non sterling) just to avoid joining the Euro? LOL

[midweek]

Technically if Scotland have to apply to join the EU they'll have to sign the Schengen agreement which requires border controls with all non-Schengen countries. The UK is non-Schengen.

 

Queues on the M6 and UK Border Force patrols on the trains at Berwick. Groan. As if getting home for Christmas wasn't effort enough.

[Gatt]

And he seems to think that he'll be able to join the EU witha seat at the Top Table, and that Scotland will continue to enjoy all the Opt outs that the UK currently has..

And, as always, whenever someone tells him otherwise, he shoves his fingers in his ears and goes "La La La La" and calls them Bullies and Liars!

[featured_spectre]

It will hit him in the face when it happens. If independence was granted in the 70's things would be different now (obviously), however it would have been much easier then than now.

[midweek]

Some New York Times economist described an independent Scotland as "Spain without the sunshine".

[ZeroHour]

Some New York Times economist described an independent Scotland as "Spain without the sunshine".

 

Spain dont have the fish I actually wonder what would happen regarding fishing boundly agreements that are part of europe. Its worth £400m odd a year currently.

[featured_spectre]

It would likely have to be renegotiated with Norway, England, (Northern)Ireland and Iceland, as they all have some sort of waterborne boundary on British (Read Scottish) fishing waters.

[pcstru]

Why not a Norway, Sweeden, Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland or Finland? In or out of the EU small independent countries make their way in the world just fine. Scotland has a lot to offer - the whole UK is dominated by service industry, work that can increasingly happen anywhere. Scotland can offer an educated workforce and good communications. It is a highly ranked tourist destination with internationally recognised world class cultural events. There is no reason Scotland should not be a successful independent country and no reason the population will have no choice but to regret it should they say "yes".

 

It seems surprising that in these days, when the all the talk is of devolving power to give people more say at a local level and when there is a significant portion of the population giving voice to the isolationist "it's European bureaucracy gone mad", that there is any dissent that Scotland would be better as an Independent Country.

 

The opinion here seems fairly typical of the debate - devoid of much fact and on the "no" side, little but a sort of cynical ridicule or peddling of fear. I hope they do say "yes".

[penfold_99]

If the vote does go the way of a yes, it will be interesting to see what happen to the all the mod sites especially the submarine base.

 

The SNP have pledged to be nuclear weapons free, so the sub base will have to move unless they end up doing a cyprus type deal.

If it does move, probably all the mod ship building contracts will move to portsmouth/southampton.

 

If scotland does join the EU they will also be force to have the euro which is mandatory for all new entrants.

[Hefferzzzz]

Considering how much independance Salmond wants he is in for a shock if he gets his Yes vote and then realises all the stuff he has to sign away to the EU.

[Alkaline]

Scotland wants to be nuclear free, but no doubt it will want the use of Trident to protect it.

 

He knows we would not allow Scotland to be turned into radio active dust. Besides it would be bad for us, the radiation might blow over.

 

I wish we could ditch all the nukes, but there are people out there who would be happy to watch us burn and would have no guilt in making that happen.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Alkaline

[elsiegee40]

If the No vote wins... where does that leave Alex Salmond? Would he be able to continue as SNP leader or would he be ousted?

[witch]

If they go, and the current government give them all sorts of concessions, up to and including the keeping of the £, I shall go and protest in London.

If they want to go - that's fine, but they go alone and deal with everything themselves, as many other independent countries have to do.

I would also want border controls and passports.

[ZeroHour]

If they go, and the current government give them all sorts of concessions, up to and including the keeping of the £, I shall go and protest in London.

If they want to go - that's fine, but they go alone and deal with everything themselves, as many other independent countries have to do.

I would also want border controls and passports.

 

Does that mean we would be independent of the debt?

Considering no one can stop Scotland using the pound I would get your shoes ready if we vote yes or are you talking about a currency union?

Although having no currency union and still using pound is not ideal by a long long margin there is nothing to stop us.

I have found plenty of info about how lack of a union would be detrimental to the rUK and studies about how politically it cant work but few about the other real negatives.

Edited September 10, 2014 by ZeroHour