I hope they leave, for me a small majority for the No vote will mean giving Scotland even more separate powers which I find unacceptable if England is not allowed the same.
The other upside of a yes Vote though will hopefully be the resignation of the conservative, labour and lib dem leaders and a delAy in the general election for 18mths
Why should Scotland not get the powers it deserves just because the English can't organise themselves to get the powers they want/need ?
For me the best outcome is a small "no" majority which sees Scotland stay a part of the Union but with home rule. Federalisation of the UK is the way forward with each of the four countries having equal power over their own domestic affairs but acting jointly on foreign issues.
So each of the "other" countries still can't pay for themselves so the tab for free prescriptions, university education, infrastructure and benefits is still picked up by England. For me the decision is feel free to go but don't stick your hand out for any money.
I'm fairly certain if Scotland was granted sole access to the oil revenues for extractions in Scottish waters it could pay its way pretty comfortably. Wales and NI might be a different matter.
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
I hope they leave, for me a small majority for the No vote will mean giving Scotland even more separate powers which I find unacceptable if England is not allowed the same.
The other upside of a yes Vote though will hopefully be the resignation of the conservative, labour and lib dem leaders and a delAy in the general election for 18mths
Why should Scotland not get the powers it deserves just because the English can't organise themselves to get the powers they want/need ?
For me the best outcome is a small "no" majority which sees Scotland stay a part of the Union but with home rule. Federalisation of the UK is the way forward with each of the four countries having equal power over their own domestic affairs but acting jointly on foreign issues.
So each of the "other" countries still can't pay for themselves so the tab for free prescriptions, university education, infrastructure and benefits is still picked up by England. For me the decision is feel free to go but don't stick your hand out for any money.
I'm fairly certain if Scotland was granted sole access to the oil revenues for extractions in Scottish waters it could pay its way pretty comfortably. Wales and NI might be a different matter.
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
I think what you actually mean is London. Everywhere else takes out more than it earns.
I hope they leave, for me a small majority for the No vote will mean giving Scotland even more separate powers which I find unacceptable if England is not allowed the same.
The other upside of a yes Vote though will hopefully be the resignation of the conservative, labour and lib dem leaders and a delAy in the general election for 18mths
Why should Scotland not get the powers it deserves just because the English can't organise themselves to get the powers they want/need ?
For me the best outcome is a small "no" majority which sees Scotland stay a part of the Union but with home rule. Federalisation of the UK is the way forward with each of the four countries having equal power over their own domestic affairs but acting jointly on foreign issues.
So each of the "other" countries still can't pay for themselves so the tab for free prescriptions, university education, infrastructure and benefits is still picked up by England. For me the decision is feel free to go but don't stick your hand out for any money.
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
Is that not the case though?
I've read a lot of 'what it means for Scotland and the rest of the UK' arguments, but they are pretty much all generalised waffle.
I can't believe there hasn't been some form of breakdown down of where income is generated from versus outgoings per region.
Surely that would ultimately provide the biggest indicator of all of whether a region is better off going independent or not, particularly if 'the union' clearly means nothing to them and its all about 'what's best for us'.
I hope they leave, for me a small majority for the No vote will mean giving Scotland even more separate powers which I find unacceptable if England is not allowed the same.
The other upside of a yes Vote though will hopefully be the resignation of the conservative, labour and lib dem leaders and a delAy in the general election for 18mths
Why should Scotland not get the powers it deserves just because the English can't organise themselves to get the powers they want/need ?
For me the best outcome is a small "no" majority which sees Scotland stay a part of the Union but with home rule. Federalisation of the UK is the way forward with each of the four countries having equal power over their own domestic affairs but acting jointly on foreign issues.
So each of the "other" countries still can't pay for themselves so the tab for free prescriptions, university education, infrastructure and benefits is still picked up by England. For me the decision is feel free to go but don't stick your hand out for any money.
I'm fairly certain if Scotland was granted sole access to the oil revenues for extractions in Scottish waters it could pay its way pretty comfortably. Wales and NI might be a different matter.
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
I think what you actually mean is London. Everywhere else takes out more than it earns.
London is responsible for just over 20% of the UKs GDP. It's roughly on a par with Sweden
I was aware of the UK definition, but one of its constituents is GB - that would no longer be correct unless we are saying England and Wales would become Great Britain, which doesn't seem right as a huge rump of Britain (Scotland) wouldn't be present? There are also sporting questions others have mentioned
As I understand it, our contingency planning hasn't been as robust as it should be if Scotland do leave. This sudden shift to 'yes' has caught a few off guard. I can't imagine how it would play out if they were to leave. Personally, I never think of myself as British or coming from the United Kingdom. I consider myself 100% English, as my parents and grandparents were all English. I do not want to go back any further than that in terms of my lineage, as I don't feel it's relevant. I am sure there are a number of Scots who feel the same and their sense of nationalism could be heightened by historical events, essentially being governed by a parliament in England etc. Even in the Olympics in 2012 my sense of joy was probably hampered if I found out the medal we won was by a Scot or a Welshman, and not someone English. So it means I definitely don't support Andy Murray and couldn't give a toss that he won Wimbledon. In my opinion it was a Scottish victory, not something I can take any celebration. I am just extremely patriotic to England, not Britain.
If they want to leave and their citizens vote to leave then we have to respect that. All common sense arguments seem to point toward staying, and I am not just saying this because I enjoy the association of the Union, or the fact that we govern them (to an extent) from Westminster. They should stay because I believe the power of Britain on the world stage, both culturally & economically is better for all the members of the Union. It has been established for 300 years now, our infrastructure, political & financial system is set up to operate as a Union.
One thing is for sure though, if they did decide to leave, I would expect never ever to hear of Scottish league football again. It is bad enough we have to put up with thatpile of shite on Soccer Saturday and sports reports in other media. If this were an outcome of them leaving the Union, then I would be very much for it.
I hope they leave, for me a small majority for the No vote will mean giving Scotland even more separate powers which I find unacceptable if England is not allowed the same.
The other upside of a yes Vote though will hopefully be the resignation of the conservative, labour and lib dem leaders and a delAy in the general election for 18mths
Why should Scotland not get the powers it deserves just because the English can't organise themselves to get the powers they want/need ?
For me the best outcome is a small "no" majority which sees Scotland stay a part of the Union but with home rule. Federalisation of the UK is the way forward with each of the four countries having equal power over their own domestic affairs but acting jointly on foreign issues.
So each of the "other" countries still can't pay for themselves so the tab for free prescriptions, university education, infrastructure and benefits is still picked up by England. For me the decision is feel free to go but don't stick your hand out for any money.
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
Is that not the case though?
I've read a lot of 'what it means for Scotland and the rest of the UK' arguments, but they are pretty much all generalised waffle.
I can't believe there hasn't been some form of breakdown down of where income is generated from versus outgoings per region.
Surely that would ultimately provide the biggest indicator of all of whether a region is better off going independent or not, particularly if 'the union' clearly means nothing to them and its all about 'what's best for us'.
There has, but I think each side use different stats. If you count just returns from Scottish people & businesses vs the sums spent by government there's a deficit. If you include the entire economic impact of Scotland including the oil revenues then there's a slight underspend. Hence the SNP's claim that if they were able to collect the oil revenues they could plug any gaps.
The problem is that oil is such a volatile commodity it's mad to allow it to fork such a fundamental part of you economy if you have high public spending plans (according to their own info oil revenues would account for 20% of the gov'ts income so it wouldn't be the "bonus" Salmond stated in the last debate)
I can understand the pull of being able to decide your own future but in reality they will still be voting for the same politicians with no better ideas on how two sort out sh*t sitting in Scotland than sorting out sh*t sitting in Westminster, and with fewer resources.
To me this biggest issue which a Yes vote would throw up would be the division of labour.
Simply put there are Govt and infrastructure services which Scotland, and less so the rest of the UK, which is currently shared. This has a cost to it.
I read recently that the break up of Yugoslavia saw a cost of living and worsening of living standards direct accredited to this.
UK National debt is over £1,300 billion. How much of this will be transferred to Scottish national debt, if the Yes vote goes through?
It's hard to say because the Westminster parties wouldn't negotiate on these sort of issues prior to the referendum.
Salmond has said Scotland will pay its "fair share" provided Scotland is allowed to keep the pound and have access to the BoE - this will be his main bargaining position on that subject.
If the Scots Vote yes, will there then be a vote to become a Republic and replace the Queen as head of State with a President? I think the nearer polling day gets the people of the rest of the UK are asking more question as I think the majority assumed that the Scots would vote No. Polling Day coinsides with my 70th birthday and 49th wedding anniversery, so I will be too busy to worry about the Scots.
As I understand it, our contingency planning hasn't been as robust as it should be if Scotland do leave. This sudden shift to 'yes' has caught a few off guard. I can't imagine how it would play out if they were to leave. Personally, I never think of myself as British or coming from the United Kingdom. I consider myself 100% English, as my parents and grandparents were all English. I do not want to go back any further than that in terms of my lineage, as I don't feel it's relevant. I am sure there are a number of Scots who feel the same and their sense of nationalism could be heightened by historical events, essentially being governed by a parliament in England etc. Even in the Olympics in 2012 my sense of joy was probably hampered if I found out the medal we won was by a Scot or a Welshman, and not someone English. So it means I definitely don't support Andy Murray and couldn't give a toss that he won Wimbledon. In my opinion it was a Scottish victory, not something I can take any celebration. I am just extremely patriotic to England, not Britain.
If they want to leave and their citizens vote to leave then we have to respect that. All common sense arguments seem to point toward staying, and I am not just saying this because I enjoy the association of the Union, or the fact that we govern them (to an extent) from Westminster. They should stay because I believe the power of Britain on the world stage, both culturally & economically is better for all the members of the Union. It has been established for 300 years now, our infrastructure, political & financial system is set up to operate as a Union.
One thing is for sure though, if they did decide to leave, I would expect never ever to hear of Scottish league football again. It is bad enough we have to put up with thatpile of shite on Soccer Saturday and sports reports in other media. If this were an outcome of them leaving the Union, then I would be very much for it.
I think if my Scottish yes mates would read your post they would shove it in my face.
By your definition I am as a English as you. My father isn't around now but I know what he'd say about it. He was proud to fly the Union Jack because in the war he fought alongside Scots and Welsh men ( not to forget more than a few Gurkhas), and he fought for a country of shared values with access to the best education and healthcare regardless of how well off your parents are. One of the Scottish beefs is that the English have betrayed those values in the last 30 years.
Do you not see the paradox of shouting about how English you are and how you don't give a toss about the Scots and then go on to argue about how they should stay because otherwise they will reduce the power of the Union on the world stage? How about the Scots who died for the Union in both the Second World War and in Iraq and Afghanistan? Heaven knows, I have had rucks with my Scottish friends over footie, but they deserve a bit more respect and indeed affection as members of the Union than you have accorded them in your post
What happens to the Army if the yes vote goes through? Will they form their own army, and take regiments such as the Scots Guards with them?
I think the answer to this, and every other question people have asked hypothetically in the event of a Yes vote, is this:
Nobody knows, because the SNP's white paper was essentially a fantasy and Westminster refuse to discuss what will happen with anything in the event of a Yes vote.
What I'm concerned about is all the intelligence/espionage data that we have as a country? Will any independent Scotland get a copy of everything? Which I imagine a cash-strapped Salmond would likely sell to the Chinese/Russians/Iranians?
I hope they leave, for me a small majority for the No vote will mean giving Scotland even more separate powers which I find unacceptable if England is not allowed the same.
The other upside of a yes Vote though will hopefully be the resignation of the conservative, labour and lib dem leaders and a delAy in the general election for 18mths
Why should Scotland not get the powers it deserves just because the English can't organise themselves to get the powers they want/need ?
For me the best outcome is a small "no" majority which sees Scotland stay a part of the Union but with home rule. Federalisation of the UK is the way forward with each of the four countries having equal power over their own domestic affairs but acting jointly on foreign issues.
So each of the "other" countries still can't pay for themselves so the tab for free prescriptions, university education, infrastructure and benefits is still picked up by England. For me the decision is feel free to go but don't stick your hand out for any money.
I'm fairly certain if Scotland was granted sole access to the oil revenues for extractions in Scottish waters it could pay its way pretty comfortably. Wales and NI might be a different matter.
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
I think what you actually mean is London. Everywhere else takes out more than it earns.
London is responsible for just over 20% of the UKs GDP. It's roughly on a par with Sweden
Scotland (Incl North Sea energy) is c $245bn so about half of London - about the same as Greece or Finland
I hope they leave, for me a small majority for the No vote will mean giving Scotland even more separate powers which I find unacceptable if England is not allowed the same.
The other upside of a yes Vote though will hopefully be the resignation of the conservative, labour and lib dem leaders and a delAy in the general election for 18mths
Why should Scotland not get the powers it deserves just because the English can't organise themselves to get the powers they want/need ?
For me the best outcome is a small "no" majority which sees Scotland stay a part of the Union but with home rule. Federalisation of the UK is the way forward with each of the four countries having equal power over their own domestic affairs but acting jointly on foreign issues.
So each of the "other" countries still can't pay for themselves so the tab for free prescriptions, university education, infrastructure and benefits is still picked up by England. For me the decision is feel free to go but don't stick your hand out for any money.
I'm fairly certain if Scotland was granted sole access to the oil revenues for extractions in Scottish waters it could pay its way pretty comfortably. Wales and NI might be a different matter.
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
I think what you actually mean is London. Everywhere else takes out more than it earns.
London is responsible for just over 20% of the UKs GDP. It's roughly on a par with Sweden
Scotland (Incl North Sea energy) is c $245bn so about half of London - about the same as Greece or Finland
Makes sense as it has a population about half the size of London (depending on how you define London).
As I understand it, our contingency planning hasn't been as robust as it should be if Scotland do leave. This sudden shift to 'yes' has caught a few off guard. I can't imagine how it would play out if they were to leave. Personally, I never think of myself as British or coming from the United Kingdom. I consider myself 100% English, as my parents and grandparents were all English. I do not want to go back any further than that in terms of my lineage, as I don't feel it's relevant. I am sure there are a number of Scots who feel the same and their sense of nationalism could be heightened by historical events, essentially being governed by a parliament in England etc. Even in the Olympics in 2012 my sense of joy was probably hampered if I found out the medal we won was by a Scot or a Welshman, and not someone English. So it means I definitely don't support Andy Murray and couldn't give a toss that he won Wimbledon. In my opinion it was a Scottish victory, not something I can take any celebration. I am just extremely patriotic to England, not Britain.
If they want to leave and their citizens vote to leave then we have to respect that. All common sense arguments seem to point toward staying, and I am not just saying this because I enjoy the association of the Union, or the fact that we govern them (to an extent) from Westminster. They should stay because I believe the power of Britain on the world stage, both culturally & economically is better for all the members of the Union. It has been established for 300 years now, our infrastructure, political & financial system is set up to operate as a Union.
One thing is for sure though, if they did decide to leave, I would expect never ever to hear of Scottish league football again. It is bad enough we have to put up with thatpile of shite on Soccer Saturday and sports reports in other media. If this were an outcome of them leaving the Union, then I would be very much for it.
I think if my Scottish yes mates would read your post they would shove it in my face.
By your definition I am as a English as you. My father isn't around now but I know what he'd say about it. He was proud to fly the Union Jack because in the war he fought alongside Scots and Welsh men ( not to forget more than a few Gurkhas), and he fought for a country of shared values with access to the best education and healthcare regardless of how well off your parents are. One of the Scottish beefs is that the English have betrayed those values in the last 30 years.
Do you not see the paradox of shouting about how English you are and how you don't give a toss about the Scots and then go on to argue about how they should stay because otherwise they will reduce the power of the Union on the world stage? How about the Scots who died for the Union in both the Second World War and in Iraq and Afghanistan? Heaven knows, I have had rucks with my Scottish friends over footie, but they deserve a bit more respect and indeed affection as members of the Union than you have accorded them in your post
In what way is my post disrespectful and unaffectionate to the scots? The reference to Scottish league football is tongue in cheek. My point about my own personal feelings towards being more patriotic toward England than the Union is something I stand by, in the same way you mentioned that one of your mates chooses to support any team playing against England in the footie. I understand that many a good person fought and has sacrificed their lives fighting under the flag of the Union and 100% respect that. I even stated that if the Scots vote to break away I would respect that as well. I believe like a lot of others that it would benefit all members of the Union if we stayed together. Re: Andy Murray, I know we compete at tennis as GBR, but I literally didn't care either way if he won because to me he's Scottish and I would've taken more pleasure if an Englishman had won it. In fact I find it pretty embarrassing that he is Scottish and tons of English people were lauding his victory.
My father in law is Scottish so I definitely have affection to the Scots (or do I ;-)) I just think when it comes to certain aspects of the Union (mostly sport), my patriotism toward England far outweighs my connection with the Union.
Well it did not sound tongue in cheek, but maybe it's because I've heard a lot of other people saying similar things and they were deadly serious. And if you didn't scream your head off for Chris Hoy at 2012, then I just feel sorry for you.
I am sure you are sincere in your feelings for England, but I am suspicious of this petty nationalism on either side of Hadrians Wall. It wasn't there on the English side when I moved away in 1993. How many people on here who celebrate St George's Day can honestly say they marked it the year we went back to the Valley? Actually I suspect a lot of it is a result of the increasingly strident Scottish nationalist noise, and heaven knows some of the Scots really piss me off. Petty nationalism never brings anything good, and sometimes as in Yugoslavia it can be stirred up to shocking and tragic levels.
Well it did not sound tongue in cheek, but maybe it's because I've heard a lot of other people saying similar things and they were deadly serious. And if you didn't scream your head off for Chris Hoy at 2012, then I just feel sorry for you.
I am sure you are sincere in your feelings for England, but I am suspicious of this petty nationalism on either side of Hadrians Wall. It wasn't there on the English side when I moved away in 1993. How many people on here who celebrate St George's Day can honestly say they marked it the year we went back to the Valley? Actually I suspect a lot of it is a result of the increasingly strident Scottish nationalist noise, and heaven knows some of the Scots really piss me off. Petty nationalism never brings anything good, and sometimes as in Yugoslavia it can be stirred up to shocking and tragic levels.
Ha - yes sorry the Scottish football league is a gripe of mine I have shared on many other threads, and was meant to be a joke. Yeah of course I was happy that Chris Foy got us a gold. You mention St George's day and that is a great example of why I am keen to promote my allegiance to England ahead of Britain. It pisses me off that things like St Patrick's Day get more 'exposure' than St George's. We don't even give it a public holiday. I also get frustrated that given the activities of people like the EDL, having an English tattoo (not that I've got one) can have associations with fascism and racism etc.
I think the Union should stay for the benefits of both us and Scotland and the other members, but my reasoning is based on practical thought rather than a deep affiliation for Britain.
Scotland is a pretty wealthy region, from memory it's behind London then the South East in wealth generation, all of the wealthy regions subsidise poorer regions in the UK to a degree. London and the South East do so massively but Scotland's contribution is pretty moderate due to the politics up there which demand far higher public spending per head for Scots.
I think they will vote Yes and it will utterly bollocks up the rUK as well as Scotland for ten years or so because it will be a very messy divorce.
Salmond has already threatened to renege on the Scottish share of the debt, something he is able to do as the UK treasury promised to stand behind the debt to try and protect all citizens of the UK from higher debt costs due to the uncertainty of the referendum. That attitude may well play well to Nationalists but as a starting point for an amicable separation it doesn't bode well.
The No campaign has been utterly abject, they have negatively campaigned on so many absurd side issues that the Yes campaign have been able to avoid having to give answers on any of the glaring holes in their vision by just labelling any criticism as another example of 'Project Fear'
As for the Yes campaign, it's entirely based on greed and grievance. You'll often here them complaining about subsidising London and the South East despite the fact this is patently absurd, what they would say if they were honest is that despite being one of the wealthiest regions they are unwilling to subsidise the poorer regions such as Northern Ireland, Wales and the North East but obviously this would be a knock to their Socialist utopian credentials.
There's always been a significant minority in Scotland whose whole identity is built entirely on opposition to the English and anything they do, what's surprising is that so many normal Scots are willing to commit to the Yes campaigns back of a fag packet vision of how an independent Scotland would function.
All the talk about Salmond not having a Plan B; he doesn't have a complete and truthful Plan A! Figures and projections based on half truths or even lies. Sadly, too many people deciding with their (Brave) hearts instead of their heads. The figures do NOT stack up. Too much money has been wasted already and it's doing untold damage to the Scottish/UK economies already, yet too many people are too bigoted to see the harm it's doing. Oh dear! Gordon Broon getting increasingly involved; not helpful for the No (thanks) vote!
If I was a Scot I would be more likely to vote for independence as a result of the proposed "new" measures from Gordon Brown which are clearly a panic measure from the political parties in England designed to scare the scottish electorate and a huge own goal in my view.
Comments
I do like this image that's been cultivated that England is some sort of land of milk and honey and the rest of the UK lives off of its largesse !
I think what you actually mean is London. Everywhere else takes out more than it earns.
I've read a lot of 'what it means for Scotland and the rest of the UK' arguments, but they are pretty much all generalised waffle.
I can't believe there hasn't been some form of breakdown down of where income is generated from versus outgoings per region.
Surely that would ultimately provide the biggest indicator of all of whether a region is better off going independent or not, particularly if 'the union' clearly means nothing to them and its all about 'what's best for us'.
If they want to leave and their citizens vote to leave then we have to respect that. All common sense arguments seem to point toward staying, and I am not just saying this because I enjoy the association of the Union, or the fact that we govern them (to an extent) from Westminster. They should stay because I believe the power of Britain on the world stage, both culturally & economically is better for all the members of the Union. It has been established for 300 years now, our infrastructure, political & financial system is set up to operate as a Union.
One thing is for sure though, if they did decide to leave, I would expect never ever to hear of Scottish league football again. It is bad enough we have to put up with thatpile of shite on Soccer Saturday and sports reports in other media. If this were an outcome of them leaving the Union, then I would be very much for it.
The problem is that oil is such a volatile commodity it's mad to allow it to fork such a fundamental part of you economy if you have high public spending plans (according to their own info oil revenues would account for 20% of the gov'ts income so it wouldn't be the "bonus" Salmond stated in the last debate)
Pie in the sky.
Simply put there are Govt and infrastructure services which Scotland, and less so the rest of the UK, which is currently shared. This has a cost to it.
I read recently that the break up of Yugoslavia saw a cost of living and worsening of living standards direct accredited to this.
Salmond has said Scotland will pay its "fair share" provided Scotland is allowed to keep the pound and have access to the BoE - this will be his main bargaining position on that subject.
By your definition I am as a English as you. My father isn't around now but I know what he'd say about it. He was proud to fly the Union Jack because in the war he fought alongside Scots and Welsh men ( not to forget more than a few Gurkhas), and he fought for a country of shared values with access to the best education and healthcare regardless of how well off your parents are. One of the Scottish beefs is that the English have betrayed those values in the last 30 years.
Do you not see the paradox of shouting about how English you are and how you don't give a toss about the Scots and then go on to argue about how they should stay because otherwise they will reduce the power of the Union on the world stage? How about the Scots who died for the Union in both the Second World War and in Iraq and Afghanistan? Heaven knows, I have had rucks with my Scottish friends over footie, but they deserve a bit more respect and indeed affection as members of the Union than you have accorded them in your post
Nobody knows, because the SNP's white paper was essentially a fantasy and Westminster refuse to discuss what will happen with anything in the event of a Yes vote.
What I'm concerned about is all the intelligence/espionage data that we have as a country? Will any independent Scotland get a copy of everything? Which I imagine a cash-strapped Salmond would likely sell to the Chinese/Russians/Iranians?
If they vote yes and it fails then we are better off rid of the silly people Scotland (Incl North Sea energy) is c $245bn so about half of London - about the same as Greece or Finland
My father in law is Scottish so I definitely have affection to the Scots (or do I ;-)) I just think when it comes to certain aspects of the Union (mostly sport), my patriotism toward England far outweighs my connection with the Union.
Well it did not sound tongue in cheek, but maybe it's because I've heard a lot of other people saying similar things and they were deadly serious. And if you didn't scream your head off for Chris Hoy at 2012, then I just feel sorry for you.
I am sure you are sincere in your feelings for England, but I am suspicious of this petty nationalism on either side of Hadrians Wall. It wasn't there on the English side when I moved away in 1993. How many people on here who celebrate St George's Day can honestly say they marked it the year we went back to the Valley? Actually I suspect a lot of it is a result of the increasingly strident Scottish nationalist noise, and heaven knows some of the Scots really piss me off. Petty nationalism never brings anything good, and sometimes as in Yugoslavia it can be stirred up to shocking and tragic levels.
I think the Union should stay for the benefits of both us and Scotland and the other members, but my reasoning is based on practical thought rather than a deep affiliation for Britain.
Could someone advise whether it is remotely possible that Scotland will keep the Pound? If so, why?
I have listened to both sides on everything else, but I still cannot see what currency they can have??
Euro - need I say more?
Own currency - will they be able to borrow the amount they require, considering it's a new currency?
Please please Scotland take the BBC with you when you go,
I think they will vote Yes and it will utterly bollocks up the rUK as well as Scotland for ten years or so because it will be a very messy divorce.
Salmond has already threatened to renege on the Scottish share of the debt, something he is able to do as the UK treasury promised to stand behind the debt to try and protect all citizens of the UK from higher debt costs due to the uncertainty of the referendum. That attitude may well play well to Nationalists but as a starting point for an amicable separation it doesn't bode well.
The No campaign has been utterly abject, they have negatively campaigned on so many absurd side issues that the Yes campaign have been able to avoid having to give answers on any of the glaring holes in their vision by just labelling any criticism as another example of 'Project Fear'
As for the Yes campaign, it's entirely based on greed and grievance. You'll often here them complaining about subsidising London and the South East despite the fact this is patently absurd, what they would say if they were honest is that despite being one of the wealthiest regions they are unwilling to subsidise the poorer regions such as Northern Ireland, Wales and the North East but obviously this would be a knock to their Socialist utopian credentials.
There's always been a significant minority in Scotland whose whole identity is built entirely on opposition to the English and anything they do, what's surprising is that so many normal Scots are willing to commit to the Yes campaigns back of a fag packet vision of how an independent Scotland would function.