Gibbo

I shake my head every time a thread is started on this topic. They are always fill with post from people who are not even Scots and who seem to know little or nothing of the history involved. The people who live in the country will decide what they believe is best for the country. As an expat I can't vote, but if I could it would be a resounding YES. Independence should have happened years ago and then I would have still lived in Scotland.

knockoff nige

Everybody is entitled to an opinion. I don't think a prime minister should be making irresponsible comments like Abbot did though.

bcworld

I wouldn't describe them as irresponsible, more like plain stupid and nonsensical, his usual MO in other words. I'll agree with Salmond just this once that it was just another typical example of him putting his foot in it.

Amazulu

Anyone should be allowed to make whatever comment about whatever they like

Details

bcworld

Is anyone saying otherwise?

Then it follows, if you say something ridiculous...people can comment on that.

Amazulu

People can say (or should be allowed to say) whatever they like Champy McChampster - and anyone can reply with whatever they like

Easy peasy Japanesey

bcworld

Riiiight. Glad we cleared that up then.

Amazulu

Me too

knockoff nige

A leader of a nation should know he is representing his country when he opens his mouth. Does Tony Abbot speak for Australia when he says Scottish 'yes' voters are not friends of freedom or justice? No. He is speaking for his own uneducated self but has a big enough ego to think its a fair comment. It's not a fair comment. It's a stupid comment.

If he's allowed to talk like this, are we allowed to sack him on grounds of misrepresenting Australians? Unfortunately not.

Amazulu

You get your chance in 2016

Gibbo

Ofcourse everyone is entitled to an opinion but for that opinion to be valid it needs to be based on a very good knowledge of the subject being discussed. As for Tony Abbott's comments - well what really can be said? I do like him but in this case he, like many others, has made a ridiculous comment which is not worthy of even being commented on.

Jon77

In what way would an independent Scotland have made you stay in Scotland? What benefits do you think you would have enjoyed in an independent Scotland and how would your individual life have been improved to the extent that you would not have become an expat? Will you return to Scotland with a Yes vote result?

I am not having a dig here. Just generally interested in why you think you would have remained in an independent Scotland.

I am from the NE of England originally, an area that was almost destroyed by the Tories in the 1980's, as was parts of Scotland, so my sympathies do rest with the Scots in that respect.

I have no issues with Scotland becoming independent as such. But I think a more clear financial plan for the future (especially on currency) needs to be provided!

Stirring patriotism and memories of long ago victorious battles against English armies and sending them home again will get Scotland through about the first 24hrs of independence.................. then the hard work starts and does the SNP even have a plan A never mind a plan B.

If Scotland does become independent I would expect the rest of the UK to go in VErY hard on Scotland and try like hell to make sure any new jobs go south of the border. I would also hope that any companies in Scotland are encouraged to move to the North East of England. There should also be no financial safety net from the rest of the UK for Scotland and they should have their own currency.

Gibbo

My God! I really don't want to write a book! We left Scotland in 1966 because my OH could only get work in London which meant we had no family life as we did not want to move to England. All the money and jobs went to south east England and to a lesser extent to the midlands. The north of England was just as ignored as Scotland. The myth has been perpetrated that England subsidised Scotland is untrue and even members of the Westminster government are now acknowledging this. Scotland gives more than it receives back.
An independent Scotland would use the revenue it generates to improve employment opportunities in the country and make its own decisions on how much was spent on welfare, education etc
As you can possibly tell I love my country but I'm afraid I am too old to return to live there. My family are all Australian. Australia has been very good to me and I won't hear a word said against it but I'll always be a Scot and my one wish is to have a Scot's passport before I snuff it!
This isn't a good response to your post but it would really take pages to respond properly.
I have to say that the Union came about, in the first place, because of the anti Scots actions of the English in the Darien scheme and bribery. Today there is universal franchise in Scotland so I doubt if anything England and Wales could do would have much influence. I doubt that Wales and Northern Ireland would be anti Scotland.

OzTennis

I'm not an Abbott fan in any way but it seems strange for some of you to describe an Oxford masters graduate (Rhodes scholar - like Bob Hawke) as uneducated? There are important ties between Australia and the UK and Abbott was also born in London so he has the right to comment on the matter surely, particularly in democratic societies? Obama and Cameron and other national leaders have spoken out against the Yes campaign too.

chris955

As was mentioned earlier I fully expect that if Scotland does decide on independence we will see job creation in the north of England that may otherwise have gone north of the border. The fact that Scotland wont have the £ will be a big negative for them. In the end it wont make any difference to us down here. I do think that commonsense will prevail and we will see the no vote win.