bcworld

Count me in with them.

Swerv-o

Possibly it is in terms of national maturity, though now that the North Sea is starting to dry up, I'm not sure that the economics of full Scottish independence stack up any more.

It seems that the SNP would like full devolution, but would like to keep the revenues from the Barnett Formula flowing in, and I can't really see English tax payers buying that. Sounds a little like having cake and eating it.

There's also the matter of distribution of the now quite large UK national debt. Quite a bit of that was spent in bailing out the Bank of Scotland. I dare say that's something that the Scots can't just walk away from, even if they would like to. I'm not sure that a fledgling independent nation would necessarily benefit from starting day 1 with a huge national debt.

On the other side of the coin is the fact that Scottish independence would be a fantastic opportunity for the UK government to offload quite a bit of that same national debt.

Also, it would pretty much guarantee a Tory government for years to come. Scotland is predominantly a Labour/Lib Dem heartland - in fact, I don't believe that there are any Tory seats held in Scotland are there? So politically, it may well be in the interests of the Conservative party to cut Scotland loose.


S

bcworld

I think there's one! It looks quite big on the map though!

GarryP

Personally I think its a good part of the reason why Camaroon wants this done and dusted within 18 months. If the scots are unwise enough to vote for divorce, Camaroon can then kick the scots MPs out of Parliament, giving him a majority ahead of the election (2015 I think). He can then drive through whatever policies he likes, safe in the knowledge that with the liberals screwing themselves, and labour being generally useless, he'll get back in with a majority of British MPs.

If he's sensible in drawing up the terms, he can make sure scotland isn't viable, so by the time of the election after that, they come crawling back.

That should keep him in power till 2025.

commonwealth

Brilliant

brissybee

Can we have some good scampi stocks before they put the wall up?

Swerv-o

Could we offload the Welsh as well? Hell, why not pull a Yeltsin, and just secede England from the Union and leave the others to fend for themselves...




S

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Haven't the SNP suggested that 15 and 16yr olds get to vote as well to get round that 'complication'?

Amazulu

What's the point? So that Scotland can become Europe's newest banana republic?

It will never happen - too many protestants up there.

commonwealth

Should Scotland become a Republic, not a Commonwealth realm?

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Only if they have a banana as Head of State.

bcworld

That would be preferable to Alex Salmond!

hoofie2002

I don't think the financial side really stacks up. Scotland has been part of the Union for over 300 years but now apparently everyone wants to throw off the yoke of "English Oppression" ?

Fair enough but what is going to pay for the Welfare State, NHS, Defence, Education etc ? Oil revenues are dwindling remember. Look at Ireland - it hitched its wagon to the Euro and look at the mess it's in now.

England [Southern especially] wants shot of Scotland once and for all. All we have given them recently is the likes of Gordon Brown.

Anyway I don't live there anymore so it's a moot point. If the population want to commit suicide it's their decision.

p.s. If there is one thing really gets me is the SNP ALWAYS put the phrase "The people of Scotland" into their sound bites as if they are somehow the magical keepers of everyone's thoughts.

bcworld - The first president of Scotland will be Alex Salmond guaranteed. I hate the bastard but he's one of the cleverest politicians in many years.

IvanM

Hi ho hi ho its off to the euro they go.

Amazulu

Out of interest, who in Scotland will get to vote on this? Will English people living in Scotland get to vote? Will EU and Commonwealth citizens get to vote (as they do for Westminster)?