mikemike

Scotland is now a nation divided, it will all end in tears. The sight of Orange order parades and the sectarianism that such movements foster is a fearful prospect. Orkney and Shetland will not stay with Salmond, they never voted SNP, they will go with the Union, what price Scottish oil then? Other parts of more Liberal Scotland may well follow.

This is a very sad day

Novocastrian

Well, it's only Sunday (where I am). If it happens, Thursday will be the sad day.

I suppose though, that you might be anticipating an unpleasant aftermath, whichever way it goes.

You might well be right.

trottytrue

Novocastrian...yes I was a 100 years out but I was trying to point out but rather badly that those who are Scottish and deeply steeped in History will be thinking about their Ancestors and how delighted they would be not to be a part of England rightly or wrongly. They will not be thinking about the consequences of voting Yes or maybe they see it as a step forward. i do know that for many their is resentment against the English.

Novocastrian

I don't think that's the whole story. As an anecdotal example, my older sister's second husband is a retired professor of Scottish History who used to be the Head of his department at Glasgow University.

He knows an (often tedious) amount of the stuff.

He's voting (very firmly) No.

izzi81

As someone who lived for several years in Glasgow, I don't know what you mean by prospect. Orange Order marches have been going on for decades. Apparently the Order said they'd leave Scotland if there is a yes vote. Reason to vote yes if ever there was one!

mikemike

Not a common sight in Edinburgh. I was a native of Glasgow as well and remember being banned from my Catholic school for wearing a Blue Blazer. My concerns are that sectarianism on a vulgar and vicious scale will now rear its ugly head. for those thinking it will be different on Thursday perhaps do not understand the damage that is already done.

dunroving

I notice the gap in the poll is gradually, inexorably getting narrower. Are the BE "Unsures" deciding on "Yes"?

I'll be glad when the whole bloody thing is over and done with. Though I dare the say the post-referendum analysis will go on for weeks.

trottytrue

Dunroving...I am sure you are being inundated with views from all sides and as you say afterwards they will go on and on about it. I have noticed it's getting much closer. Perhaps it will make those who were not going to bother voting get out and do it.
We have elections going on in a few weeks and all you get on local channels are politicians and their backers paying a fortune for adverts to knockdown the opposition. We turn turn it off.

Giantaxe

There is nothing to stop Scotland using the pound. After all, Ecuador's currency is... the dollar, and they didn't ask permission :-) But the downside is more than merely that the B of E would be setting interest rates on the then-UK's requirements. The bank is, after all, the "lender of last resort" and unless Scotland built up its own reserves to act as a support for its banks - something it might find difficult to do in the face of falling oil revenues, grandiose welfare plans and a stated intention to "reindustrialize". The fact that Scotland has an outsize banking sector in relation to its GDP increases this problem, although that could be "solved" if financial institutions do indeed relocate to London. As for the Euro, that ought to be a salient lesson as to the difficulty of formal currency unions.

At the very least it's amusing that the SNP wants to keep the pound but doesn't want to be part of the country whose currency it is.

Editha

Why is it amusing? Does Ecuador want to be part of the USA? It's a side issue.

colchar

Out of curiosity, who are you talking about? If you don't want to name him openly you could PM me.

I am curious because my degrees are in History, I was involved with the Scottish Studies Foundation run out of the University of Guelph, and I know more than a few professors of Scottish history. Chances are I know him (and have a fairly good guess who it might be).

Giantaxe

Was Ecuador originally part of the US??

Seems to me that you either want to be part of the UK or you don't If you don't, then why hold onto one of the more significant artifices of said country?

TGA

is it over yet? zzzzzzzzzzzzz

colchar

It is amusing because they claim to want independence but would have another country setting monetary policy. How can they be independent when another country is setting monetary policy?

It is almost as amusing as their claims to want independence despite the fact that they want to join the EU - so instead of London rule they would be ruled from Brussels. Then again, I heard some analysis yesterday that said that Scotland does not meet the economic standards for application to the EU and that, until they do, they haven't a chance of being allowed to join. Unfortunately for the SNP, meeting those requirements would necessitate sweeping austerity measures.

Editha

I agree that Salmond does not talk sense on the EU. If Scotland wanted to join there is no reason to believe that it would not be set the same conditions as other new joining states, which would mean committing to joining the Euro, which is precisely why the question of the use of the pound is a side issue.

Salmond's claim that Scotland will be a special case because it was formerly part of a member state does not bear close scrutiny.