Scottish Independence
 

Quick question for the Scots expats?

In the unlikely result of a yes vote would you return or want to return home earlier than you might have otherwise?

The reason I ask is that the wife and I were discussing it, not something I had actually thought about, and I surprised myself by thinking and saying that yes I probably would want to go home sooner.

It's hard to explain but when I thought about it I decided that I really would like to be part of rebuilding a new/old nation. Some sort of innate sense of civic and national responsibility perhaps.

As I say I surprised myself and wondered what others thought.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

I don't think it will change anything for my family and I in the slightest, we intend to take up citizenship in another country later in life anyway, no intention to settle back in Scotland.

I also doubt that it will be a yes vote, which I think is probably for the best. While if I had to pick, I'm against the separation, I've realized recently that it isn't something I have particularly strong feelings about.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

In the unlikely event of returning home some day - it would be to Scotland whether as part of the UK or independent.

Would a Yes vote make me think about returning quicker - I doubt it - but I can see where you are coming from with thinking like this...

I think it'll be a close vote but I can't see the Yes vote prevailing currently.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Why? What difference would it make?

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Hhhhmmmm hopefully this won't turn into the hamster wheel every thread I've seen so far on the WorldWideInterWebNetThingie becomes.
For me it's hearts & minds. The heart says yes, the mind says WTF are you thinking, there has been zero thought gone into the planning, Wee Eck is winging it and that is simply not good enough.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

well it would be an independent nation for a start

Re: Scottish Independence
 

they are all winging it but to fulfill the prophesy.

ITS NOT ABOUT ECK !

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Daniel Snow says we should vote NO. He may have done this because his father-in-law, the Duke of Westminster owns large tracts of land in Scotland.

Media tries to paint the debate as being about Alec Salmond, for or against. They love to trivialise things.

Roll on 19 September and the result !

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Another politicians view...


BBC News - Scottish independence: Stewart Hosie answers your questions

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Of course... which means (potentially) a lot of negative social implications at first as the new government infights. It's not suddenly going to become utopia overnight - and the weather isn't going to change.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

But Wee Eck is the tip of the spear, the edge of the knife, so of course they will ask/query/question/highlight him.

Personally my memories of him go back to early SNP times "It's Scotlands Oil", having lived up there the Shetlanders have their own view on that.

As I say my heart says Yes but intellectually, especially on the money side, things just don't add up. In the video clip that was posted Stewart Hosie talks about CU as inevitable, otherwise there will be 100's of 1000's of English jobs lost. I'm totally failing to see where the items currently purchased in Scotland which are produced in England would totally dry up. If Scots want them they'll buy from somewhere, if English companies want to sell they'll find markets. It's yet more political scaremongering which serves only to dilute any faith or trust in politicos to tell the truth.

He also spoke about the pound being a shared asset (Eck talks about the English cannot decide not to let Scotland have the pound failing to note that it's the UK's pound and he wants to leave the UK), hence CU is inevitable. For me if you're going to divorce then you don't keep running the joint bank account.

Anyway would it make me want to go back home more quickly? No. Things for the average Scot are not going to change much, particularly outside of the Central Belt. The majority of investment and spending will continue to be spent there, screw the rest of the country. Aberdeen has desperately needed a bypass for at least 25 years, this will improve trade going further North. They have ploughed 100's of millions into running the M74 into the very centre of Glasgow and into massive road improvement schemes around Cumbernauld. Further North you can forget it, not happening.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

and they can also keep the pound.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

if Scotland votes yes and joins the EU then I assume there will be a flood of English students applying to go to Scottish Universities as they will no longer have to pay fees.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Interesting point. Currently students from anywhere else in the UK have to pay tuition fees in Scotland. But Scots and students from EU countries do not. What would happen if Scots vote yes is (like almost everything else) unclear. But EU membership is at least 18 months away, assuming Wee Eck & Co can persuade the EU to allow a newly independent state to keep all of the UK's special privileges, which no other new member was allowed. The UK's opt-outs that Scotland would lose include a large range of VAT discounts, including on children's clothes, books and food. The European commission has stated that a new member can have VAT lower than 15% for only one or two categories of goods, not the dozens enjoyed by the UK. Not forgetting the subsidies etc.

Wee Ecks contention that Scotland could use a fast-track process under article 48 of the EU treaty requires the the remainder of the UKs government to agree to use article 48 for negotiating accession before Scotland became independent.
There is little or no prospect of the UK doing so if Scotland planned to discriminate against UK students on fees or fight to share UK opt-outs.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

also there is the question of whether they will even be allowed to join. Spain could possibly use its veto in order to discourage Catalonia from heading down the same road.