mikewot

Are you appearing here all week?

mikewot

alfrombarking

Yorkieabroad

Shouting "scaremongering" any time anyone else talks doesn't really constitute a plan for the country, though, does it? It's just a plan to try to win votes.
On the other hand, If you don't tell anyone what your plans are, it's hard to be called out for not following them....he's a bright lad, eh?

Cypselos

It's even better than that, you can claim you'd like to have more of a plan, but the meanies on the otherside won't pre-negotiate with you before a decision for some reason, and when they say what little plan you have got ain't happening, becuase it's A) stupid and B) political suicide for all of them, they're all big liars.

mikewot

For me the saddest thing is the divisiveness now coming to the fore. No voters keeping quiet because of the intimidation of certain yes voters, no voters being labelled as unpatriotic (seriously!), the 'threats' to companies who have declared a move South in the event of a yes vote 'there will be consequences!'
My fear is of the consequences post vote are Scots going to face some sort of NI situation with bitterness and rivalry, certain flags only allowed to be flown on certain days and not in specific areas blah blah blah.
Salmong has (IMHO) done Scotland no favours in stirring up patriotic fervour without any solid plan behind what the future would entail apart from 'it'll be alright on the night'.

scrubbedexpat141

I agree. I dislike all this anti-each other stuff.

Starting to just look like a pile of idiots quoting bullshit everywhere. I don't believe either side's claims of this or that. I just think it's now an inevitable cycle of bullshit:

If Yes wins: Months / years of 'told you so' or this is miles better or this is shit or what about this or hahah that failed etc etc.
If No wins: Months and years of 'we want another vote' and campaigning (a la Catalunia/Catalan).

It's literally a monumental period of moaning and 'what if's'

Cypselos

The best thing that can come out of this is some sort of meaningful Devo Max that also gets applied to the English regions. Something like a return to the old Anglo Saxon Heptarchy. A sensible federal system could be a great thing for the UK as a whole, and might even go some way to alleviating the endless moaning and shoulder chips that float around the whole island.

Of course what will actually happen is a big sigh of relief in Westminster, a few table scraps of devolution and Scamps option 2.

shiva

lets put this in its correct context.
The remarks of one man and ex snp mp who hasnt been elected since 1992, has zero powers, is clearly bonkers and represents the views of almost nobody.

they might as well have quoted mad john frae the pub whos got an opinion

shiva

you mean like in a functioning democracy where opposition is allowed.
or perhaps youre suggesting that after the next general election all the losing parties are disbanded and all opposition made illegal

scrubbedexpat141

Yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting.

shiva

I know but I've seen too many if these kinds of remarks in the last few days.

All along the lines of whatever happens the others side needs to shut up forever.

Not unfortunately how free society works regardless of how annoying it may be.

scrubbedexpat141

I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that if it's 'No', that definitely won't be the end of it. To me it looks like a juggernaut now, it's not stopping and it might just keep going and going and getting nowhere, but eventually one day something has to give.

I think if it's a 'No' and only marginal then a lot of people will be appeased with more and more power sent North of the border. At which point it is a different debate as to whether Scotland is part of the UK or not.

I get the impression that lots of people don't mind being part of the UK, they just want Scottish votes to go to a Scottish parliament and not be run by Westminster. Unless I'm missing something, that can happen and still be part of the Union, no?

Brains1983

if it's a NO, then it'll come round again, 1979, 1997, 2014, some time around 2030 I guess.

Brains1983

sounds about the best middle ground. taking a leaf out of the USA book. a sort of federal/county split. Military/Foreign affairs for the "UK" and regional for everything else.