Re: Scottish Independence
 

i agree completely and i doubt that he can believe his luck with how appallingly shambolic and downright ****ing useless BT have been.

Its almost as though No wants to lose! Although I actually think they honestly believed it would be a landslide for no.
Bet they wish they'd kept devo max on the table now

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Of course he’s been painting this picture, in the same way the Darling et al have been (trying) to paint the picture that a Yes vote will cause a sinkhole to open up and swallow the UK.

The demonisation of Salmond by many is somewhat galling when the alternatives are Cameron, Clegg and Milliband – perhaps collectively the least inspiring group of politicians in a generation – who have palmed off the No campaign to Darling who has been utterly incompetent.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Re: Scottish Independence
 

My aged P, who spent his life in the money markets, summoned me back in July when sterling was flirting with 1.7 USD. He reminded me that there was a pesky referendum coming up and that no matter what the polls said, sterling was most likely going to drop the closer to the referendum date and advised me to move all the sterling I had into USD.

If there was a No vote, sterling would rebound but there would be sufficient time to convert back and still make a little profit. If there was a yes vote, he expected a run on sterling and that it could drop to as low as 1.5 or even less in the year following the vote.

People too easily forget that sterling has the proven capacity to drop sharply in a short time span and has been down in the 1.4s in the not too distant past.

I complied with his advice, switched at 1.7 and now sterling is down to 1.614.

If there is a Yes vote, the full economic ramifications are still unknown but I must side with the economic experts who have not been bullish at all. England will rebound much more quickly, but who knows what it will be for Scotland.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Don't get me wrong, I'm a no (if given the vote) but if, as this article states, it doesn't add up then why are wee 'eck & co so blinkered?

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Well, I postal voted Yes last week. Didn't think twice about it.

- One less layer of government bloat (Westminster)
- More accountability for the remaining government bloat (Holyrood)
- IMF intervention within two years and the commensurate gutting of the massive public sector as part of the bailout

Onwards and upwards...

[J]

Re: Scottish Independence
 

r you resident in scotland?

Re: Scottish Independence
 

just as easy to point out the opposite

Re: Scottish Independence
 

I'm smelling BS on the 'mysterious' 4 billion. Scotland has a debt to service, part of the national debt. As I understand Scotlands debt currently stands at 12 billion.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

yes, and? there is barely a nation on earth with out a debt.

I'm about to Foxtrot oscar but i believe scotlands 12 billion is lower per head than most countries, sure google will see you right

Re: Scottish Independence
 

He's built his career on demonising Westminster and blaming it for everything. Which makes it odd that he wants the Bank of England to underwrite an "independent" Scotland. As Mark Carney pointed out, a meaningful currency union would mean Scotland would have to cede so much control over fiscal policy that it would render the notion of it being an "independent" country ridiculous.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

The point that the yes link you posted was making was that if Scotland didn't have to cough up the 4 billion every year it would be a land of milk & honey. Which is precisely what wee eck will have you believe.

I'm just not understanding something. In all of the papers etc. we read about the financial implications of a yes vote. We read how large financial companies are warning against it, like BP & Standard Life (BP Statement Regarding Scotland | Press | BP Global Update for shareholders, customers and advisers - Standard Life plc) and yet wee eck continues to bury his head in the sand Salmond attacks Standard Life for scaremongering over plan to move business to England | Herald Scotland

My failure to understand is this. Wee eck and the other senior yes campaigners are surely not so stupid or so manically egotistical in the pursuit of 'Freedom'!! that they are totally oblivious to the consequences of what will happen when (because these companies have publicly stated so) the big companies foxtrot oscar south of the wall. Or are they?

Re: Scottish Independence
 

The particular flaw in your link is that the writer factored in offshore tax receipts from oil and broke it down on a geographic basis without explaining how the geographic basis was determined - note that he stated geographic, not population basis, and that doubtlessly explains why his article claims a higher net contribution per head from Scotland versus England

The North Sea oil has always been a red herring in all these debates. Elements of the Yes side like to talk about how Britain "stole" the oil wealth from Scotland, while ignoring that Scotland is....ahem....part of Britain and it was the British government who developed the oil industry. But more to the point, that's the past. The only thing that matters is the future.

And the future predictions for the North Sea oil isn't good. This is straight from the mouth of all the oil companies. Oil production and oil revenues are down sharply since 1999 because the oil is running out. Salmond has come up with wildly divergent claims for future oil revenues that has been laughed at by the industry itself. His economic "plan" for Scotland's future rests on revenues from an oil supply that doesn't exist.

And let's not even get into the irony over claiming the oil because it happens to be in Scotland while ignoring the massive debt incurred in bailing out Scottish banks by the UK government, despite that the funding for the bailouts came primarily from English taxpayers.

If you're going to vote yes, it's obviously going to be because of the heart, not because of economics.

Re: Scottish Independence
 

In my previous links there is mention (by BP) of Sir Ian Wood and his view, Scottish Independence: Sir Ian Wood says inflated oil forecasts are an 'insult' - Energy Voice

It only goes to reinforce my previous question, are wee eck and co financially stark, staring, raving, bonkers MAD!!?

Re: Scottish Independence
 

Oh dear, brb off to find some links I saw the other day.

I just posted this though elsewhere


“Greater Clair proves there is still a long future for oil and gas production in the North Sea and will give confidence to new recruits that the industry offers a career for life.”

This is currently on the BP website, the same people who just came out and said it's running out.
You can also google their video on the Clair field.
I think the refer to Clair as one of the truely massive oil fields and oh they have only just started production