Alex Salmond and Independence

For UK viewers

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Scottish Independence





 
I do like the idea of an independent Scotland and Wales.

For me, it's as much about the English getting our independence and identity back, without the Scottish being able to vote on matters that don't concern them, or having their MPs in our parliament.
 
Scotland would keep the pound. Also, people seem to forget if Scotland votes yes then that isn't the end there and then. There's 2 years of time to get issues set in stone.




Of course you could use the £ .... do you not realise that it comes at a cost? You would lose the very powers you crave. The only way to get what you want is to have your own currency but you can't afford it. Makes me laugh when you see Salmond and that awful woman (can't recall her name) talking as though they can do what they want without answering to either Westminster, the EU or the rest of the world.


:lol: That'll be an impartial article then!

You say 24 billion barrels. Experts in the oil industry say 16 billion. Worth noting Salmond's figures value the oil reserves without taking into account the cost of extraction! Do you really think he's being honest with you? He also talks about paying into a fund along the lines of Norway (bright people) .... how the feck is he going to fund that along with everything else? Sorry mate, but you need to take a reality check.

Scotland get between 10% and 20% of it's tax revenue from oil whereas the UK as a whole it's between 1% and 2% so Scotland has a huge gap to fill when the oil runs dry.

In the UK Oil and gas revenues have on average increased or decreased by nearly 35% each year partly due to wholesale price fluctuation....what happens in the lean years when Salmond is funding his dream based on oil income.
 
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Of course you could use the £ .... do you not realise that it comes at a cost? You would lose the very powers you crave. The only way to get what you want is to have your own currency but you can't afford it. Makes me laugh when you see Salmond and that awful woman (can't recall her name) talking as though they can do what they want without answering to either Westminster, the EU or the rest of the world.
You're obviously just a bully Marching, he has already said that he believes his policy of 'a commonsense agreement on a common currency will prevail' Surely that is enough to go on, his belief, I mean what reason would he have to lie, he's a politician so surely he can be trusted. :wenger:
 
You're obviously just a bully Marching, he has already said that he believes his policy of 'a commonsense agreement on a common currency will prevail' Surely that is enough to go on, his belief, I mean what reason would he have to lie, he's a politician so surely he can be trusted. :wenger:

I love the :salmond: smilie

I'm beginning to think a Yes vote might be fun to see. ;)
 
Honestly, that's about as legit as telling people from the west indies in the fifties they don't have the right to argue about their independence. As I pointed out before, wrong argument.

And I'am, as a member of german fraternity, probably way more drunk than you. And arguing in a foreign language.

It's not legit to point out that it affects all of the UK not just Scotland, and that therefore any UK citizen has a right to be passionate about the issue?

So rUK residents should simply sit tight lipped as their country potentially gets torn apart?
 
I love the :salmond: smilie

I'm beginning to think a Yes vote might be fun to see. ;)
There are so many Scottish people trusting Salmond it's starting to be a real possibility. As I said in a earlier post, as a family man there is no way I'd not listen to all the experts saying that an independent Scotland is a big risk and could see the country go into a big recession. Putting a roof over our heads and food on the table comes before everything else.
The threats of price rises, uncertainty over the currency, health, defence, paying their part of the debt have all yet to be answered, how anyone vote Yes is beyond me.

Of course if the 'yes' camp wins there is a chance things will improve and become better in the short term, but the change isn't for the short term, it's forever. The YES campaign cannot provide any guarantees, in fact, they can't even answer the most basic of questions. Salmond has done a great job in masking his own hypocrisy and conning the electorate in the process.
 
There are so many Scottish people trusting Salmond it's starting to be a real possibility. As I said in a earlier post, as a family man there is no way I'd not listen to all the experts saying that an independent Scotland is a big risk and could see the country go into a big recession. Putting a roof over our heads and food on the table comes before everything else.
The threats of price rises, uncertainty over the currency, health, defence, paying their part of the debt have all yet to be answered, how anyone vote Yes is beyond me.

Of course if the 'yes' camp wins there is a chance things will improve and become better in the short term, but the change isn't for the short term, it's forever. The YES campaign cannot provide any guarantees, in fact, they can't even answer the most basic of questions. Salmond has done a great job in masking his own hypocrisy and conning the electorate in the process.

My thoughts exactly. And your line
Of course if the 'yes' camp wins there is a chance things will improve and become better in the short term, but the change isn't for the short term, it's forever.
should be used as a campaign slogan for the 'Sensible Party'

I've no doubt the initial euphoria of a yes vote will carry them on cloud 9 for a while but when the realisation of the HUGE expense of Salmond's dream hits home and the public spending cuts and tax rises start to bite a lot of people may well regret their blind leap of faith.
 
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Would be absoloutely mental if they vote yes, would cause massive upheaval in the UK and in terms of defence it would cause enormous problems for us especially, apparently they want half of the RAFs fast jets!!!! absoloutely crazy that is, the amount of support staff to keep them running is phenomenal, good luck chaps.
 
Id like to see it, but when it comes to the crunch I think "no" will win this very easily. I reckon a lot who have said "yes" in opinion polls wont have the nuts to actually vote that way
 
Would be absoloutely mental if they vote yes, would cause massive upheaval in the UK and in terms of defence it would cause enormous problems for us especially, apparently they want half of the RAFs fast jets!!!! absoloutely crazy that is, the amount of support staff to keep them running is phenomenal, good luck chaps.

Would be great for somewhere in the UK with those defence jobs moving south!

Some interviews on the TV this morning with undecided voters suggested the vagueness of Salmond's costing out the financial impact was starting to hit home.
 
Some interviews on the TV this morning with undecided voters suggested the vagueness of Salmond's costing out the financial impact was starting to hit home.


I said it earlier in this thread, the votes that have been decided are so emotional that I reckon they're locked in and the polls are probably fairly accurate. But I can't see the undecideds (who it looks like will decide the whole thing) being swayed by anything Salmond will say in the next 48 hours - if he's not answered their questions by now it's not going to happen. I just can't see a person concerned about the future of their country taking the massive leap of faith it takes to be a Yes voter now.

I'm going to make a prediction - 54%-46% in favour of the No vote. Those undecideds are going to go with 'better the devil you know'.
 
Depends. Could be sunny. People get all optimistic when it's sunny.
 
NHS in Scotland 'faces £400m funding gap' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29213416

The documents say new obligations are "not fully funded". The documents conclude that the "status quo in terms of service and workforce planning is not an option".
The papers outline a funding gap of £400-£450m in the next two financial years, 2015-17, which is described as "a level significantly in excess of that previously required".

Just another £400m to find then! :wenger:
 
With the potential implications of this such as they are, I'm starting to think that this whole referendum is somewhat unfair.

Well perhaps unfair isn't the right word, but let us say for illustrative purposes that 'Yes' wins with 51% of the vote. That's 49% of the Scottish population thrown into a situation they don't want, with uncertainty and a potentially huge economic downturn off the back of such a small difference.

It feels to me like making such a monument change to such a fundamental part of people's lives should require a two thirds majority vote.
 
With the potential implications of this such as they are, I'm starting to think that this whole referendum is somewhat unfair.

Well perhaps unfair isn't the right word, but let us say for illustrative purposes that 'Yes' wins with 51% of the vote. That's 49% of the Scottish population thrown into a situation they don't want, with uncertainty and a potentially huge economic downturn off the back of such a small difference.

It feels to me like making such a monument change to such a fundamental part of people's lives should require a two thirds majority vote.
But then you would have just under two thirds living in a situation they don't want, as hard as it will be a majority wins outcome is the only fair way.
 
But then you would have just under two thirds living in a situation they don't want, as hard as it will be a majority wins outcome is the only fair way.
Yea I get that, and I know that it's going to lead to unhappiness either way, but I just think with the consequences so big it should take more to move away from the status quo.

Obviously it's not that simple, it's just something that occurred to me.
 
Yea I get that, and I know that it's going to lead to unhappiness either way, but I just think with the consequences so big it should take more to move away from the status quo.

Obviously it's not that simple, it's just something that occurred to me.
To be honest it's entered my head as well, it's going to cause so much unrest if the yes vote wins by a tiny margin and the country then goes tits up.
That's why I'm finding it odd that is so close considering Salmond has failed to answer or give assurances to the most important questions.
 
The only possibly unfair part is that if it's 51% No, there'll be another referendum in XX years, whereas if it's 51% Yes, there's no going back really.
 
Yea I get that, and I know that it's going to lead to unhappiness either way, but I just think with the consequences so big it should take more to move away from the status quo.

Obviously it's not that simple, it's just something that occurred to me.

Definitely something that has occured to me as well. I think I would be fine if there was a clear majority like 60% or above who wanted independence but if the margins are so close that there are only a couple of percentage points in it, then it is a huge undertaking on the back off a small majority.
 
If it's yes what happens in regards to citizenship? Would it be a free for all since so many have both Scottish and English heritage? Or even a totally porous border? Crikey what happens if you live and work on different sides of the border? So many questions.
 
If it's yes what happens in regards to citizenship? Would it be a free for all since so many have both Scottish and English heritage? Or even a totally porous border? Crikey what happens if you live and work on different sides of the border? So many questions.
I imagine both sides would prefer an open border, like the one between Northern Ireland and the Republic. I expect Scotland's less than clear path into the EU complicates things though.
 
I haven't been following this closely.
Is it still neck and neck? What do the polls suggest?
 
I imagine both sides would prefer an open border, like the one between Northern Ireland and the Republic. I expect Scotland's less than clear path into the EU complicates things though.

Definitely does. Salmond says Scotland will seek to be a member after independence which means nobody knows how long that will take as Scotland will presumably treated as a new member. The EU could also force them to become part of a European passport-free zone as in much of Europe rather than free travel across the border as in Ireland.

NATO membership is another unanswered question....Salmond has said defence spending would be cut by around £400m BUT that amount breaches the rules of NATO membership so they will not be allowed in. So many demands of your money Mr Salmond and so few resources to fund it from.
 
Let's say you live in Scotland and work in England. Who gets the taxes on pay?
Well if living in Northern Ireland but working in the Republic you will pay tax directly to the Irish Revenue Commissioner, likewise if the role is reversed you pay your taxes to HMRC. I'd imagine it will be the same if Scotland votes Yes on Thursday.
 
No chance. There's so many people voting for the wrong reasons who's mind was made up as soon as the referendum was announced. The fact it's neck and neck is incredible and Salmond should be credited for his role in ensuring it's neck and neck after the early polls predicted a huge No victory.

Credited for what, the man has outlined very little policies and has just attacked anything else as scaremongering. The fact its neck and neck is more down to the people and national pride rather than Salmond.
 
That's the thing, they will never be allowed back.

I think they would. Let's face it, if they do vote for independence, it's not as though just under half didn't vote for Independence. There will be a lot of sympathy for the large minority.