Scotland Independance Referendum

[Skashion]

Born and raised in England only but I feel British and I would be sad to see the Scots leave. My gut instinct is that they won't. When it comes to momentous decisions such as this people are naturally conservative and my guess is the dinnae votes will go in favour of retention.

If they do go for independence though, Scotland will no longer by an ally. It will be a fierce competitor seeking to undercut our economy and should be treated as a parasitic leech with massive tariffs imposed and life made as difficult as possible. The Scottish Nationalists have made that unhappy situation necessary. Their clear aim is to grow their economy by slashing corporation tax and thus attracting businesses currently based here or in Wales or Northern Ireland into Scotland who will then flog their wares in the countries they left to avoid paying their dues. Can't stand the SNP, they act and claim they are left-wing but their economic vision depends on being a prostitute to capitalism.

 

[Gabriel]

Born and raised in England only but I feel British and I would be sad to see the Scots leave. My gut instinct is that they won't. When it comes to momentous decisions such as this people are naturally conservative and my guess is the dinnae votes will go in favour of retention.

If they do go for independence though, Scotland will no longer by an ally. It will be a fierce competitor seeking to undercut our economy and should be treated as a parasitic leech with massive tariffs imposed and life made as difficult as possible. The Scottish Nationalists have made that unhappy situation necessary. Their clear aim is to grow their economy by slashing corporation tax and thus attracting businesses currently based here or in Wales or Northern Ireland into Scotland who will then flog their wares in the countries they left to avoid paying their dues. Can't stand the SNP, they act and claim they are left-wing but their economic vision depends on being a prostitute to capitalism.

With regard to your first point, would your gut tell you the same were the English given the opportunity to leave the European Union?

On the second point, are you as equally reactionary to the Republic of Ireland? After all, in terms of corporate tax it has been doing what you object to for years.

 

[Skashion]

With regard to your first point, would your gut tell you the same were the English given the opportunity to leave the European Union?

On the second point, are you as equally reactionary to the Republic of Ireland? After all, in terms of corporate tax it has been doing what you object to for years.

I reckon the English would vote out but that's because polls in the past have indicated as high as 80% for pulling out of the EU. Polls have never been that high in favour of independence. In fact, more often or not, polls have been higher against than for.

The Republic of Ireland has been its own nation since 1922. Long before the EU existed. It also joined at the same time as the UK. Yes, Ireland has followed the same policy albeit with a much better investment and outcome in human capital. However, it is quite different to the situation in Scotland in that it has been to benefit from being a member of the EU with the burden being on the rest of the EU (not just Britain), and that's if you even think being Ireland is enviable, which is questionable given its current economic state. No-one is going to move to Scotland from Ireland. It isn't going to undercut Ireland and Ireland has better human capital - assuming it is even allowed in the EU (which we have a right to kick up a fuss about). This is aimed squarely at hurting the rest of Britain for Scotland's benefit. That wasn't the case in Ireland and even if it had we've have had much lesser cause for complaint.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

All these people saying they've had a hard time off the Scots, must be doing something different to me, because whenever I've been I've never made made to feel anything but welcome.

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

All these people saying they've had a hard time off the Scots, must be doing something different to me, because whenever I've been I've never made made to feel anything but welcome.

Decent folk are invariably welcomed everywhere.
Some people just like to emphasise our differences and play to cheap regional stereotypes and clichés.
I love Scotland, and have never been offered heroin, Buckfast wine or shortbread.
Unfortunately.

 

[Damocles]

I've been going to Scotland every year for donkeys years. Around Galloway Forest is particularly lovely and welcoming; I fish for pike in Loch Ken so always stay around the area

I was there when they beat us in the rugby and even then there wasn't anything but playful banter and a great night out in the pub. One of my favourite places on Earth.

 

[BWTAC]

Worked up there for around 18 months some years back testing Oranges sites all over the place, never came across any hassle, if anything, the Scots were a far more friendly and welcoming bunch than I've come across the majority of places in England.

 

[stony]

All these people saying they've had a hard time off the Scots, must be doing something different to me, because whenever I've been I've never made made to feel anything but welcome.

I worked on a site in Coatbridge once and when I asked if I was in the right place the bloke looked at me, blanked me, turned around and shouted "Eddie...........EDDIE, we're working with an English bastard"
I just laughed and gave him a load of shit back. It turned out to be a great week with lots of good natured ribbing back and forth.
Always had a good laugh when I've worked in Scotland.
Never really had any problems anywhere else in the UK, apart from Wales. Mid Wales and Anglesey are the only places where I have genuinely been made to feel unwelcome.

 

[bluekeith]

What would be quite amusing would be if the Shetland Islanders voted to remain part of the UK, thereby retaining the vast majority of the North Sea oil/gas income for the UK.

Do you regularly find the prospect of millions of ordinary people being worse off amusing or just in this case?

Only the 75% of Scots that hate the English.

My figure of 75% is based on personal experience of watching the Rugby World Cup Final in 2007 in a bar in Elgin when 3/4 of the occupants celebrated when South Africa beat England like they had won it themselves. I know it's not a particularly scientific study of Scottish attitudes towards the English but I suspect it's not far from the truth.

I have lived near elgin for 15 years now ( fochabers to be exact ) and I have never had any problems my kids go the the village school no problems and no one here is even talking about the vote . The reason the cheer would have went up in the bar was because back then there where 2 big RAF bases full of arrogant Knobs and that is where the local hatred would have come from ask anybody who lives near a military base and they are all hated in the local community

 

[che_don_john]

The way I see it is we are being run now by the Tories who have one seat in Scotland so its not democratic

By the same token, much of Labour's majority between 1997 and 2010 was built by all their seats in Scotland and Wales, so you could just as well argue that the English had to live under Labour governments because of Scottish and Welsh voters!

Then there's the West Lothian Question - Scottish MPs can vote in Westminster on issues that only affect England, yet English MPs can't vote on issues presided over by the Scottish Parliament.