Scotland Independance Referendum

[Skashion]

What's this based on? Scotland has natural resources which completely dwarfs Ireland's. It is completely different and Scotland are more similar to Norway and Denmark than anywhere else.

No, you don't Mr Salmond. Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund will soon be worth a $1 trillion. Salmond, who is being optimistic, is talking about putting aside a £1 billion a year. If Scotland got every last bit of oil, and the Shetlands stay with Scotland instead of become part of the UK, Scotland, just about, just about covers current levels of spending and might be able to put a tiny amount aside but it's nowhere near Norway's level but then you've got the £30 billion decommissioning costs to worry about, and what if the Shetlands do leave? Suddenly Scotland's tiny nest egg becomes more debt or services cut. This of course all assumes that Scotland's economy will be hunky dory outside the UK and EU as well. I suspect the damage could be substantially more than Salmond's £1 billion a year.

 

[ayrshire_blue]

Skashion, there's believed to be plenty more oil off the west coast of Troon. The MOD has prevented investigating because it's too close to trident. Anyway, most of the oil which already exists may be off Shetland and Orkney but the infrastructure in place is on the mainland (Aberdeen).


Of course I can see why you'd think I already have my mind made up Dawlish Dave but I've not. I don't for a second think Scotland is too small or too stupid to go it alone, contrary to some of the beliefs in here, but it's whether I want to go it alone I've still to decide. I enjoy being British.

 

[malg]

Read today that Britain may lose its permanent seat on the UN Council if Scotland vote for independence. If true this is a big deal.

No reason why one should lead to the other. It's our nuclear bombs that give us that seat, not Scotland.

It was in the Indie so I reckon there must be something in it.

 

[Balti]

If they are not allowed in the EU, will it mean they will need passports and visas to visit England? and any that are working here without a work permit will be sent back north of the border?

they'll presumably have the same rights as any other European citizen although they might have to be A2 restricted like Bulgarians and rumanians

would be funny if the rest of the UK then withdrew from the EU and perhaps all the jocks south of the border would have to either take citizenship or fuck off lol

 

[Skashion]

Skashion, there's believed to be plenty more oil off the west coast of Troon. The MOD has prevented investigating because it's too close to trident. Anyway, most of the oil which already exists may be off Shetland and Orkney but the infrastructure in place is on the mainland (Aberdeen).

Of course I can see why you'd think I already have my mind made up Dawlish Dave but I've not. I don't for a second think Scotland is too small or too stupid to go it alone, contrary to some of the beliefs in here, but it's whether I want to go it alone I've still to decide. I enjoy being British.

Production isn't going to go up over the long-term so all it would do is add additional time not higher revenues per year. Any oil which might be there will be harder to extract, possibly even economically unfeasible. Yes, the infrastructure is in Aberdeen, hence you already get the benefit in the economy so there'd be an insignificant loss to the economy but if the Shetlands stayed with the UK we'd keep around £3-4 billion in tax revenues, which is more than the £1 billion Salmond is talking about.

The point is that Scotland already sees the vast majority of its oil wealth returned. Scotland's tax contributions (if oil is included) are just above current UK government expenditure in Scotland, 9.9% of tax revenues (based on keeping 90% of oil), 9.3% of expenditure. In normal economic circumstances it's a few billion quid. Currently though, Scotland is receiving more money than it puts in though because the UK is still running a substantial deficit. But even in normal economic circumstances It may well not end up being a few billion, and certainly won't be if the Shetlands stay with the UK. You've just argued it's going to be like Norway, but it isn't. If you were going to be like Norway, you'd be like Norway already. There isn't the vast sum of money at stake that you think and then there's the cost of not being part of the UK and potentially the EU as well. So wake up, your future isn't Norway. The Scottish people deserve to be able to make an informed decision and at the moment people like you are wilfully ignorant or lying about some non-existent promised land.

 

[Chancy Termites]

Read today that Britain may lose its permanent seat on the UN Council if Scotland vote for independence. If true this is a big deal.

No reason why one should lead to the other. It's our nuclear bombs that give us that seat, not Scotland.

It was in the Indie so I reckon there must be something in it.

Would it matter if we lost it? I'm not really sure what benefit it does us.

 

[cibaman]

Apparently Salmond has reiterated that if an independent Scotland doesn't get a currency union with the UK, they will refuse to take on Scotland's share of the national debt.

If they don't take on their share of the national debt, they won't be entitled to their share of the UKs assets.

If they have no assets, they will be unable to support their new currency.

Salmond is supposed to have a degree in Economics but he doen't appear to understand the basics.

He really needs to provide details of how the Scottish economy will work without currency union to allow the Scottish people to make an informed choice.

Salmond's campaign isn't based on logic, its entirely emotional. I doubt he believes the Scots can retain the pound, or even wants to. He'd rather be in the Eurozone. And if Scotland join the EU they would have to sign up to the Euro.

At the moment he's just using the currency debate as an example of Scotland being bullied by the English. To get the Scots to vote yes for emotional reasons. The last thing he wants is for the Scots to make an informed choice.

It's not at all certain they would be allowed into the EU, the Spanish would boycott their membership for a start

And Croatia apparently, or at least make them join the end of the queue. I think Salmond would genuinely be more bothered about not not getting EU membership than having a streling currency union, or keeping the BBC and the Queen. But the EU and the Euro are not great vote winners for the Yes campaign, whereas picking fights with the English, about anything, is.

 

[depps]

They'll end up going the same way as Ireland.

By that do you mean having a higher GDP per capita than the UK, ranking 20 places higher than the UK on the UN's human development index etc?

I'm pretty sure that most pro-independence Scots want to end up going the same way as Ireland... That's kind of the point of the whole thing

 

[dazdon]

They'll end up going the same way as Ireland.

By that do you mean having a higher GDP per capita than the UK, ranking 20 places higher than the UK on the UN's human development index etc?

I'm pretty sure that most pro-independence Scots want to end up going the same way as Ireland... That's kind of the point of the whole thing

Always look on the bright side.

Ireland is financially melting isn't it?

Massive unemployment and all the Horses have left.

 

[Blue Til Death]

They'll end up going the same way as Ireland.

By that do you mean having a higher GDP per capita than the UK, ranking 20 places higher than the UK on the UN's human development index etc?

I'm pretty sure that most pro-independence Scots want to end up going the same way as Ireland... That's kind of the point of the whole thing

They will do, they will be bankrupt just like Ireland who do not have pot to piss in..!