Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

With all this debate on if Scotland should become Independent from the UK and how they migh be achived, I would like to ask, why should we do about Scotland?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16478121

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I think you mean what should we do about Scotland.

I think we should assist them in every way possible in the split.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

It won't make any difference, it won't happen
Ironcially the UK treasury will be better off and stop having to subsidise Scotland
However Scotland will attempt to lay claim to the oil and gas revenues

It is more likely to happen when the North Sea oil and gas reserves dry up and the Atlantic reserves have to be opened up
At that point the UK treasury will try the firesale

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Please send us food parcels and beer. Mark the food parcels "Not fit for Salmond consumption" or they may not reach the needy.

If you don't we'll remove our ginger genes from the gene pool. ;)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If independance happens, be ready for the mass migration south.

That'll leave Salmond and his sheep in peace.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

The oil and gas do not belong to Scotland, it belongs to the UK as a whole. The fact it gets processed via Scotland does not mean they own it.

At the most, should they split from the UK, Westminster will broker a deal with them where they get paid to process it on our behalf. Either that or the probably more expensive suggestion of re-routing it around Scotland.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Scotland will not vote to split from England. Poll after poll after poll has shown that the settled will of the Scottish people is to remain in political union. Alex Salmond has a very good reason for delaying his referendum until 2014 - delaying it as long as possible is the only means he has of delivering the SNP's long-term pledge of a referendum whilst desperately hoping that something, anything, will transpire to turn public opinion around. He will also hope to complete a full five-year term in office having not spent four years of it being accused of having no legitimacy, the likely consequence of a referendum having been held and lost some time last year. Furthermore he will want to carve out a reputation for the SNP as a viable, alternative centre-left Government for Scotland so, having lost a referendum on independence in 2014 he can still go to the country in 2015 and ask for a third term as First Minister.

The electoral rules that return MSPs to Holyrood were designed to prevent the SNP from ever getting an outright majority. To an extent this suited Salmond perfectly as he is a pragmatist and a gradualist when it comes to achieving a split from the Union. He knows that the time is not now, and being able to blame a Parliament he did not control for denying him a referendum bill was very convenient. Only in the last stages of the 2010 election campaign, when an outright win for the SNP began to look possible, did the SNP start rolling back it's referendum commitment as far as it possibly could (that being a delay, not a cancellation).

It is not properly appreciated south of the Border that the SNP won the election despite their separatist agenda, not because of it. They are the only effective opposition to Labour in Scotland and the overwhelming desire on the part of Scottish voters in 2010 was to get Labour out of power in Holyrood.

---------- Post added at 13:57 ---------- Previous post was at 13:53 ----------

Useful analysis in this morning's Torygraph by Labour's Douglas Alexander:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...sh-people.html

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Down here already....:D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Yes and very welcome by the vast majority of English people.:)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I my opnion, we should give more powers to scotland and alow them to rasie they own money for public spending, but as for indpendence, I do fell that this a good idea, my reasons are:

1. Scotland needs to be fianacally stable

2. How on earth are we going to split public boides liek the army etc

3. How would scotland be reprsented on the International stage?

4. What about the status of the Scot-Irish Catholic community?

5. What about the boder regions, The Scottish Borders are pretty much like Norhumberland, would they need passports just to go a few miles?

6. The status of the Royal Family?

7. Relations between Scotland and the rest of the British Isles?

8. Would the Independence of Scotland result in the further breakup of the UK?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

You don't need a passport for Northern/Southern Ireland so you wouldn't need one for Scotland.


Nothing to suggest they would change.

Nothing to suggest that would ever happen.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Whilst I have no love for the Scots or the Welsh........... or the Cornish for that matter.

I think everybody in the country knows that a break up of the UK would be a very bad thing.

If they do break up, would it be possible to remove Edinburgh and relocate it this side of the border, they can have the rest.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I wolud agree with you on that, the only diffrence with the SNP and Scottish Labour is that one wants independence and the other only wants Scotland to be more self-governing!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

One Scot here that will be voting no.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

plenty fresh water to sell if they did leave

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

How - by depending on tourism, Scotch, and alcohol taxes?

Joint services, like UN/NATO forces.

Andy Stewart and Kenneth McKellar in the Eurovision Song Contest

What about us?

They're equivalent to the choochters, so don't count......:D

They can keep their holiday home

We'll still have relations with your women....;)

No, since, imho, it isn't going to happen.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Another Scot here that will be voting ''' NO '''

i am proud to be born and bred in Glasgow and i am also proud to be British and be part of the united kingdon ..

nearly every Scot i know feels the same way and will be voting in the same way as myself.

There is no way that this vote is going to go in the direction of a split,,it will be the usual 25-35% that vote for the yes vote..mainly the catholics and the socialists..

God save the queen :D:D:D:D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

What about the Scots-Irish community (who are catholic) will they want Catholic Church to be given equal staus as the Church of Scotland, could they even want to breakaway or join Ireland?

---------- Post added at 14:34 ---------- Previous post was at 14:33 ----------

Will Scotland be part of NATO?

Also Will Scotland become a republic?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Well there are no answers to these because it simply will not happen.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Once they realise that Westminster will no longer fund them it will die a quiet death, I believe that Salmond thinks he can have it both ways.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Why should they - they don't at the moment.

RC's are around 9% of the English population, and around 16% of the Scots - not exactly anywhere near a majority in either country

btw, there are quite a few Scots-Irish Prods as well.

---------- Post added at 14:34 ---------- Previous post was at 14:33 ----------

a) it couldn't afford to
b) Why should it?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Ultimatly I think that Scotland should be given more powers, but Independence, I am not so sure!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I'm waiting for the Welsh to want independance, but as the were conqured but the English they can only be given there freedom.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I for one think its a bad idea and just wish Salmond would kindly go away.

Such a stupid idea and it would not work. Besides 99% of the Scottish population wouldn't want indepenance anyway.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

This something over indulgent politicians like to raise as an issue it isn't something i think the vast majority of scots either think about or care about and certainly have no intention of changing. Salmond i don't know even by political standards which for me are as low as can be right now just seems slimy and unpleasant he is a one view person who sits hoping for events to turn the world to his personal wants.

I think there is as much chance of scotland voting for independence as there is of a cure for my illness being announced in the next week it simply isn't going to happen no matter how much some up there might want it. But if major IF they did vote yes then fine split whats already there and then not a single penny more going north of the border that happens you'll have another vote within two years for rejoining the union.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

To be fair I'd rather be in a religious minority amongst 60 million on the whole relatively decent folk than 5 million with plenty of sectarian tendencies among them.

My own view is that the SNP would be better campaigning for independence down here, polls have proven the English as a majority would vote for independence now given the opportunity but as ever in this great democracy we aren't given a say and that just how wee Alec likes it, bleat on knowing full well he'll never have to follow through and take responsibility for full blown independence.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If Scotland became independant of the UK then others would follow and eventually England would all alone and effecly independent from the (now defunt) UK![COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added at 16:23 ---------- Previous post was at 16:17 ----------

link: http://www.cardatabase.net/modifiedairlinerphotos/search/photo_search.php?id=00010870

If Scotland becomes independant, they I would presuame a new natioal carrier for Scotland would be formed, this is what their Livery would look like!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Cheers for that, it's like debating with a child, for the hard of thinking I was attempting to say England would cut them loose now and be the first to gain independence not the last.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I know what you mean, but I was telling you another way for England to become Independent!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

That isn't another way though as the others don't want independence, even Scotland if the SNP were honest.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

We don't want it. The Welsh Assembly is more like the committee of a workingmen's club and shouldn't be trusted with scissors never mind complete control of the country.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Devolution was a pander to the nationalists i never heard any of my welsh or scottish friends banging on about wanting it or needing it and many of them are not happy with how it is working out for them. I guess some politicians have to stick to a point regardless of how many people they actually represent with it to feel they are needed or have meaning.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

When it was first suggested by Labour I was pretty much in favour of it but once I saw how terrible the WAG were at management, I quickly changed my mind. I have no complaints with free prescriptions and hospital parking but that's as far as it goes.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Even communism had it's good points but as a whole you wouldn't want it and i think it is the same for devolution a few carrots doesn't make up for the utter mess of the whole if you see what i mean :).

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Communism - wonderful theory, then people/reality got involved....

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

:LOL: Excellent.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Yes indeed and like Capitalism those at the top tend to get get rich and leave the vast majority of us picking up the pieces.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

The SNP is now saying the referendum will take place in the autumn of 2014. Linkage to follow ...

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Obviously not. Then again you're English, remember? ;)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I just want the Scottish MPs not to be able to vote on matters pertaining to England.That's as independent as I want things to be.:erm:

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

That makes sense.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

No, I'm Welsh. And the majority of us do not want devolution.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If Scotland did vote for independance would they have to apply for EU membership (should they want it) or would it be granted automatically?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If Scotland were to break away from the United Kingdom then it would have to negotiate separate membership of any and all international bodies it wanted to join, including the EU.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Are we all not a part of a island conjoined? (apart from Ireland)? If any broke away would they try and break away the land mass?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

You do realise that if we weren't joined to Scotland we would float away and join France. :erm:

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I don't know what support the EU has in Scotland but do you suppose that Salmond would try to use that in an attempt to gain support for independance . It would be the only way they could escape the clutches of Europe without the rest of the UK leaving .For some it may be a pursuasive argument

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

BTW Salmond seems to have tried to beat Cameron to the punch and has set a date of 2014....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ja...rendum-cameron

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

From the SNP policy documents

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

No. Neither Northern Ireland nor Wales have anywhere near enough revenue generating ability to sustain themselves with their current standard of living.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

So now the SNP have set a date, or a rough estimate of a date, what happens? Is there going to be a campaign for the pro-union side that we can donate too?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

There will doubtless be a joint Lib/Lab/Con campaign for a no vote, led, if they have any sense, by Labour.

Even with an outright majority at Holyrood the SNP did not achieve a popular majority in 2010 ... unionist parties between them got a little over 50% of the vote, and that in an election the SNP won despite, not because of, its separatist agenda.

Incidentally, I have a ticket to BBC Radio Scotland's version of Question Time this Friday ... "Brian Taylor's Big Debate" ... Looks like I might have accidentally got a seat for the most important edition ever. Cannae wait!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Couldn't care less about Scotland wanting to leave the UK. The differences between Scotland and England seem to grow with time, and it's getting pretty boring Scottish MPs getting a say on matters that don't apply to Scotland while having devolved powers.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I care a great deal. This is the UK, Britain. Scotland is part of that. It would be tragic to lose that...

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

What he said.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

:tu: However that all I want to see happen.I'd hate to have to have a visa to visit Scotland.;)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I would speculate that a passport wouldn't be required between the home nations.

I'm fairly unconcerned by the prospects of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland leaving the union. Scotland seem to want to be a socialist nirvana, they can pay for it themselves directly through raising their own revenues, Wales and Northern Ireland are extremely resource consuming.

Things change.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I don't think the Scots so stupid to fall for Salmond.

Salmond, is a very good politician, however look behind Slamond and the SNP is devoid of any other charismatic member.

The SNP are a one man party, Salmond is the SNP and vice versa and without him there is no SNP

He wont be there forever.

Do the Scots really want to be led to Independance by Salmond, and then dumped like a bride the day after her wedding.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Maybe Cameron should spike Salmond's guns by immediately setting up an alternative referendum as to whether the rest of the UK should leave Scotland.. :D

---------- Post added at 21:08 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------

Only half Welsh IIRC ;)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

But that's only because the Welsh GDP is just slightly less than Haiti's

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

More Welsh than English thankfully ;)

---------- Post added at 22:21 ---------- Previous post was at 22:19 ----------

No, it's as I've already said - nobody trusts the WAG not to screw it up.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I'll second that! ;)

---------- Post added at 21:26 ---------- Previous post was at 21:25 ----------

:rofl:

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Screw what up? I'm with Clarkson on this for once, if WE go it alone you'll all be eating voles within a week, they screw it up and it'll be a couple of days, meh.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

:rofl:

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Yay, English jingoism mixed in with sheep noises....

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Yeah, it's nothing like 50% Welsh jingoism either.... :D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

with sheep noises?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

All Welsh folks hear sheep noises..... Even the half Welsh. :D

I'm told the Scots hear the sound of pure bred wild Haggis and the English the haunting sound of World Cup defeats and unruly Celts.... :D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Only choochters hear haggis - weegees hear the sound of breaking glass....

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

:D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

i thought it was nick lowe that heard the sound of breaking glass not the beegees :)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Nah, he's talking about that renowned bunch of Scottish window cleaning entrepreneurs - The SqueeGees :D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

With their marketing slogan " yeh kin have your windies cleaned, or yeh can have nae windies ta clean". :D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Still, we appreciate those English taxes. The free prescriptions come in dead handy :p:

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I realise English might not be your first language but meh is nothing like baa...

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

tbf, the sound sheep make is more like "me-eh-eh-eh" rather than "baaaaa-aaa".;)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Tbf on an intenet forum I'd rather spell words that sound them out...;)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

An English person trying to teach me about sheep? Who'da thunk it...

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

He might mention wellies next.:D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

S wouldo you want to abolish the Welsh Assembly and you would not be keen on a Welsh Parlement then?

---------- Post added at 09:13 ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 ----------

I do feel that we should get an English Parlement!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Its at Westminster.:D

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Labour is closer to the SNP than the Tories/Lib Dems (apart form how Independent Scotland should be)

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To be honest, London and South east of England susidise the rest of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

---------- Post added at 09:32 ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 ----------

Most Scots voted for the SNP because they were left wing, not because they want a Independent Scotland

---------- Post added at 09:35 ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 ----------

Thats for the whole of Britain, I am talking about a parlement of England only, so the Uk becomes a truly Federal State

Maybe Greater London, South East of England and East of England should breakaway from England and merge to form the City State of London

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Actually I was trying to teach you about word meanings, I bow to your greater knowledge of sheep and sheep handling any day.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I much prefer the issues of Wales being dealt with in Wales and not by people who have never been here. I'm in favour of a Welsh Assembly, just not the muppets in there since it started.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

yee gods no !! Independance for the East of England, freedom for Huntingdonshire!!. Don't mess with us - Cromwell was a local ;)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I was talking of the London Communter Belt are becoming seperate from Englands and becoming a Singapore Style City State, but still part of the UK

I Think I Might open a Forum saying "should London break away from England"

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

London is a massive generator of income for England and the rest of Britain, it would be a disaster.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If Scottish MPs stopped voting on English matters, the Conservatives would have a near permanent majority and could choose to implement more cost cutting measures like the ones the current Government are introducing.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If London serpated from England, It would allow the North to have more freedom form london, espacally if the English Parlement was based in Birmingham or Manchester!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

But what if the rest of England refused Londoners the use of your super dooper new airport? And somebody blows up Heathrow?

Disaster for the London economy, the whole things collapses and we end up building a big wall around the M25 and turn the whole of London into a maximum security prison for the whole of the UK.

Just one rule, once you go in, you don't come out.

And then what would happen if a plane carrying the Prime Minister crashed inside the prison whilst he was on the way to a nuclear summit in Iran, and his speech was the only thing that might avert global thermo-nuclear war???

What would you do then??????????????????


You see, you see , you haven't thought it through ha ha ha ha ha ha........................NURSE

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

It this a pitch for a sequel to Escape form New York, "Escape from London" :D

I was talke about Greater London and Large Parts of South East and East of England seperating from England to form "The State of London"

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

On Scotlands independence, heres something to think about before the vote.

Do we really want Scotland to have its own entry in the Eurovision Song Contest?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Probably beat the English one hands down - everything else does

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I keep trying to work out the implications of different results for this referendum. My main hope is a resounding defeat for the Yes camp, wouldn't this enable us to park for issue for a generation or more? If it was a narrow defeat, what would stop the SNP calling another one in the following Scottish Parliament (presuming they win a majority)? Finally, how would a No vote affect the SNP and Salmond's future? Could they continue without the independence issue?

I guess any win would mean independence within 5 to 10 years?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

The ESC is a political / back slapping event is it not? So, Yes. They probably would do better than England.

But then again, as I say every year -- Who cares?

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If only Andy Stewart was still with us...

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

or, in the interest of equality, we could go for Moira Anderson !! (http://www.moiraanderson.co.uk/)

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

If Scotland were to leave the UK, I wonder how the UK debt pile would be divided. Surely they won't get away with it Scot free

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?