Will Scotland Leave the UK?

Just before polling day, blame UK Gov for some shortfalls in funding after something goes badly wrong with a critical service.

Originally Posted by Hugh

Just before polling day, blame UK Gov for some shortfalls in funding after something goes badly wrong with a critical service.

Don't they do that all the time anyway?

Originally Posted by Damien

Don't they do that all the time anyway?

They do. The senior SNP lot have had the righteous indignation turned all the way up to 11 for months now and it is beginning to sound rather shrill. It is losing its effect, IMO, even among those who are supposedly "undecided".

[Osem]

I imagine they'll roll out a national screening of BraveHeart with Salmond's image and voice digitally superimposed over Mel Gibson's...

Some interesting points arising from the Euro result in Scotland.

1. Despite having a higher profile than ever, a bank account groaning with lottery winnings and standing on the claim that Scotland needs independent representation in Europe, the SNP's support has gone nowhere since 2009. Actually, it's down just a fraction on the last Euros. It is down something like 16 points on Holyrood 2011, but it would be tricky to draw too much from that. What should not be understated, however, is that 71% of those who voted, rejected the argument that Scotland can't effectively be represented in Europe by any party that is not distinctly, uniquely Scottish.

2. Salmond takes every opportunity to claim that the Scottish body politic is distinct from the English. These results prove that actually, it's just a variation on the same thing. UKIP is on the rise in Scotland too, from a lower base but nevertheless doubling its support. UKIP is only slightly more popular in London than it is in Scotland (which have similar population levels), and won one seat in each. Bet you don't hear any SNP ministers talking up that similarity in the coming days.

3. The SNP and the Greens campaign for Scotland to remove itself from the UK. The combined support for these parties, based on the Euro election, is 37%, leaving the unionist parties with almost 63%. This was not an independence refendum, but with the intensity of campaigning that has been going on in Scotland, surely if Yes was on course to win a majority there would be *some* evidence of it in a real election held just 4 months from referendum day, and more than a year since campaigning began? As things stand, the combined support for separatist parties at this election is well within the usual range of separatist sentiment in Scotland.

4. Salmond claims that Scotland does not share England's Eurosceptic instincts. Yet Scotland has just binned its only Lib Dem (arch federalist) MEP and replaced him with an arch-sceptic from UKIP. Chew on that, Eck.

Desperate Eck is now so scared of what HM Treasury is going to say about the costs of setting up new government departments in Edinburgh, he has scheduled his own press conference to tell everyone it's a load of rubbish. His press conference rebutting the Treasure starts five minutes before Danny Alexander gets up to speak on behalf of HMG. Presumably he's hoping the meedja all comes to listen to him and ignores the other side.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...-break-up.html

[Chad]

More bullying, this time from Barclays bank:

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

"An independent Scotland would be twice as likely to adopt its own currency as continue using the pound, according to an analysis produced yesterday by Barclays for its investors.

The banking giant estimated there was a 60 per cent chance of Scotland being forced to start its own currency despite Alex Salmond’s insistence the remainder of the UK would drop its opposition to sharing the pound after a Yes vote in the referendum."

[Qtx]

The vote is still 4 months away...this is going to be debated to death by then

[Derek]

Cinema chains across Scotland have announced they will introduce a ban on both pro and anti-independence adverts in the lead up to the referendum.

The outlets revealed they are bringing in the new rule after receiving a number of complaints from customers about the adverts shown ahead of film screenings.

http://bit.ly/1kmMstX

Good. I've had enough of crap Braveheart esque adverts that seem to say that if we are independent Tony Blair and George W Bush wouldn't have invaded Iraq.

[Osem]

Let's hope the majority of voters don't decide to stay at home and allow Salmond's Tartan Twits to get their way. There's no way back from a 'Yes' vote...

Originally Posted by Osem

Let's hope the majority of voters don't decide to stay at home and allow Salmond's Tartan Twits to get their way. There's no way back from a 'Yes' vote...

There's no danger of that. The unionist majority is quiet but is nevertheless thoroughly sick of Eck and his smug lieutenants in the SNP and the Guess campaign.

The No vote will be out in numbers, even if only for the pure joy of seeing the look on his face when the whole edifice comes crashing down.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Chris

There's no danger of that. The unionist majority is quiet but is nevertheless thoroughly sick of Eck and his smug lieutenants in the SNP and the Guess campaign.

The No vote will be out in numbers, even if only for the pure joy of seeing the look on his face when the whole edifice comes crashing down.

If you're right I wonder if there'll be a new Scottish version of 'fail' in their dictionary to rival the 'Clegg' down south. Ermmm??.... Hmmm.... What about an 'Alec'?...

[richard s]

I think the Scots may well vote YES now, especially if the UKIPers win the next general election.

Originally Posted by richard s

I think the Scots may well vote YES now, especially if the UKIPers win the next general election.

Referendum = 3 months from now.
General Election = 11 months from now.

I think you're getting a bit confused ...

[nashville]

I certainly hope all the No voters come out in force. It would be a distasted for us to have independence. We could not go it alone and the change over alone would cost a fortune. It is Ok for Salmon to say we will be better off in 15, 20 years by £1000 each, people need help now to help our situation, Definitely NO for me.