Scottish Independence

[Scottie]

what with the Scottish Election tomorrow I wonder who among us is in favour of Independence.

FWIW I'm not and for that reason I will not be voting SNP.

:computer: comments welcome!!

[Stewart]

I really just Vote lazy and do SNP as I tend to think they try that wee bit harder for Scotland....

[stoney]

i dont know if it would be good or bad thing TBH but i can not see it happing !!

[The Dogfather]

I'm for it, but obviously I won't be voting

[Scottie]

I only hope we do get the referendum soon so I get my chance to say no.

If we do get independence come back to this thread in 10 years time and lets discuss what it is like to be European and how much we all enjoy having the Euro and being ruled not by the London but by Europe.

I'm not clever enough to really understand how it would all work but I won't be fooled in to thinking this is something good for our Country. Imagine the cost involved... EU funding ( oh please I hope not) Imagine our interest rates going sky high because it won't be the bank of England controlling it, who would control it Europe perhaps!!. NI contributions doubled .... VAT up over 30% and our defence how do we sort that one out and I guess that's only the tip of the iceberg. These people that rant on about it ........how much have they really given thought to what the end game will be, not mutch I suspect.

President Alex Salmond oh please lets hope not.

[Sheilz]

A well clearly Fiona, with 69 seats in Holyrood, you would appear to be in the minority.

[Scottie]

perhaps however did they vote snp without independence. I would have thought you of all people would not be happy with the Euro and becoming European however I must be mistaken.

[The Dogfather]

A well clearly Fiona, with 69 seats in Holyrood, you would appear to be in the minority.

People voted for the party, not independence, the SNP did have other policies. People may just have voted SNP as a way of getting a better deal within the Union. A vote for independence will only happen at a referendum.

Also its worth considering that for something like this type of issue a simple majority in a referendum will probably not be enough for it to happen, it might require 75:25, it might even be higher.

The last poll I remember seeing, it was a while ago, said that 41% of Scots are strongly in favour, 40% are strongly opposed. To me that doesn't sound like the recipe for a united country, it sounds like the recipe for a civil war.

[GCA3N]

I think the SNP getting in may work in favour of Scotland but I am totally against independance. Listening to Alex salmon the other day I think we are a long way away from a referendum anyway, can't see an independant Scotland working for the individual. I think people who think that if we stand alone we will prosper and go onto to bigger and better things are living in a dream world, IMO anyway.

[Sheilz]

Europe? I think I'm a sceptic. However if Scotland must be in Europe I think we will do well to get rid of one tier of government - Westminister. I just don't buy the arguments for us remaining in a union that behaves as if Scotland is there to service the needs of Westminister and Whitehall to the detriment of the Scottish people. Why are Scots considered to be less capable of running their own affairs than any other people in the western world? I beleive in the ability of Scots, just a huge pitty that three hundred years of being told differently has taken such a toll on so many.
I fully support independence, with or without oil, I hate the mentality of subjugation that permeates our society. I say grow a pair and get on with it. However before any one comes along and says the oil is going to run out, it isn't. Scotland has more oil reserves than Norway. And it is Scotland's oil, not England's.
As for saying that those supporting independence are living in a dream world, well I'd rather take my chances with Scotland being run by Scots for Scots rather than the current situation. Frankly I think its pretty shocking that people will talk down their country in such a way. All proud Scots? Aye! But only as much as Westminister will allow you!

[Scottie]

independence will mean we will be run by Europe simple as that why would you vote for independence and then be told what to do from Europe I don't get that. Oh and it is not Scotland that drills for oil you need the oil companies to do that then we get some of the benefit but don't think London will give up all the income from the North Sea to Scotland because they won't in fact what you would end up with it any income we get going to Europe . The barrell count today from the North Sea against the count of say 1999 is down and down a lot.

What makes you think we can make a better job of running our own country than say the Republic of Ireland or Iceland or Greece or Portugal infact I'm sure I read the other day that some of these countires are looking to withdraw from the EU.

Could we afford to bail out our banks. Oh wait a minute we don't actually have a SCOTTISH bank we have UK banks RBS and BOS all UK banks so that's another thing that would need to be sorted.

Our fishing and farming industry would be destroyed look how hard the fishers get it now with Europe.

Don't get carried away with your idealistic view re Independence for Scotland people really need to think what it would mean for us all. We will do well to stay within the union and away from Europe. Alex Salmond is a sneak I don't trust the man and how in heavens name it ever came to this is shocking my dad, his dad and his dad would all turn in their graves if they were about today.

[The Dogfather]

And it is Scotland's oil, not England's.

Actually a lot of it is Shetland's (and Orkney's), and some of them aren't too happy with being classed as Scottish.

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/malachy-tallack/2007/04/shetland-scotland-independence

http://www.scottishunionist.com/2008/09/independence-for-shetland.html

http://www.journal-online.co.uk/article/5121-shetland-chief-calls-for-independence

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/183823-captain-calamity-declares-shetland-an-independent-nation/

I wonder if the SNP will fulfil their promise and allow the island to become independent?

[The Dogfather]

Oh, one final thing to consider when it comes to oil and gas is the decommissioning of the rigs. I believe the operators can claim back 50% of the costs in tax relief with the decommissioning of the Brent Field alone expected to cost well in excess of £1bn there's a huge potential reduction in tax revenues when the rig are taken out.