General Discussion
Before David Cameron and others bribe the scots with English tax payers money to keep the union, should he not put it to the English whether we want Scotland in any form.We too have had a raw deal when Scottish MPs coming to England and swaying the voting in Parliament.
My birthplace is in my DNA but I'm British. These islands are too small to be divvying them up even further. What next, devolution by county?
Salmond has damaged the Union beyond repair with his rhetoric. Only yesterday he compared Westminster (and by association - the English) to apartheid South Africa. The anti-English bile of the 'Yes'ists is plain to see daily on TV. The Scots may as well vote 'Yes' as it's obvious that the Union is dead north of the border anyway.
History shows the Scots have made alliances with anyone who they regard will get up English noses. Alec Salmond I think does not know what a can of worms he is opening.
Problem number 1: Whichever way the vote goes it looks as though it will be a close run thing - so there will be lots of unhappy people in Scotland one way or the other. Who, how and what will hold them together?
Problem number 2: If the 'yes for independence' campaign lose, it will be only just. So they will be back again sometime soon.
Problem number 3: If the 'yes' campaign wins then to say there will be big problems if the Scottish economy subsequently goes mammary glands up is to massively understate.
Problem number 4: If the 'yes' campaigners win then they will have rejected those of us who live in the rest of the UK. I wonder if anyone has taken the psychology of rejection into account? More importantly the social psychology of rejection into account. I mean, I don't know about the rest of you, but try as I might I cannot find it in me anywhere to see why the rest of the UK should help Scotland in anyway shape or form if the people who live in that country have rejected the rest of us. Why should we? If they vote for independence then that is what they have. Independence. Their own economy, their own currency etc.
Problem number 5: The welfare system in Scotland and free university education etc. If that is such a carrot for the Scots (and I can see why that should be so) then surely it will also be a carrot for other people who do not presently live in Scotland? Will Scotland have a guarded border with England to stop the English poor from migrating norhwards?
And thems just some thoughts off the top of my head.
Here is another problem in Scotland you do not have to sell your house to get aged help and accomodation so what happens to their homes in England when they return North. Can they still keep them?
My hope is Scotland will vote for the break up as it will bring back to England all the bases for the Army, Navy and Airforce. It will also bring back the industry of Steel making and Shipbuilding. It will hopefully create new jobs for our youngsters in the North and South West of England.
What will the situation be for those Scots presently serving in the armed forces? Will they have a choice of leaving and joining the Scottish equivalent (assuming there will be a Scottish equivalent). Or are the Scottish Nats. assuming that although they will have an independent country it won't be independent when it comes to defence?
@Lynne - there has been some interesting articles on the bbc about the armed forces and other issues -
"If Scotland votes for independence, it would expect a fair share of Britain's armed forces.
An independent Scotland would spend about 10% of the Ministry of Defence's current budget of £33bn on defence.
It would have its own air force - with about a dozen typhoon fast jets. There would be a Scottish navy with two of the Royal Navy's 19 frigates and destroyers, as well as a fleet of smaller patrol boats.
And there would be a Scottish army of at least 3,500 regular troops - much smaller than the British army's current strength of just over 80,000.
Those Scots currently serving in Britain's armed forces would be given the choice as to whose military they want to serve in."
just some odd thoughts. Passports- will the british ones still be valid to an independant scotland or will scotish ones have to replace them ?? Immigration as scotland will not be part of the EU and UK initially - will this open the door to an influx of illegal immigation to the scottish coast line and hence to england ( who will Police this ) ??
On passports I have seen that even if the Scot lives in England they will have to reapply for a scottish one, also I have seen papers that say if there is no double taxation agreement then scots living in England would have to pay scottish income tax. So just because they live in England they will not have a vote but thy will may affected by the result if yes, how fair is that.
The Scots were happy to take our money in 1707 to get them out of the financial difficulty they put themselves in. I wouldn't wonder that they will be knocking at our door again in the near future for more handouts. Everyone and their dog seems to these days.
true to form our david cameron grovels to say the barnett formula will continue even more money than before. As this already sways heavily in favour of the Scots should he not consult the English tax payers before another devious bribe?
Given the illegal immigrant issue I wonder if this will be the necessary shape of things to come should the Scots vote for independence tomorrow.
http://www.channel4.com/news/are-these-the-new-scottish-border-posts
Rebuilding of the wall eh? Well........it would certainly bring some employment to the north of England!
and it would have to be a wall, wouldn't it? I mean, border control checks on just the roads and rail lines would be no good as there is so much open countryside along which the border of England and Scotland runs that it would be child's play to cross over from one country to the other that way. No need to travel by rail or road at all.
Talking of border countryside. I was just idly wondering to myself what the land owning situation complexities might become for border farmers whose lands presently straddle the English/Scottish border.