Scottish Independence?

weebarney said:
id like to move to scotland to take advantage of no sunday trading laws!
Click to expand...

Get yourself to the Hebrides, nothing does anything there on a Sunday! :D
On the subject of independence.....no thanks. I'm a scot who happens to also be British, and I like it like that! :D
Who wants wee Eck. As our leader?:eek:
 
smokey said:
Get yourself to the Hebrides, nothing does anything there on a Sunday! :D
On the subject of independence.....no thanks. I'm a scot who happens to also be British, and I like it like that! :D
Who wants wee Eck. As our leader?:eek:
Click to expand...

^^^this. I too am proud to be British. I posted a list of questions on the fb page of an snp mp i went to school with and he didn't answer them. so i sent them to our local snp msp and didn't hear back from her either. they were questions regarding defense, share of national debt, nhs, oil, europe etc. I think fair to say that they have no idea of the answers. Hardly inspires confidence. I think slimey salmond has designs on being king of scotland! They even want to drop the voting age to 16 for the referendum. This is to try and get the vote of youngsters who are perhaps not as well informed and a bit patriotic.
I don't think it will happen but if it does, i will move south...if they will have me :D (my dad is english if that helps lol)
 
I'm English, albeit a Northumbrian by upbringing (which is almost like being half Scottish)!

I will be very very sad if Scotland does sever the ties, because, as you others have said, I consider it to be a very important part of Great Britain.

However, I'm also against colonisation, and if the Scots feel that strongly, 400 years almost after unification, that they do want to go it alone, so be it. BUT....

....if they do, they should have to go it alone. No leaning on the rest of the Union for help with defence, road maintenance, social services - all those things that, for reasons of topography as much as anything, tend to be a lot more expensive north of the Border.

Just think of it. A Customs post on Carter Bar. Please no....!
 
I live in Scotland tho originally English. I hope there wont be a vote for separation since I think the current system is pretty good for Scotland, Scotland has control over lots of stuff, law, eduction, lots of government stuff but I dont see that it should want to be a small country massively dependent on EU handouts, think it is better to stick with the UK ties for defence, intelligence, that sort of stuff. I also think Alex S is massively arrogant and power crazed and has an interesting approach to the concept of truth! More like Emperor Alex if it goes through!

But we will see what happens....
 
I'm English but have lived in Scotland for over 40 years, much of that in the Highlands.

I used to vote SNP and was all for independence. However, I've recently had problems which involve dealing with officialdom and I'm shocked at the corruption, laziness, and crony-ism in government. Maybe I'm innocent and just didn't see it when I lived south. I also hate the "grant and subsidy" culture where everyone has their hands out for free cash. Hard work and pride in a job well done seems an attitude that is truly dead this far north.

No, sorry Mr Salmond, but I think you are taking it too far and too fast. Go for civilization as the first step, then think of independence in a century or two.:D

(Hmm...after that, I think I'd better make plans to emigrate before I get ethnically cleansed!!!:D:D:D I do love the space and freedom up here, though).
 
Definite no from me, I am a Highland Scot but I'm in England so I may have issues with right to work as technically I'd be an immigrant?
Scotland if she got her independence would go the exact same way as the ROI, yes she has the oil and tourism industries but I don't think that would be enough to keep her afloat. Don't get me wrong I love my country of origin and consider myself extremely patriotic but I still don't think it would work.
 
I don't really think its a country I'd wish to continue living in.

Most small countries which are successful have a small public sector. In Scotland its very bloated, a third of all employees, and I don't think thats sustainable, as the manufacturing sector is poor and shored up by the state. I don't think a non-renewable resource such as oil is enough, long-term. A lot of parts of the country are very poor and have extremely high unemployment/sickness/disability levels with poor diet and health and endemic. The transport infrastructure just isn't there, when you compare it to other European countries, and the way of working and attitude to work in Scotland hasn't shown so far that theres a liklihood of good management of large public sector initiatives.

We already pay more tax to live here, in terms of higher levels of Council tax. I think whats most likely to happen is that we will pay taxes directly in Scotland, and end up paying maybe 3 or 5% more for the "privelege" of living here and being told we're greedy to resent it and force fed tv programmes about Sean Connery and how wonderful being Scottish is.
 
Mithras said:
I don't really think its a country I'd wish to continue living in.

Most small countries which are successful have a small public sector. In Scotland its very bloated, a third of all employees, and I don't think thats sustainable, as the manufacturing sector is poor and shored up by the state. I don't think a non-renewable resource such as oil is enough, long-term. A lot of parts of the country are very poor and have extremely high unemployment/sickness/disability levels with poor diet and health and endemic. The transport infrastructure just isn't there, when you compare it to other European countries, and the way of working and attitude to work in Scotland hasn't shown so far that theres a liklihood of good management of large public sector initiatives.

We already pay more tax to live here, in terms of higher levels of Council tax. I think whats most likely to happen is that we will pay taxes directly in Scotland, and end up paying maybe 3 or 5% more for the "privelege" of living here and being told we're greedy to resent it and force fed tv programmes about Sean Connery and how wonderful being Scottish is.
Click to expand...

^^^ this, I am English and married to a Scotch (;) ) and while I love the place, those people that think it's doable would be in for a nasty shock.
 
Now you have all upset me !

Being English and proud of it and fed up of hearing how much better off Scotland would be without being part of GB, I was looking forward to you voting to go it alone.

Hearing all of you say that you actually want to be part of GB has now made me have warm cuddly feelings and I do hope Scotland does vote to stay with the rest of us.
 
Mithras said:
I don't really think its a country I'd wish to continue living in.

Most small countries which are successful have a small public sector. In Scotland its very bloated, a third of all employees, and I don't think thats sustainable, as the manufacturing sector is poor and shored up by the state. I don't think a non-renewable resource such as oil is enough, long-term. A lot of parts of the country are very poor and have extremely high unemployment/sickness/disability levels with poor diet and health and endemic. The transport infrastructure just isn't there, when you compare it to other European countries, and the way of working and attitude to work in Scotland hasn't shown so far that theres a liklihood of good management of large public sector initiatives.

We already pay more tax to live here, in terms of higher levels of Council tax. I think whats most likely to happen is that we will pay taxes directly in Scotland, and end up paying maybe 3 or 5% more for the "privelege" of living here and being told we're greedy to resent it and force fed tv programmes about Sean Connery and how wonderful being Scottish is.
Click to expand...
Im unsure, on one hand it would be nice to get rid of the imbalance it causes in politics south of the border, the wineing chippy ones ,the ones drunk on subsidy from the English tax payer like students and free prescriptions ,
However I worrys me to think of a failed socilist state on our northern border and the unfairness it would cause to decent hardworking Scots who would be bancrupted to pay for this madness and Salmonds ego....
 
If Scotland were to go for independence, they would have to re-apply to join the EU and before they can, there are about 1700 Resolutions to be passed by their Government! Scotland would be in trading limbo for years, receiving no subsidies, no trading protection etc.

I'm half Scottish and love Scotland, but independence would be a financial disaster!
 
I must admit I do have mixed views on the Scottish Independence, I think it would be good for us Scots to be Scots again but with having been part of UK for so long, we're not going to stay afloat for very long are we? I mean, yes we have oil and tourism but really, that's all we have to offer. The army, NHS and so many other things are run in and by England, we're going to have to start all those things up in our own country and somehow manage to afford to...

But either way, I'm not British, I'm Scottish, end of story! I don't have a problem with the rest of Britain or anything, the people are nice and friendly (other than the minority, just like in Scotland) and my partner in English, but at the end of the day, I'm born and bred Scottish :D
 
Its an interesting issue for us Scots, for many of us its a heart over head decision. Our hearts say yes to independence but our heads say no. I have yet to meet anyone in Scotland who actually supports independence, no one has given us any information about how it will work, how we will finance ourselves in the long run or anything so why would we say yes. The polls are already showing the majority prefer to remain as part of the UK. I vote SNP but, like many who vote SNP, its not for independence but because they give us a credible option away from the usual 3 parties. For me personally, I like being part of the UK, it has worked so far. Scotland has not lost its identity through the union and never will. We have the best of both worlds now, why change it? It the English I feel sorry for in this, we have a government here in Scotland prepared to make essential things like prescription charges free of charge for example, yet Westminster refuses to do the same for England. I know what side of the Border I'll be staying on...don't care if the weather is pants!
 
tinuviel said:
Its an interesting issue for us Scots, for many of us its a heart over head decision. Our hearts say yes to independence but our heads say no. I have yet to meet anyone in Scotland who actually supports independence, no one has given us any information about how it will work, how we will finance ourselves in the long run or anything so why would we say yes. The polls are already showing the majority prefer to remain as part of the UK. I vote SNP but, like many who vote SNP, its not for independence but because they give us a credible option away from the usual 3 parties. For me personally, I like being part of the UK, it has worked so far. Scotland has not lost its identity through the union and never will. We have the best of both worlds now, why change it? It the English I feel sorry for in this, we have a government here in Scotland prepared to make essential things like prescription charges free of charge for example, yet Westminster refuses to do the same for England. I know what side of the Border I'll be staying on...don't care if the weather is pants!
Click to expand...
Im sure things will change after the referendum whichever way the vote goes !a no vote will focus westminster to ask about tax and spending the west lothian question and unfunded benifits that scots enjoy over the other regions of the uk, A yes vote ,well it will be great untill the money runs out....
 
It's a no from me! Alex salmond is a glory hunter with no concept of what's good for Scotland as a whole. Take as an example the debacle that is the Edinburgh tram project when the killer a9 could have been dualled for less money!
 
Very happy to read the majoirty who have responded to this post are anti independence. Just try hard to be available to vote! I was horrified when chatting in my local post office to learn that where I live in Scotland there would appear to be a majority of people in favour of independence and the only real concern the "yes" voters had was that they might loose The National Lottery.....OMG. I have lived in both England and Scotland and both countries have their good and bad bits but I fail to even begin to be convinced that Scotland could go it alone. Brave Heart has a lot to answer for and I just hope the majority of Scots will face reality and vote to continue to be British. Almost hoping the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are a disaster as there could well be a repeat of the feel good factor as in England after the wonderful London Olympics. Our dear Alex is doing his best to ruin our beautiful country smothering it in useless white elephants commonly known as windfarms. Add independence to the mix and regretably we would move.Not much option as we'd be taxed to the hilt to pay for our "freedom", our wee pretendy parliament is bad enough.
 
The SNP wants to run the yes campaign on ideals and romance, rather than boring things like facts and finance. It was very amusing recently watching them duck and dive when the European Commission refuted their claim that Scotland would automatically get EU entry. Salmond just wanted to talk about Brave heart again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top