Scottish Referendum

Discussion in 'Politics, Religion and Ethics' started by Anon220806, Aug 31, 2014.

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  1. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    "Mr Beveridge's suggestions, commissioned by the Scottish Government, add weight to the notion that Scotland's future lies as a low-tax, flexible, nimble, enterprise"

    I notice Salmond likes the Isle of Man. A low tax economy with independence, yet still under the crown. The pound in the Isle of Man is a parallel pound pegged to the UK pound. The I o Man being a good example of Devo Max.

    I believe Aberdeen has the second highest house prices in the UK. And has the highest ratio of newly registered cars per head of population. For now anyway.
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2014
    Anon220806, Sep 13, 2014
    #81
  2. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    That's one of the points and possibilities but not the only one in that article.
    oss, Sep 13, 2014
    #82
  3. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    Indeed. I was relating to my boots on the ground (to coin a phrase) experiences and observations.
    Anon220806, Sep 13, 2014
    #83
  4. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    i cant help thinking that Westminster could end up laughing all the way to the bank.
    bigmac, Sep 13, 2014
    #84
  5. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    Aberdeen
    The city boasts the highest concentration of millionaires in Britain and an unemployment rate of just 2%

    That is when the price of a barrel of oil is buoyant
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2014
    Anon220806, Sep 13, 2014
    #85
  6. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    All the way to the bank of England. :D
    Anon220806, Sep 13, 2014
    #86
  7. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    Anon220806, Sep 13, 2014
    #87
  8. Kuya
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    Kuya The Geeky One Staff Member

    I've been listening a lot to Scots being interviewed and debating independence on the TV and radio. If there is one thing I'm getting from all that I'm hearing it is that the shift to the right by New Labour and the right wing policies we've seen since 1997 (by the previous government) had done as much to alienate Scots than David Cameron and Nick Clegg have done recently.

    The SNP are clearly to the left of Labour after Labour purged many of the progressives who had steered Labour prior to Tony Blairs reign. And too many people have acknowledged this for it to be ignored!

    As oss rightly said, Scotland wasn't always left wing, it had once been conservative to some extent. That said, since the 70's they've mainly been left wing (as are the Welsh and northern English).

    I also don't think it will be all doom and gloom if Scotland votes to leave the UK next week. Sure it'll be a bumpy ride, but Scotland will be fine no matter what happens.

    Either way the status quo needs to change, power needs to be decentralised from London no matter what the result. Apart from defence and macro economics, local regions should be given more power to run their respected areas as they see fit. London will still be the biggest city and rightly so, but we shouldn't be so London centric.

    The privatisation of the NHS hasn't gone unnoticed either. David Cameron and Nick Clegg should hang their heads in shame if Scotland leaves the UK as the biggest incentive for people switching from the no camp to vote yes has been the NHS.

    If Scotland remains in the UK we need to address how a large portion of society is angered by the austerity pushed by our current government otherwise Scotland will be gone within a generation! How do I know this? Well, generally the older Scots intend to vote no, but they'll be gone in a decade or so. So if Scotland remains with the UK, the next government needs to heal the divide and ensure certain institutions such as the NHS are protected by a constitutional amendment that would require a public referendum to overturn.

    The UK could be coming to an end soon...
    Kuya, Sep 13, 2014
    #88
    • Agree Agree x 1
  9. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    Anon220806, Sep 13, 2014
    #89
  10. Aromulus
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    Aromulus The Don Staff Member

    Still too close for anyone to relax.
    Aromulus, Sep 13, 2014
    #90
  11. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    The NHS is a devolved institution in Scotland, just as it is in Wales, and is completely under the control of the Scottish Parliament. It is currently paid for by Westminster as a part of the "Barnet Formula" block grant but there is legislation already in place that permits the Scots to raise local taxes to boost the NHS' income should they wish to provide additional services. The previous Labour administration (in Scotland) didn't need to augment NHS funding, the SNP won't simply as by doing so, it would expose their NHS privatisation argument as yet another lie! Whatever privatisation has been going on within NHS England has not impinged on either its Scottish or Welsh counterparts.

    Not that privatisation is necessarily a bad thing, it depends on what form it takes. There's a group of formerly failing hospitals in the southern half of England run by the Circle Group (I think that's the name) and is, more or less, the John Lewis Partnership of social medicine. Apparently those hospitals - which are now run by doctors and nurses - have been turned around, cost far less to run but patient services have improved immeasurably.

    But you're right that the Scots Nats, like the Welsh and Irish Nationalists, are on the left wing and it always struck me as odd that the BNP/EDL should be on the far right.
    Markham, Sep 14, 2014
    #91
  12. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Andrew Gilligan, writing for The Daily Telegraph under the headline "Concern as child aged three registered to vote in referendum" believes that hundreds of young children below the age of 16 have been registered to vote.
    Markham, Sep 14, 2014
    #92
  13. Kuya
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    Kuya The Geeky One Staff Member

    So if Scotland gets independence, would an English man who falls in love with a Scottish woman need to earn £18,600.00 a year for her to move to England?
    Kuya, Sep 14, 2014
    #93
  14. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    Could well be. :D
    Anon220806, Sep 14, 2014
    #94
  15. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Yes, of course, and why not! IT is SNP stated policy to have relaxed immigration controls which means that it could not remain within the UK's Common Travel Area, therefore until it is admitted to the EU - and assuming that England/Wales/NI continue to be an EU nation - Visas would be required.

    The Scots need to realise that independence comes with costs and losses.
    Markham, Sep 14, 2014
    #95
  16. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    However if a Scotsman wants to marry an Englishwoman, to settle in Scotland, the income threshold would be :

    Gr 22320 Scottish Groats per annum and the exchange rate of 1.2 to the rUK pound.
    Anon220806, Sep 14, 2014
    #96
  17. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    In point of fact, prior to the Act of Union, Scotland's currency was known as the Pound Scots and the exchange rate was four of them for a proper one; a Groat was roughly equivalent to an English Half-Penny.
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 14, 2014
    Markham, Sep 14, 2014
    #97
  18. Dave_E
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    Dave_E Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Interestingly the maximum valued sterling British banknote is 50 pounds, but the Scottish have a 100 pound note.

    At the other end of the scale is the Scottish one pound note still used?
    Dave_E, Sep 14, 2014
    #98
  19. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    We have an Isle of Man one pound note.

    I used to come back to Manchester, from Aberdeen with Scottish one pound notes. Found it hard to spend them sometimes. Still in use.

    http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_denominations.php
    Anon220806, Sep 14, 2014
    #99
  20. Anon220806
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    Anon220806 Well-Known Member

    Anon220806, Sep 15, 2014
    #100
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