Scottish Independence thread

[Wildeybeast]

A month today Scotland votes on independence from the rest of the UK. I thought it deserves it's own thread given there seems to be some discussion of it. Also, despite it having a massive impact on all the UK, only the Scottish are allowed to vote, so this is your chance to have your say. Have at it!

[Mr Mystery]

Big ol' 'MEH' from me.

Doesn't affect me, though I will become a Johnny Foreigner by default, which is amusing, as it just gives Das Daily Mail one more reason to dislike me

On balance? Don't think it's going to happen. Never mind 'better together', it's 'better the devil you know'. Scotland knows precisely how bobbins it is to be run from Westminster, and there's a lot to be said for that certainty. Things could be better with independence, they could be worse.

Just don't think we're going to find out.

Though if I could vote, I'd vote 'No' for the same reason when I'm up in Scotland next week I'll be using the new tram to get from Edinburgh Airport to the City Centre - It would annoy my brother no end, and that's always good for a laugh!

Of course, you take all the opinion polls you want - the only thing that matters on the day is who gets the most number of voters actually mobilised and in the polling stations. To be honest? Yes vote has the leg up here, as their followers tend to have a bit more conviction about what they want and why they want it. So really is up in the air!

[Psychosplodge]

See I'm largely meh as I don't really see it affecting me one way or another, but on the other hand, allowing 16/17 year olds to vote?
shouting down anyone that disagrees with the yes?
Just watching Salmond fade back into obscurity?
I'd back a No for all of those, because wanting to see a yes to see him fall on his face is a bit of a dick move to the other five million people there.

[Mr Mystery]

Salmond won't go into obscurity though.

Regardless of outcome, he'll go down as one of the most successful politicians in the modern world. Took his party from an outright joke, to a landslide election victory, and delivered his promise - referendum. The actual outcome affects him not one iota.

And remember, he is currently the only political leader actually directly democratically elected on his own party's merits

[Wolfshade]

Salmond won't go into obscurity though.

Regardless of outcome, he'll go down as one of the most successful politicians in the modern world. Took his party from an outright joke, to a landslide election victory, and delivered his promise - referendum. The actual outcome affects him not one iota.

And remember, he is currently the only political leader actually directly democratically elected on his own party's merits

Worryingly quite similiar to other continental politicains. Oh yes I went there.

[Psychosplodge]

A short angry loud man you suggest?

[Wildeybeast]

I'm a don't mind, but largely because I'm in the middle. I think it would be better for both parties if they stayed together (mostly Scotland), but I'm happy for the Scots to go it alone, just so I don't have to put up with the likes of Salmond moaning about not having any control. What I don't want is 'devo max' or Scotland clinging on our coat tails by trying to keep our currency and such like. They want to be a proper nation, then fine, but do it properly. Get your own currency, army, tax system, healthcare, public broadcaster, EU membership etc like everybody else. Don't expect just to keep all our stuff.

[CoffeeGrunt]

As a Scottish person living in England, I couldn't care less. I've identified as British for most of my life because of this.

[Darren Richardson]

Personally I don't care, I mean if they do go indepent, then they won't get my tourist money when/if I take a holiday to beautiful rural lands instead of a dirty smokey city, because chances are if you'll end up needing a passport just to enter Scotland, I'll just visit Wales instead (don't own one as I can't meet the criteria for countersigning the bloody thing, stupid proffesional rule :angry: )

Mind you I do have family up in Glasgow, but they never really liked me, the one time I did visit, called me an English B'stard, which I find really amusing since I'm part scot on my mothers side but then children can be cruel can't they.

[Denzark]

MM - was it a landslide victory? It was a big swing but not sure it was landslide?

I am really in 2 minds about this. My Dad is quite certain - 'I don't want my country broken up'. For me though, whilst I sympathise with this, there is a party of me says: 'If you can't see how good you've got it, go and don't come back'.

Why do the Jocks have it good?

The Midlothian question - why do Scottish politicians in Westminster get to vote on England/Wales affecting business?
The Barnett formula - more taxpayers money is spent per head of population in Scotland than anywhere else.
Westminster panders in fear to them - devolution, devo max, devo plus plus deluxe, whatever.

Why would England be better of without Scotland?
No Midlothian question.
No Barnett formula.
The makeup of the Westminster government would be unlikely to be a Labour majority for a long time seeing as a large mount of their seats are from Scotland.

I've got to say, Salmond is a master politician, for sure. But the outcome is key. It has all been designed to put him in this position whereby independence is a chance. He has cleverly said he will keep the Queen so the old dears in Ayr who have tartan doilies and a' that will be on his side. He has gotten 16 year olds in on the vote because they will buy into the Braveheart guff.

But if the majority of people in Scotland DONT want independence, what is the point of SNP? And if the argument is that SNP is a party to screw the best possible deal out of Westminster, why should the English tolerate that?

I think they should consider themselves lucky not to have seen a vote UK wide.