Everyone Vote in Scotland Independance

[kdampney]

I would say there's only about 10-15% of posts by members living in Scotland (going by location in their profile), those that actually can vote.
I don't understand why so many English are worried about a Yes vote. How will it directly effect the population of England other than holding some romantic notion of a united United Kingdom?
I'm not sure the Yes voters will win but it could happen. If Scotland want to go it alone, fair play to them and let them get on with it. Can't see too many people in England worrying about, say Northern Ireland, going it alone, not that that will ever happen.

I want Scotland to stay in the Union for various reasons, but just in terms of how a Yes will affect England (and Wales and N.Ireland):
* There will be 18 months - 5 years of uncertainty in the Pound as no one knows whether a) Scotland will use it in a currency union, use it not in a currency union, use the Euro, etc. b) will the national debt be shared out, or will Scotland shirk their share and the rUk Debt-to-GDP ratio jumps instantly from 90% to 100% with few oil reserves.
* The recovery could stall for the above reason.
* The armed forces shrink, and potentially Trident moves, so suddenly our ability to commit to NATO reduces (assuming the Scottish Defence Force won't want to fill in the gaps), right at the time when Russia's flexing it's muscles.
* Every government department, UK-wide charity and organisation needs to disentangle themselves. If you thought the Passport Office and Border Force were busy this year...!
* UK Workshop might rename and change logo (!).

Probably various other reasons, but it'll affect everyone to some extent (obviously Scotland much more).

 

[themackay]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C6Utr027QY

This is a better one Doorframe

 

[gwr]

Well I would vote no if I was in scotland as I think strength in numbers, im married to a Scottish gal who would also vote no.Living so close to the border i hear points for both sides .With salmond giving votes to 16 year olds was a big mistake as believe it or not many of them are voting according to which side of the oldfirm teams they support or lean towards. I have a lot of connections with the scotts on many levels and would hate to see the union broke up.

According to a few reports today his birth certificate says that salmond was actually born in Essex and not Linlithgow perth as he claims if this turns out to be true you really couldnt make it up that an Englishman is leading Scotland into independence.

 

[finneyb]

It could all come down to a handful of votes, even one. Pretty stupid that the referendum wasn't set up with the need for a 66.6% majority for such a monumental change.

Salmond intended the referendum to be a negotiating ploy.
If YES votes win he is stuffed; and he probably won't need laxatives for the foreseeable future.
The man wants stringing up he's a danger to Society.

Brian

 

[themackay]

As a YES voter I gave a lot of consideration to the issue before deciding and I like a lot of people throughout the country are totally P####d off with our politicians,constantly making promises which come to nothing when they are elected and blatently lying to the electorate, as far as I can see the Ruling class are just taking the P##s out of us and will continue to do so.The working class majority are just being left behind while the rich 5% just get richer.The YES campaign is largly a grass roots movement made up of all sorts (not just the SNP)and the energy is amazing from thousands of people never involved in politics before who are just wakening up to the fact that come Thursday they might just change things for the better.Hopefully the knock on effect of a Yes vote may have benefits for those south of the border as well.

 

[themackay]

Brian ,I think it will be Cameron and a few others that wont need laxitives,not Alex Salmond

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Salmond born in Essex? A few decades ago there was a guy called Trull campaigned for a Cornish parliament - the Telegraph opened an article one day with ----"Mr. Fred Trull, who was born in the old Cornish village of Dusseldorf...."

 

[RogerS]

.....blatently lying to the electorate....

And Salmond is innocent? What about the NHS £400 million potential shortfall that they were trying to keep quiet?

 

[Silverbirch]

As a YES voter I gave a lot of consideration to the issue before deciding and I like a lot of people throughout the country are totally P####d off with our politicians,constantly making promises which come to nothing when they are elected and blatently lying to the electorate, as far as I can see the Ruling class are just taking the P##s out of us and will continue to do so.The working class majority are just being left behind while the rich 5% just get richer.The YES campaign is largly a grass roots movement made up of all sorts (not just the SNP)and the energy is amazing from thousands of people never involved in politics before who are just wakening up to the fact that come Thursday they might just change things for the better.Hopefully the knock on effect of a Yes vote may have benefits for those south of the border as well.

I take your point about being p****d of with politicians and their promises, but last time I checked, Salmond, Sturgeon, Swinney et al were politicians too.
What special qualities does this particular set of jokers have that makes them different from the rest?
I do hope that the "thousands of people never involved in politics before", if they succeed in landing us in it tomorrow, are going to stick around and use their vote at the next Scottish election to sort out the mess they will have created.

Ian

 

[themackay]

Roger that £400 million is not as you have probably heard it reported

Re NHS 'revelations' today: Wow! This is really misleading. It's a 'funding gap', not cuts. If anything it's an argument for a Yes vote! First, £400-450 is less than half a billion! There are no cuts to the NHS budget planned by the SNP or any other Yes group. Rather, it's the gap between funding at the moment and projected cost rises. There's a similar issue in England too where the gap is £2 billion. Gideon has cut the Scottish budget by 7.2% but health spending in Scotland is at a record high, because of choices the SNP have made about spending priorities. The UK Government is only 30-40% through it's curreny austerity agenda and cuts, so with more cuts coming it'll be even harder for the SNP or any Scottish Government to maintain NHS funding. The Scottish Government has operational control but not budgetary. The only way to safeguard our NHS in Scotland is to vote Yes and give Scottish Governments more control over budgets! We can also enshrine our NHS, free at the point of use in our Scottish Constitution. ‪#‎IndyRef‬ ‪#‎VoteYES‬ ‪#‎NHS‬

 

[themackay]

Silverbirch,Im not a lover of any of them either but the point here is after a Yes vote there is an oppertunity to change the system for the better

 

[Kalimna]

How, exactly, can it be changed for the better? SNP or not, the public are still beholden to the politicians, short of armed conflict from the masses.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[Jacob]

....
I take your point about being p****d of with politicians and their promises, but last time I checked, Salmond, Sturgeon, Swinney et al were politicians too. ....

I don't think many will be voting for them themselves - it's more the idea. They are disposable and have to stand for re election. The trouble with Cameron, Clegg, Milliband is that they have no ideas and seem out of touch with most of the country, but we don't seem able to get rid of them. Scotland has got them thinking - too little and too late perhaps.

 

[Silverbirch]

Well, if the referendum galvanises the UK politicians into action, it could become a stimulus to developing new ideas about how the people should be represented within the different parts the UK. I`d be all for that .
Ian

 

[themackay]

I imagine they are likely to revert to normal in the event of a No vote

 

[RossJarvis]

The trouble with Cameron, Clegg, Milliband is that they have no ideas and seem out of touch with most of the country, but we don't seem able to get rid of them.

Until the ballot paper has a box with "none of the above" it aint real democracy.

 

[RogerS]

True but that thing is Salmond wasn't exactly shouting about this, was he? That to means that he is as duplicitous a politician as the rest.

Be careful of what you wish for!

Anyway we shall all know tomorrow ....

IMO if the Yes win then Scotland should go it alone. No Queen. No pound. We will bring back the 8500 jobs that HMRC have back to the country 'Formerly-known-as-the-UK'. Hard bargaining by our Government. Salmond won't be able to 'pick'n'mix'.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

One thing that does surprise me is the SNP's insistence that they'll stay in the eu. For one they'll have to reapply for membership, which will mean adopting the Euro (which they don't want) and they'll be vetoed, anyway - and for two it hasn't dawned on them that half of the regulation they think comes from their dictators in Westminster actually comes from their dictators in Brussels. If they think their financial calculations are correct, they'll be net contributors anyway - why queue up to give your money away for no conceivable benefit?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

An interesting point in The Times - the last person to attempt to demolish the United kingdom was Hitler. Remember that, when voting.

 

[RogerS]

Cracking cartoon from Steve Bell !