Its a white knuckle ride keeping up with Mr Salmond on the issue of currency. When he first became leader of the SNP the Pound was for a long time the millstone around Scotland's neck. It was holding the country back. The Future was the Euro. Then the Euro-zone crisis hit, Greece was ruined and became an economic failed state and Wee Wully Broon our unelected Prime Minister at the time, who derives much merriment from economic ruin, made his priceless crack about Scotland joining an "arc of insolvency". Suddenly Mr Salmond decreed that Scotland would not only keep the Pound, it had apparently more or less owned it from the start (it may even have been a Scottish invention) and it was the perfidious English who had been plotting to deny Scots the use of their intellectual property. It seemed even that the soon to be formed mighty Republic of Caledonia might condescend as an act of charity to permit the 58 million people who remained in the shrivelled rump of UK after Scots had bricked up the M6 to use the Scottish Poond as their national currency. Mr Salmond clung to his position belligerently through the first head-to-head debate but only now does he appear to display the first inkling of grasping that there is a difference between a trading currency and a national currency. Mr George Osborne tried patiently some while ago to explain the wide and substantial difference between the two but Mr Salmond would have none of it. I know Mr Osborne is an annoying, over-privileged little Lord Fauntleroy with a smug face but he was on that occasion entirely correct. Honestly, a neutral observer might conclude that Mr Salmond was making it up as he went along and covering his tracks with bluster. Surely not.
there is an expression you probably know. "you cant control the wind but you can adjust the sail" flexibility is the key in most disputes.
Frankly, I'm past caring. This row has already created a rift along Hadrians Wall. I'd sooner just wait and see what happens. If they vote Yes, fine. If they vote No, fine. Either way the relationship will never be the same. The damage has been done. Btw the Bank of England was founded by a Scotsman, oddly enough the Bank of Scotland was founded by an Englishman. If I was betting on my future, a debatable oil reserve would not be what I was banking it on. I'd be banking it on its people as a resource. However most of those have moved south to get away from the twee SNP arron jumpered nationalists. I have more in common with everyday brits than I do with some sheep farmer from Orkney. Anyway the relationship is now in tatters and whatever happens Scotland is on its own.
I'm a bit confused by all of this debating tbh According to the polls over 70% of those present thought Salmond won the debate But 51% of those present said they'll vote against Scottish independence. So what's the bloody point? Nobody believes a word that's said by any politician nowadays, what a sad state of affairs. If Scotland get independence then good on em, as long as I can still head up there for bike trips that's fine by me
i would hazard a guess most have moved away due to lack of opportunity. and also because they can. if it was such a desperate place to live i guess we wouldn't have so many moving in. which is cool wirh me.
Its the young moving south and the older moving north. If a retirement village is what you want...have you ever been to Bournemouth? Nice place but dull as fuck.
no. because we are gonna ban all the elderly drivers and that would be me out of business. but did i really need to spell it out that creating a society that wishes to stay would be a good thing?
To be honest, i think you'd need to change the weather. I suspect most people bugger off due to the rain more than anything else.
sunny today. :smile: in fact dare i say its been a great summer. i am right in the mood for arguing black is white today. oss
Great, then you won't be too upset when I point out that you've yet to provide any kind of reason for independence. You say you don't want to be financially better off, but that's not what I was talking about when I mentioned GDP. Public services are paid for by taxes. The population of Scotland will remain roughly level so an independent Scotland will have to either raise taxes or massively increase production of everything it produces or provides in order to pay for everything it wants. Saying you'd rather have an independent Scotland despite it making you poorer as a nation is saying you'll cut your nose off to spite your face. Give me a grown-up reason why independence is better for Scotland instead of just telling me that it is. Why do you want independence and why is it better than the union?
I'm afraid that is about the size of it. If the referendum were on the idea of independence I'll bet there would be a 90% YES. Its the short and medium term financial reality of independence that bolsters the No's, not any love of the Union. There is no easy, painless way to build a new nation from scratch and there is no arguing away the fact that that is precisely what will need to be done, nor is there any point blaming your neighbours if the ride isn't smooth. That doesn't mean it isn't worth doing but the mental preparedness for such a challenge isn't there and that is the SNP's fault. Mr Salmond isn't leading Scots to independence from the front, he's pushing them from the back And there is no doubt that much damage has been done to the relationship, specifically between Scotland and England, by this ill-tempered campaign which may never be repaired. Its a great pity.
a grown up reason,ok lets see of i canl. and i shall refrain from name calling. dude i cant give you figures that can be proven. i shall leave the promises off a thousand new jobs and a 20%pay rise for all to the kind off politicians that turn up at your door come general election time. if you don't understand my reasons for independence you never will.
Because it's based on a nationalist pride rather than what is best for the nation you're proud of? Freeeeedaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmm!!!!!!
That maybe fin, but you can't tell me why independence is better. I'm asking you and you can't tell me. I don't want numbers, I just want your reason. I want Salmond's reason too but he failed to give one last night too. Surely you can just say independence is better than union because of x, y and z? I'm not trying to make you angry, I want you to change my mind .
its fairly simple they believe with independence comes full choice of how and who collects taxes, how and who spends such taxes and how and who governs Scotland entirely No one seems to explain exactly how it will be funded, how the population will be affected, how separation will actually be realised and what the true short and medium term impact will be Except the EU will still govern it (if they get in)
don't try and change my mind it's to late i am done for, change the way Westminster operates i understand business and trade are fundamental to an economy and the jobs that go with it, but i am now going lalalala. my turn to be childish. .
