The UK political thread (formerly independence thread)

[Smerphy]

^ How long you been waiting to bust that one out for?

[Bisset]

The thing that's getting me about the Yes campaign and the SNP in general at the moment is the lack of backup plans. With two months to go we still have very few concrete answers on important issues. The issue of currency has been "we'll get the pound, we don't have a plan B". If you're planning on running a country you need contingency plans but also this sort of shit needs to be sorted much, much sooner than it is.

If we don't get independence then Scotland can try again in another 20 or so years, if we do get independence and it goes tits up it's not going to be as easy to try again in regards to the Union.

This goes for both sides, all that's successfully happened is that the entire country has been split in two, If we don't get it then the Yes voters will be pissed off and start arguing, and vice versa.

Finally (again with both sides) what if it's 49%/51% in favour of Yes, can you really become and independent country if just shy of half of the country Is opposed to it, and vice versa.

[Tet]

With the vote now only 2 months away, the Yes and No camps are neck and neck

If you genuinely believe that, I'd get yourself down to a bookies ASAP. They have the No campaign as a firm favourite, so you'll get a very attractive price on a Yes outcome. Personally, I tend to trust the bookies on this.

- The currency union is a bizarre idea, and we'll be stuck on the pound.

No, you won't. Simply put, there's no way we (being England, Wales and NI) will allow it. We permit currency union with the Isle Of Man and the Channel Islands etc because their economies aren't big enough to affect us significantly. Allowing an oil rich Scotland to do the same would be an entirely different proposition. You already have a different currency, and it has the same value as Sterling. I suspect what would happen is simply that the Scottish pound would be allowed to drift to its own natural value. Until you decide to join the Euro or some other equally bizarre choice.

[CrappyMike]

Finally (again with both sides) what if it's 49%/51% in favour of Yes, can you really become and independent country if just shy of half of the country Is opposed to it, and vice versa.

I think if we're to be independent, there should be a clear majority voting yes. say maybe 70% just as an example figure. Wouldnt be the same for a no vote however, as thats not voting for a change. Im admittedly unsure how it work but thats just how i think it should work

[Womble]

- The currency union is a bizarre idea, and we'll be stuck on the pound.

No, you won't. Simply put, there's no way we (being England, Wales and NI) will allow it.

Sorry, that's what I meant. It's a bizarre to think it would ever happen, and we'd be on the pound, stuck following the UK's actions with it.

[Bearstock]

So Scotland would look at creating their own version of the NHS and have free prescriptions?


How on earth would it be afforded?

[Jim]

So Scotland would look at creating their own version of the NHS and have free prescriptions?


How on earth would it be afforded?

By progressive taxation, same as the UK does at the moment. Scotland would only have to pay for it's own population.

[Womble]

So Scotland would look at creating their own version of the NHS and have free prescriptions?


How on earth would it be afforded?

By progressive taxation, same as the UK does at the moment. Scotland would only have to pay for it's own population.

Let's not forget the UK did it a year after WW2, when it's economy had been crippled by port blockades.

[Smerphy]

[Womble]

What I don't get is why so many people are so actively against the idea. People go on about how Scotland is a waste of time and a drain on UK resources, and then ask us not to go?

[Jobdone]

As mentioned, not really fussed either way, but I think the general consensus is "They're gonna get fucked, get in debt, and then ask for help to pay it all off"

[Turbo]

I hope there's passport control and everything. I think ill get the dogs on me if I turn up in full Hawaiian gear. Yolo.

[Moonburp]

I'd really rather Scotland didnae. Especially since I don't live there (yet/again)

[tmcgoay]

I see no problem with expelling all those Gaelic fuckers to live with their bro's across the Irish sea. I have a serious problem with the fact that England only has three points on their compasses. North East and South.

we do have West England but it quite commonly mis-spelt Wales

[Metalchemyst]

I don't dislike Salmond but he doesn't seem to be a true nationalist.

If Scotland leaves then we will be the United Kingdom of England and Northern Ireland which would sound a bit daft and look untidy on the map, so for that reason I'm saying No. If NI went first then I wouldn't really mind whether Scotland stayed or not, the advantage being that we'd get rid of that bland "UK" title and become just . . . what? England or Britain? I would hate "England and Wales".