Scottish independence

[Pangur Bán]

I listened to the words from his own mouth, live on the Today show. I really dont see why you are having such trouble grasping this

Salmon was on the UK's premier opinion forming platform calling for the continuation of Trident, repudiating his former assertions. He very much went out of his way to campaign for Trident on the highest podium he could access. I understand he did this because of the economic good for Scotland. That was my original point about pork.

No, I grasp that you believe this. But you're misunderstanding and mixing issues. Just trying to help you.

 

[Takhisis]

Well al I can say is that the Scots have ruined Scotland.

Youuu just made an enemy for life!

That works.

Oh goody.

Definitely not Scotland. Whatever state that England is in will be the legal successor state, and will inherent the place on the UNSC and so on. Scotland will cheerfully be told by the rest of the world "either hand the nukes over to London or forget about getting in the UN, EU, WTO, so on and so on" and the Scots will say "Of course!!! We'd be mad not to".

Edinburgh Dun Eideann could just take and indemnity for the pains of removing dangerous nuclear materials from the country. (i.e. we take a bribe and look the other way while the English take their nukes elsewhere.)

 

[GinandTonic]

No, I grasp that you believe this. But you're misunderstanding and mixing issues. Just trying to help you.

I understand the political and economic reasons for his position, however my opening comment -

The SNP's position on the Trident subs is hysterical. We are safe in Europe and dont need to be part of the UK but lets keep all the military pork that disproportionately benefits Scotland, most specifically Trident that best embodies the defence spending we dont need but is spent in Scotland.

Remains a fair summation of what Salmon said. Not what the Torygraph claimed he said. Not what I misunderstood him as saying. But what Salmon said.

 

[Ghpstage]

I wonder how Scots getting independance would affect us in Wales.
Would we push toward independance after the Tories are set to kick us around again, for decades?

 

[Uncle Anton]

Originally Posted by Warpus: Another flag question: why does the shade of blue change when england and scotland merge?

From a quick scan I couldn't tell if anyone had answered this...

In short, it didn't.

The Scottish flag with the Cross of St Andrew originally had the darker shade of blue regardless of whether it was flown by itself to represent Scotland, or if it was part of the Union Flag. The Scottish flag was changed a couple of years ago (maybe back when they got their own parliament back?) to the lighter shade, as apparently it was more representative or accurate or something like that. But the decision was made at that time to keep the Union Flag completely unchanged.

Anyone from Ecosse can correct me if I'm wrong...

 

[EnglishEdward]

I rather think that the Scots will, within the next decade, vote for independance.

Being in favour of the union is one thing when you have Tony Blair (born in Scotland) and Gordon Brown (born in Scotland) as Prime Ministers and others in the Cabinet and quite another when you have Cameron (an arrogant Englishman) as Prime Minister and also George Osborne (as Chancellor).

Cameron has hoodwinked the English into believing that the recession is the fault of Gordon Brown and an overpaid civil service, and thouroughly outmanouvered Clegg.

Cameron might be capable of outmanouvering Salmond if that was the only game in town, but Cameron has to simultaneously play multiple other games; with the city, the Chinese, the USA, the EU and is bogged down on Afghanistan and Libya etc etc while Salmond can concentrate on independence.

Salmon has very cannily suggested that the Scots be granted tax raising powers.
If Cameron agrees, he is granting de facto independence by stealth, but if he does not; he will be painted as unreasonable and an incensed Scotland will break away.

England will maintain that ithe UK national debt was very much based upon oil reserves and seek to offset that against the declining reserves. The Scots will refuse to accept that and there will likely be at least a partial default on international debt.