The Independence Referendum

[JRSLEFTPEG]

Shared history has nothing to do with making your own decisions to run your own country . I see no relvance to that at all. Canada and New Zealand fought in the World Wars on the British side and run their own affairs .Would England be happy for the government of UK to be run from Edinburgh ?

[tube8]

Don't know what we will be using for currency,no plan b!

There are several currency options for an independent Scotland. Each have their own merits.

The Scottish Governments A plan is to use the pound as part of a formal currency agreement. Obviously it's well publicised that the Rest of the UK's government is saying they wouldn't agree to this.
I wouldn't be so sure that it's off the table though, as there will be a lot of post vote negotiations for things like, time scales for the removal of Trident from Scottish waters and what share of the National debt we take, and other things that Scotland have quite a strong hand in.

It wouldn't be unlike Westminster to lie to quell Nationalist support.
(:cough: McCrone Report :cough


As for a plan B, as I've said we DO have other options but Salmond is in an awkward spot he has to ease voters fears while leaving himself enough cards close to his chest for post vote negotiat

[tube8]

Can't get link to work. So...
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Article by: ANDREAS WHITTAM SMITH..

An independent Scotland would not need to share currency with the rest of the United Kingdom
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The best guide is what Ireland did when it became independent in 1922. The similarities with Scotland are striking. Like Scotland today, most of the Irish banks had been issuing bank notes. Today seven Scottish banks have the authority of HM Treasury to issue sterling banknotes as currency. In 1922 the Irish banks continued issuing what were, strictly speaking, British currency notes backed by cash held in London.

Four years later, the Irish government put into circulation what were known as Irish token coins. This was a modest first step. This was followed in 1927 by the establishment of standing Currency Commission that administered the introduction of Irish legal tender currency notes swapped for sterling.

The Irish pound had be

[Guthrie]

The thought of Boris Johnstone coming back into a future Tory government or preserve us even being prime minister and the rise in influence of Nigel Farage tends to concentrate the mind a bit.

[BigIain]

I think all World Statesmen should do the ice bucket challenge.

[HurriedSnail]

It was Edinburgh Council that was responsible for the trams project. If I remember right it was the government that stepped in to sort it out after it went wrong. Not enough taxpayers is just nonsense. Scotland pays more in tax per head of population than any other UK nation. You don't need as many taxpayers to fund a small nation obviously. Plus we don't have to subsidise infrastructures down south like crossrail and hs2. We pay for these projects with no benefit to us whatsoever![quote="onejoeolabode"]No for me,quite happy the way things are!,not enough straight answers for me from both sides probably. Don't know what we will be using for currency,no plan b!which is just not good enough for me to jump into blindly.there are also just not enough tax payers to pay for nhs ,police,fire service military and the unemployed! They need 100 embassies to be built around the world,not cheap either I would imagine! They couldn't even put down two lines of track

[Auld_Chippy]

Although I am not usually in favour of such outside topics being raised on a football forum site I thought I would throw in my tuppence worth. With little over three weeks until the big vote I confess to be still very much in the undecided camp. I will probably be more influenced by the feelings and forecasts of Big Business and Banks as it is they who really run the Country and not Politicians. I have read and heard a lot of petty reasons from both the YES and NO camps for voting one way or the other. This is too big an issue to be swayed by petty, trivial, predjudices or feelings and we must all think seriously and put first what is best for the future of Scotland.

[JRSLEFTPEG]

Scottish Labour pushed through the hugely expensive trams project to deliberately blow a hole in the Scottish government budget. The Scottish government knew how extortionate the cost would be and were against it.

[deek5trans]

SNP are doing a fantastic job in Dumfries, all the local services moving to the central belt. Just has to be a yes vote - not.

What could possibly go wrong voting no? Not a lot. What could possibly go wrong voting yes? Plenty

[lcfc57]

The vote is not about the SNP or personalities its about what kind of society you want in Scotland for the future.
One governed by Westminster that has abandoned social justice or the opportunity of a Scotland that cares for its vulnerable and addresses the widespread inequalities that exist.
The welfare reforms have been cruel and brutal and with more to follow I don't trust Labour to do much differently.
So think about why and what you vote for the implications are immense.