Andrew Wilson - Economic advisor to Nicola Sturgeon

[BCram]

Yes. It does seem odd that there isn't a case that has academic rigour to support it.

[noahrab]

Yes. It does seem odd that there isn't a case that has academic rigour to support it.

Maybe because there isn’t one.

[islaydarkblue]

That's worst case Islay.

Yes, the block grant from Westminster would eventually stop but then the outflow of cash from Scotland to Westminster, which contributes significantly to the block grant, would also stop so the net loss is not the total of any block grant and it's wrong to say the its value would suddenly disappear.


There are figures out there which differ depending on which side produced them, personally I'm not an economist and don't know who to believe. My inclination toward independence is based mainly on what I see as centuries of oppression and I'm confident that those with the economic background would carry it off.

I recently lost a good friend who was a retired Professor of Economics at St. Andrews University. He was adamant that Scotland had nothing to worry about economically in the event of independence, indeed would most likely prosper after an initial short stagger whilst adapting. No offence to you or anyone else but I'll trust his judgement and opinion before I'll trust any spin doctor or politician with a personal or party agenda.

Which money is being sent south of the border to England.
You will probably have read that the members of Shetlands Islands council have instigated steps to set up a referendum asking the people in Shetland whether they want the Shetland Isles to remain part of Scptland or leave whilst still remaining part of the rest of the UK. If that happens it is likely that the Orkney Islands will follow suit.
The Shetland residents are fed up that the SNP controlled Scottish Government are centralising everything in Edinburgh.
One of an independent Scotland’s main source of taxation from the import of oil would be gone for ever if the residents of Orkney and Shetland vote to leave Scotland.
When I was a pupil at Morgan Academy Senior Secondary School I had an economics teacher who used to teach us that every industry in the U.K. should be nationalised.
He should have taught us a balanced view not his own political views which were bordering on Communism.

[islaydarkblue]

Think there might be something your friends assertion Deeranged but there has never been an explanation how the deficit can be overcome. GERS figures are supposed to show the size of the deficit but the nationalists dispute the validity of the calculation. I can't remember the name of the report that made clear the oil revenues were enough to make Scotland a wealthy nation. It was done to deprive the Nationalist movement of this fact that made independence a prosperous probability, possibly even a certainty.
Oil prospects have plummeted and so the additional tax revenues are not available. I think that Andrew Wilson's report was very disappointing for the economic case for independence. In fairness to him he has retained his credibility by creating a realistic report which is to be praised.
I don't know why the independence economists can't produce a convincing case, so I am still in the doubting side of the discussion.

A couple of weeks after the latest GERS figures were published I asked the woman who runs the shop where I purchase my Sunday Times what she was saying about these figures. This person is very pro independence and is quick to try to sell me the pro independence newspaper The National.
She replied that the latest GERS figures were Westminster propaganda and a pack of lies.
This is the mentality of the pro independence supporters. They think that everything will be wonderful in a ‘Brigadoon’ independent Scotland.
In my opinion they are living in ‘dream world’.

[noahrab]

A couple of weeks after the latest GERS figures were published I asked the woman who runs the shop where I purchase my Sunday Times what she was saying about these figures. This person is very pro independence and is quick to try to sell me the pro independence newspaper The National.
She replied that the latest GERS figures were Westminster propaganda and a pack of lies.
This is the mentality of the pro independence supporters. They think that everything will be wonderful in a ‘Brigadoon’ independent Scotland.
In my opinion they are living in ‘dream world’.

These are the people you’ll never convince.

They want independence because they hate the English.

Its as basic as that.

[Deeranged]

A couple of weeks after the latest GERS figures were published I asked the woman who runs the shop where I purchase my Sunday Times what she was saying about these figures. This person is very pro independence and is quick to try to sell me the pro independence newspaper The National.
She replied that the latest GERS figures were Westminster propaganda and a pack of lies.
This is the mentality of the pro independence supporters. They think that everything will be wonderful in a ‘Brigadoon’ independent Scotland.
In my opinion they are living in ‘dream world’.

It certainly seems to be the mentality of the pro independence lady who runs the shop where you purchase your Sunday Times. It's a bit much to say all pro independence supporters think the same way though.

[Deeranged]

Which money is being sent south of the border to England.
You will probably have read that the members of Shetlands Islands council have instigated steps to set up a referendum asking the people in Shetland whether they want the Shetland Isles to remain part of Scptland or leave whilst still remaining part of the rest of the UK. If that happens it is likely that the Orkney Islands will follow suit.
The Shetland residents are fed up that the SNP controlled Scottish Government are centralising everything in Edinburgh.
One of an independent Scotland’s main source of taxation from the import of oil would be gone for ever if the residents of Orkney and Shetland vote to leave Scotland.
When I was a pupil at Morgan Academy Senior Secondary School I had an economics teacher who used to teach us that every industry in the U.K. should be nationalised.
He should have taught us a balanced view not his own political views which were bordering on Communism.

Taxes, NI. That's not just income tax and you need to consider VAT, Corporation Tax and Import / Export Tax and anything else currently paid to HMRC. As I've stated elsewhere the amount sent varies dependent on which side's analysis you read and the truth will be somewhere in the middle.

I have no issues with Shetlanders looking for 'independence' from Scotland, would be a cracking case study for Scotland, but to declare they are sick of the Scottish Government centralising everything in Edinburgh whilst looking to be governed by a London centric government seems a bit at odds with the whole concept.

[Returnofrros]

Taxes, NI. That's not just income tax and you need to consider VAT, Corporation Tax and Import / Export Tax and anything else currently paid to HMRC. As I've stated elsewhere the amount sent varies dependent on which side's analysis you read and the truth will be somewhere in the middle.

I have no issues with Shetlanders looking for 'independence' from Scotland, would be a cracking case study for Scotland, but to declare they are sick of the Scottish Government centralising everything in Edinburgh whilst looking to be governed by a London centric government seems a bit at odds with the whole concept.

Like Scots saying they are sick of Westminster but wishing to be governed by Europe.

[noahrab]

Like Scots saying they are sick of Westminster but wishing to be governed by Europe.

Whilst happy to take furlough money from Westminster.

[Deeranged]

Like Scots saying they are sick of Westminster but wishing to be governed by Europe.

Correct, all or nothing for me.

**** England, **** Wales and **** Europe. I like the Irish though.