Scotland & Sterling

[Wharton]

What benefits would accrue to the remainder of the UK if an independent Scotland could be prevented from retaining Sterling as its currency?

[seadogg]

In a word, confidence. Confidence is the basis of the money markets and could only improve. Remember that economically speaking the prime cause of the Union was the shambles made of the Scottish Economy by foolhardy Scot's investment in the Darien Project.

[Svejk]

i'm on your team, wharton. i'd like to see an independant scotland and i'd like to see it do well. presuming england then moved to the right politically and scotland left, it would be interesting to have a clear comparison of living standards,etc.
theres, also, something not very fair about 'devolved' countries with assemblies sending mp's to westminster.

[askyourgran]

Do you mean like sending MEP's to Brussels?

[Baldric]

I am also on your side Wharton, I would really like to see an independent Scotland, it was save the English a lot of money in subsidies.
I'd vote for it!

[Baldric]

would ^^^^ not was

[Svejk]

it would be like sending mep's if england, also, had a devolved assembly.

[New Judge]

“something not very fair”?

It’s slightly more than “not very fair”. It’s an absolute scandal that Scots, Welsh and NI MPs vote on matters that only affect England whilst retaining independence to vote on matters which only affect their own countries. This particular aspect of the ridiculous “devolution” arrangements that have been put in place treats the English electorate with absolute contempt.

I think your question has been adequately answered, Wharton. The advantages can be summarised in the simple phrase “lack of risk”. It is quite clear that Scotland - along with many regions of the UK outside London and the South East - is not self-sufficient at present and that will only change for the worse should they go it alone. For the Scots to expect to run their own affairs whilst sharing (presumably having an input to the running of) a currency with the remainder of the UK is an absolute non-starter. It demonstrates how Mr Salmond is hoodwinking the Scots into voting for independence.

There is nothing to stop Bank of England Fivers being used north of the border. Those that are withdrawn from banks up there should be stamped “For use north of the border only” and if they want to use such notes in England they should be charged a 10% handling fee.

[Svejk]

auld rabbie burns didnae gie up so easy at bannockburn, wharton.

[Wharton]

That made me smile Svejk, if Burns had been at Bannockburn he would have written poems applauding either side until he knew the outcome of the battle and then destroyed those of the losers. Other than being a poet he was an out and out chancer.

[ludwig]

// I think your question has been adequately answered, Wharton. The advantages can be summarised in the simple phrase “lack of risk”. //

He didn't like that answer though NJ, so it doesn't count.

[Slapshot]

"English Gold" and the greed of a few created the Union because the southern nobility wanted the land and the only way to get it was to buy out the nobles of the time..... If you want to invoke Burns Svejk my friend..... try to learn the man....

What force or guile could not subdue,
Thro' many warlike ages,
Is wrought now by a coward few,
For hireling traitor's wages.
The English stell we could disdain,
Secure in valour's station;
But English gold has been our bane-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!

O would, or I had seen the day
That Treason thus could sell us,
My auld grey head had lien in clay,
Wi' Bruce and loyal Wallace!
But pith and power, till my last hour,
I'll mak this declaration;
We're bought and sold for English gold-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!

Now 300 years after Burns where would he stand..... my years of studying the man would suggest he'd be as much against the current crop of Scottish as he was against the Earl of Stair and his cronies back then.

As to benefits from the south, from my reading there are none. They lose the oil wealth for as long as it lasts but they'll save a small sum each from the stipend Scotland gets but they'll lose it again when Westminster raises taxes to cover the cost of the oil loses but thems the breaks.....

The whole point of the nonsense over independence is the fact that we've yet to have any positive debate, neither side is talking positively its all negativity and scaremongering..... Vote No it the only way to preserve what we have as Great Britain

[Wharton]

A good try ludwig, but no cigar. New Judge's "For use north of the border only" comment borders on the inane and I didn't think it worthy of a reply. I'm still waiting for a list of benefits.

[Slapshot]

Missed the Risk bit.... What risk?? There are NO SCOTTISH BANKS any more. Less than 12% of RBS is owned by Scots, the Bank Of Scotland is owned by TSB, Clydesdale by an Aussie banking group.... the banking system is a British system so whether there's a yes vote or not, Westminster gets to keep the banking structure that they've built

[EDDIE51]

You have been told the benefit there is only one , a decreased risk means there will be greater confidence in sterling.

[naomi24]

//I'm still waiting for a list of benefits.//

One benefit, which has been explained to you several times, does not equate to a list. That suffices.

[Wharton]

Anyone who had answered 'none' would have been awarded 'Best Answer'.

[Svejk]

as the great mcgonagall might have said

morning wharty, thistle flower
i thought i'd take a chancer
if i say none at this late hour
can i still have best answer

[Quizmonster]

Again, NJ, with your West Lothian Question rant? OK, I'll just have to respond to it in the same way that I always do.
There are 26 bishops in the Church of England, which is the "established church" only IN England. That figure is getting on for half the total number of Scotland's 59 MPs at Westminster. These clerics of a 'foreign' church have seats in the House of Lords and thus a direct impact on legislation in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.
What's the real difference between 26 utterly unelected Englishmen affecting the lives of 5 million Scots and 59 - at least elected - Scottish representatives affecting 55 million English etc southerners?

And yes, I CAN see one possible answer might be 33 and 50!

[New Judge]

You know quite well, QM, that the unelected clerics (along with the other 800-odd Lords) do not formulate and propose legislation and ultimately have no power of veto over the Commons. So not quite the same thing.

My inanity about the endorsement of the Fivers drawn out north of the border was just that, Wharton, I bit of light heartedness injected into a what had become a somewhat tedious thread.

Q. "What are the benefits....?"
A. "This and that"

"Not good enough, try again.
"OK, this, that and the other"

"Still not good enough, try again"
"But I've already told you"

"Not even close"

and finally...

"Anyone who had answered 'none' would have been awarded 'Best Answer'. "

So why did you ask the bleeding question in the first place !?

[Wharton]

I asked the question to emulate Diogenes of Sinope who carried a lamp in the daytime, looking for an honest man.