Quizzes & Puzzles7 mins ago
Scottish Independence
Who do the BBC think they are standing for the establishment on who will decide whether Scotland should be independent.
It is for the Scottish people alone to decide their nation's future.
We do not need England's approval nor their permission.
Since the "parcel of rogues" sold Scotland out in the treaty of union the Scots have not had the courage nor will to go their own way, but the nervousness of the Westminster establishment about losing Scotland and all it has to offer now is heightening the debate.
Long overdue is a sensible debate among the Scots; it is no one else's business!
It is for the Scottish people alone to decide their nation's future.
We do not need England's approval nor their permission.
Since the "parcel of rogues" sold Scotland out in the treaty of union the Scots have not had the courage nor will to go their own way, but the nervousness of the Westminster establishment about losing Scotland and all it has to offer now is heightening the debate.
Long overdue is a sensible debate among the Scots; it is no one else's business!
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by rich47. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.The sooner they have independence and can only vote on things for their own country the better, at the moment Scottish MPs can vote for things in Scotland and then nip down to London (at the taxpayers expense) and vote that more perks are given to those north of the border.
I am all in favour of the devolution of the UK and independence for all four countries involved. Maybe then we can get on with our lives and just worry about the important things in life such as the great wheelie bin invasion...
I am all in favour of the devolution of the UK and independence for all four countries involved. Maybe then we can get on with our lives and just worry about the important things in life such as the great wheelie bin invasion...
DTc and others, the area of the oil industry that is "peanuts and quickly declining" is the North Sea part that would belong to ENGLAND if Scotland becomes independent. Unlike Scotland, England would have no access whatsoever to the North Atlantic resources around Scotland, which are the very ones enriching Norway!
Count, "a bit of whisky...", eh? It used to be said that there was enough money tied up in bonded warehouses on Speyside to pay off the entire national debt (including England's share)! All of that would end up in Scottish coffers rather than British ones.
I don't know how many of you have been watching Evan Davis's 'Made in Britain' series, but it appears that - apart from arms and extremely expensive products such as McLaren cars - we actually "manufacture" virtually nothing. Services, indeed, provide about 75 % of our income.
Apart from these, what does the world "beat a path to the door" of England for? They certainly do that to get their hands on Scotch!
Count, "a bit of whisky...", eh? It used to be said that there was enough money tied up in bonded warehouses on Speyside to pay off the entire national debt (including England's share)! All of that would end up in Scottish coffers rather than British ones.
I don't know how many of you have been watching Evan Davis's 'Made in Britain' series, but it appears that - apart from arms and extremely expensive products such as McLaren cars - we actually "manufacture" virtually nothing. Services, indeed, provide about 75 % of our income.
Apart from these, what does the world "beat a path to the door" of England for? They certainly do that to get their hands on Scotch!
Yes, let them have independence if they want it, so long as it's a clean break and there's no handouts or payments to smooth over the transition. But, unfortunately, I greatly suspect that Scotland would still be looking for money from south of the border long after they became 'independent'. No doubt it's hidden somewhere in the Human Rights Act that we'd have to support them for decades to come with 'aid' or some other monetary package.
I'm all for a clean break, but I don't suspect that Scotland would let go without the assurance of a steady stream of money.
I'm all for a clean break, but I don't suspect that Scotland would let go without the assurance of a steady stream of money.
I was on the original devolution bill team a hundred years ago..or so it seems...there were only abot a dozen of us flitting between Edinburgh and Dover House trying to push the bill through and we all worked long and hard only to be let down by Scottish people who did not turn up in sufficient numbers for the referandum to go through.. to say we were all gutted ..well....
Rich47 morning,
just wondered whether it was largely The Darien Scheme, that led ultimately to the Union, as proposed by many historians and academics, as Scotland was virtually bankrupt.
I agree that Scottish people should have their say in what goes on in Scotland fair play, but that should also apply in England, English people have a say in an English Parliament, no?
I don't think the majority of people in Britain, want to see a split, not when it comes down to the wire, you have much to lose in the longer term. Someone suggested, though not a credible idea, that if Scotland gains its independence it should have it's own time zone, but its just not workable. I hope that if you do gain independence that i won't have to get a passport to travel up north, would hate to be stopped at the gate and turned away
just wondered whether it was largely The Darien Scheme, that led ultimately to the Union, as proposed by many historians and academics, as Scotland was virtually bankrupt.
I agree that Scottish people should have their say in what goes on in Scotland fair play, but that should also apply in England, English people have a say in an English Parliament, no?
I don't think the majority of people in Britain, want to see a split, not when it comes down to the wire, you have much to lose in the longer term. Someone suggested, though not a credible idea, that if Scotland gains its independence it should have it's own time zone, but its just not workable. I hope that if you do gain independence that i won't have to get a passport to travel up north, would hate to be stopped at the gate and turned away
Jno, as pointed out, perhaps some Scottish people should look at their history, and see just how connected up we all are. Independence will mean what exactly, separate tax system, industries? Scottish whisky is pleasant i agree,tried a few myself, but we got stuck with G Brown, who gave away much of the British family silver, and his words British jobs for British workers should haunt him till the day he dies.
and em10 as for giving away the familly silver Gordon Brown's huge spending spree was in buying all the failing banks any loss to do with Gold reserves is negligable in comparison to that
Every man woman and child in this country has to find nearly £14,000 to pay for that
Had he not been brave enough to do that failing banks would have taken businesses and jobs and people's mortgages with them and triggered the biggest depression since the 30's.
And before you say he should have seen it coming - remember that at the time Cameron was running about saying how we should stop tying the city up in regulation and red tape.
The press did a fabuous hatchet job on Gordon Brown and I'm sure he's not a very likable man.
Being likable though is not a good qualification to be PM
Every man woman and child in this country has to find nearly £14,000 to pay for that
Had he not been brave enough to do that failing banks would have taken businesses and jobs and people's mortgages with them and triggered the biggest depression since the 30's.
And before you say he should have seen it coming - remember that at the time Cameron was running about saying how we should stop tying the city up in regulation and red tape.
The press did a fabuous hatchet job on Gordon Brown and I'm sure he's not a very likable man.
Being likable though is not a good qualification to be PM
Gordon Brown was appointed as an adviser to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in April 2011. This is the body which organises the annual meeting of leaders and chancellors of the G20 countries in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss world economics. Klaus Schwab, the founder of the WEF stated at the time that (quote),
"Gordon Brown has a wealth of knowledge and experience."
More recently, Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and one of the names put forward to succeed him was that of Gordon Brown. Sir James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank from 1995 - 2005, said in that regard (quote),
"Gordon Brown has proved that he has the leadership skills, the vision and the determination to bring the world together. All candidates being considered have great talent, but for me there is no greater candidate than Gordon Brown."
(...cont)
"Gordon Brown has a wealth of knowledge and experience."
More recently, Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and one of the names put forward to succeed him was that of Gordon Brown. Sir James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank from 1995 - 2005, said in that regard (quote),
"Gordon Brown has proved that he has the leadership skills, the vision and the determination to bring the world together. All candidates being considered have great talent, but for me there is no greater candidate than Gordon Brown."
(...cont)
(cont...)
Why did these two men, each an obviously undisputed expert in world economics, reach the same conclusion and one shared by many others in the same field worldwide? Simply because they credit Brown with having led the world during the financial crisis of 2008/9. Only in Britain, with its rabidly right-wing gutter-press, is Brown blamed for all our current financial ills. Everybody else knows it was a WORLD recession.
If you tell a big lie often enough, it will become a ‘truth' in the minds of many who lack the skills to recognise the propaganda. Thus, all coalition politicians are under orders to blame Brown at every opportunity for "the appalling legacy" left by Labour. The one thing you can guarantee is that they will never acknowledge the fact that, but for the self-seeking shenanigans of the casino bankers - the major source of Tory funding - we would not have been nearly as badly off after that recession.
It is a mark of their small-mindedness that Cameron and Osborne, who have about as much nous on economics as they have on deep-sea diving, prevented Brown's appointment.
Why did these two men, each an obviously undisputed expert in world economics, reach the same conclusion and one shared by many others in the same field worldwide? Simply because they credit Brown with having led the world during the financial crisis of 2008/9. Only in Britain, with its rabidly right-wing gutter-press, is Brown blamed for all our current financial ills. Everybody else knows it was a WORLD recession.
If you tell a big lie often enough, it will become a ‘truth' in the minds of many who lack the skills to recognise the propaganda. Thus, all coalition politicians are under orders to blame Brown at every opportunity for "the appalling legacy" left by Labour. The one thing you can guarantee is that they will never acknowledge the fact that, but for the self-seeking shenanigans of the casino bankers - the major source of Tory funding - we would not have been nearly as badly off after that recession.
It is a mark of their small-mindedness that Cameron and Osborne, who have about as much nous on economics as they have on deep-sea diving, prevented Brown's appointment.