Tim Kelly Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 It's British oil, not Scottish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggysreels Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 All this hassle over 0.453 kilograms .. just dont get it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crowdie2013 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 It's British oil, not Scottish. No its not. Just the point I was making, uneducated bile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 I am a significant net contributor, I am Scottish and not employed in public service and absolutely believe that the UK should remain intact. There undoubtably is a huge amount of misinformation being peddled on both sides of the debate and getting to any absolute fact or truth I suspect is damn near impossible. Certainly just now the nationalists would have you believe that at least for the last 30 years Scotland has been a net contributor, if you assume that the taxation realised from oil and gas was allocated to Scotland. At the same time the Barnett formula does indeed give a pro-rated greater percentage of central funding per head of capita than elsewhere in the UK. The Barnett formula leads to the common opinion south of the border that Scotland is funded by England. In terms of Scottish industry that is a net contributor, that would include tourism, whisky, agriculture, power, defence industries (non nationalised), pharmaceuticals, bio research, finance, technology, etc, etc. Scotland is not a rural backwater that needs to be tethered to England to survive, if there is a vote for independence it will not implode or become some 3rd world nation, but I believe that Scotland and the rest of the UK is better served by continuing with the union. As for currency, again there is a great deal of misinformation, but i happen to agree that fiscal union without political union is fraught with danger and neither party would be best served by a continued Scottish reliance on the pound yet both would be hurt should Scotland adopt an alternate currency. I think the simple truth is if we were to join the EU as an independent sovereign state then we would need to adopt the Euro as a condition of membership. As for some of the comments on this thread I think many of you do England a great disservice with the level of ignorance, bigotry and stupidity that you demonstrate. Fortunately they seem to be in the minority and no doubt this type of thread brings the more opinionated ones out the shadows to spew their bile. I am pleased that despite some comments alluding to the contrary the vast majority of the English people I know are very different to the vocal minority on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesj Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) One thing that will come out of it for England if Scotland becomes independent, it will stop the one-sidedness Where Scottish MP’s can vote on things that affect England only but English MPs have no vote on things that affect Scotland. But I hope they vote no as i can't see it being good for anyone in the long run. Edited February 12, 2014 by bluesj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 i read somewhere that scotland can't just join the euro, they have to have their own economy and currency, to see if it all meets the euro's criteria for joining. i say **** 'em they can rebuild the wall for all i care, i guess we'll pick up the bill for it though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheasant Plucker Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Such passion - perhaps the Scots should stay in the Union and let the English keep us unemployed. READ THE WHITE PAPER! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 In my view they and Wales should not have even had devolved government. Either they should be proud to be part of GREAT BRITAIN or get out of it completely and that means paddling their own canoes with everything including their own currency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) Of course it will - or do you use the Groat in Phlegm-Land? We English have pandered to the money-pit of Celtic nationalism for too long - squandering millions on national assemblies that are nothing but talking shops to chat about how to spend the subsidies handed over by central government. Cut them all off and England can be like Switzerland - a safe haven with lower taxes, higher GDP and its own currency - Sterling. The rest of you can either join the Euro (who won't have you), use Bitcoin or re-introduce bartering. Good luck and close the door on the way out! Seeing as we're bringing Celtic countries into this debate I must say I agree I also believe Wales should turn off the water supply to engerlandshire, or charge accordingly Edited February 12, 2014 by Paul223 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Oh aye, time to free up your holiday properties too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Seeing as we're bring Celtic countries into this debate I must say I agree I also believe Wales should turn off the water supply to engerlandshire, or charge accordingly Forgive me if I have missed something, but I thought we had enough water in England we could easily pump some back to Wales if you are short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 And you can take back all those dole heads that have been shipped over the boarder And the Europeans that have been dumped by your government creating slum areas We'll be more than happy going back to being sparsely populated wandering around our green rolling hills chasing sheep thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheasant Plucker Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 It's British oil, not Scottish. Eh! Sorry I forgot the fields were off the Norfolk coast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Forgive me if I have missed something, but I thought we had enough water in England we could easily pump some back to Wales if you are short. No thanks think you'll find it's contaminated and you'll be needing ours more than ever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedd-wyn Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 And you can take back all those dole heads that have been shipped over the boarder And the Europeans that have been dumped by your government creating slum areas We'll be more than happy going back to being sparsely populated wandering around our green rolling hills chasing sheep thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rimotu66 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Of course it will - or do you use the Groat in Phlegm-Land? We English have pandered to the money-pit of Celtic nationalism for too long - squandering millions on national assemblies that are nothing but talking shops to chat about how to spend the subsidies handed over by central government. Cut them all off and England can be like Switzerland - a safe haven with lower taxes, higher GDP and its own currency - Sterling. The rest of you can either join the Euro (who won't have you), use Bitcoin or re-introduce bartering. Good luck and close the door on the way out! Brilliant Could not have put it better my self. I work for a company that is controlled from Aberdeen so spend a bit of time with the sweaty socks and visiting the granite city, I once heard a quote which made me laugh/think: 'The Scottish are ok but after a couple of Whiskies, 400 years of hatred floods out' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheasant Plucker Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) Oh dear! Lots of venom in this forum. The English contributors seem to "protest too much my Lord" If Scotland is such a drain on your hard earned resources why don't you just cast us off and say thanks for the memories. We may of may not succeed in going it alone but at least we will have tried (for centuries before 1745). England was desperate to keep us in the Union then and ever since. So if we are such crack headed, unemployed bunch of layabouts - well you will be rid of us. Has anyone actually read the White Paper before spouting their words of wisdom? Edited February 12, 2014 by Pheasant Plucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rimotu66 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Group hug anyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 In terms of Scottish industry that is a net contributor, that would include tourism, whisky, agriculture, power, defence industries (non nationalised), pharmaceuticals, bio research, finance, technology, etc, etc. Scotland is not a rural backwater that needs to be tethered to England to survive, if there is a vote for independence it will not implode or become some 3rd world nation, but I believe that Scotland and the rest of the UK is better served by continuing with the union. The trouble is, much of the new technology, research, etc is massively subsidised by the Scottish governent to set up in Scotland in the first place. The Scots are using central government money to buy in business, then claim Scotland is thriving! As an example, wind & water turbine manufacturing companies are promised start-up grants, low/no rates, cheap debt funding, and so on in order to set up in order to reduce the dependency on oil revenue. Where's the money coming from to buy in the business? I'd rather increase the subsidies for the North East & North West of England in order to regenerate those areas. Oh, and the Scot claiming that the English are racist? That's a joke - this whole referendum is promulgated on the SNP's bigoted rants against England. You've all watched Braveheart after a couple of shandys and think you're turning back the enemy. The rest of us think you're biting the hand that feeds you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laird Lugton Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 my thoughts are that if Scotland want independence they should have a vote,(which they are doing) if they vote for independence then they should forced to relinquish the £ and stand on their own 2 feet instead of being a parasite on us. As a unionist jock it heartens me to be called a "parasite". I'm a unionist but with the views expressed on this forum if representative of the rest of the nation I maybe be forced to back the opposition and go for broke. Pound or no pound I do think Scotland can be a successful independent nation but I prefer the successful union, at the moment. Whose pound is it? Is it yours or does it belong to all of us? Who knows, if you won't give us the pound then you can cover our share of the national debt, that's fair isn't it? You don't share, why should we? As Flashman so eloquently states it would be a sharp shock to the Scottish people, no more sucking at the teet of our masters (doffs cap) but we would come out of it eventually stronger. This months Spain's foreign minister has said they won't interfere in an independent Scotland's application for EU membership. http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/referendum/8682-spanish-minister-confirms-spain-will-stay-out-of-scots-eu-bid-after-yes-vote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Group hug anyone Yep I'm up, for that. Whatever our differing views, life will go on regardless. Pigeons and critters will still need control. We'll still enjoy telling our stories posting our pics and enjoying everyone else's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Has anyone actually read the White Paper before spouting their words of wisdom? Regrettably the white paper was equally short on facts, full of promise and lacking in substance. Yes there were some well educated and knowledgeable contributors, but it was a document that had the data shaped to suit a particular story. The data might even be completely accurate and true, but we are simply not in a position to know that. I would dearly love to actually get some substantive information that is not based on wide ranging and polarised assumptions, on both sides of the debate, but that just will not happen. This is going to be a referendum largely based on sentiment and emotion, but in fairness that's not unlike every general election. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 As a unionist jock it heartens me to be called a "parasite". I'm a unionist but with the views expressed on this forum if representative of the rest of the nation I maybe be forced to back the opposition and go for broke. Pound or no pound I do think Scotland can be a successful independent nation but I prefer the successful union, at the moment. Whose pound is it? Is it yours or does it belong to all of us? Who knows, if you won't give us the pound then you can cover our share of the national debt, that's fair isn't it? You don't share, why should we? As Flashman so eloquently states it would be a sharp shock to the Scottish people, no more sucking at the teet of our masters (doffs cap) but we would come out of it eventually stronger. This months Spain's foreign minister has said they won't interfere in an independent Scotland's application for EU membership. http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/referendum/8682-spanish-minister-confirms-spain-will-stay-out-of-scots-eu-bid-after-yes-vote For years we've had to put up with your whining about the English. Your MP's having a say on decisions that affect me but my MP not having a say on decisions that affect you. We have to listen to you booing the National Anthem at sporting events and supporting any team but England. So yes the Scottish referendum is causing the English to stand up and beg you to vote for independence. Go for it. You know it makes sense. But you won't. You know what's good for you and just enjoy moaning about us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) The referendum is a joke how can anyone vote without actually knowing wot there voting for! So many things are up in the airyet westminster won't consider discussions until after the vote As for keeping the pound don't see how u can be truely independent and keep it, but does it really make any difference nowadays, 20-30yrs ago YES, but not now u just hand ur card over and pay for wot u need even drinks in a pub so really u hardly need cash nowadays and u can so easily get cash back from pubs/shops etc. We have had years of our LEGAL TENDER not being accepted in england so won't make any difference, at least they will be right not to accept it. Must admit reading these threads does more for the SNP and yes vote than Salmond ever could. Edited February 12, 2014 by scotslad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheasant Plucker Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 Regrettably the white paper was equally short on facts, full of promise and lacking in substance. Yes there were some well educated and knowledgeable contributors, but it was a document that had the data shaped to suit a particular story. The data might even be completely accurate and true, but we are simply not in a position to know that. I would dearly love to actually get some substantive information that is not based on wide ranging and polarised assumptions, on both sides of the debate, but that just will not happen. This is going to be a referendum largely based on sentiment and emotion, but in fairness that's not unlike every general election. True, the content of the White Paper may not be entirely accurate - but whats new! All political blurb of this type is general and lacking in substance - let Cameron and Salmond have a debate and, currently as a "BRIT" I would like to hear what my Prime Minister has to say in defence of staying in the Union. Salmond has been banging on about the pro's of independence but absolutely nothing has been offered by Cameron in support of staying - he has nothing to offer the Scots and would be hard pushed to convince the Scottish people that he has a sound case for remaining united. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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