Scotland YES or NO

I am not sure where you can draw the line though rosequartz surely it is right that those it will effect should get the vote whereas those who (possibly) left 20 or more years ago should not. Also it should depend on the place where you live/pay council tax and are registered to vote. It surely can't be all ways.

I know all politicians have big egos (or else how could they do what they do) but I am suspicious of those who cannot see the down side of anything at all. I admit to not hanging on his every word but surely Alex Salmond must see that it cannot all be a bed of roses and breaking away from the rest of us must come with some risks? surely? Even teensy weensy ones?

And they will get a vote, gillybob, unlike Scots born people who live elsewhere!

Just wondering where an independance "yes" vote would leave the armed forces currently stationed over the border Granny23 ? (genuine question) they do bring a lot of money/civilian jobs into the economy.

Are there any financial wizards on this thread who could tell us how much all these extra layers of so-called government cost us, the beleaguered tax payer, in comparison to a time before the EU, the Assembly, the Scottish Parliament etc?

Well, I would like to dump the Welsh Assembly in Tony Blair's extensive grounds. Services in Wales have been cut because the Welsh Assembly creams off money for its pet projects. Only slightly over half of the population of Wales voted in favour of this added financial burden.

Elegran I would rather dump the nuclear warheads in the basement of the Houses of Parliament and let the whole parliament worry about the conseguences of a latter day Guy Fawkes coming along.

Joking apart, I agree with When I was your age that a vote in favour of independence for Scotland would probably lead to Trident being returned to the USA where it belongs. How many people realise that although we pay mega billions to the USA for the privilege of 'owning' and hosting these weapons in our Bonnie Argyll, we cannot use them unilaterally - their use and the red button are under the strict control of the USA.

As to the IN or OUT of Europe debate (and the statement that Alex Salmond is a loose cannon with brain and mouth out of synchrony) have a read of the statesmanly speech our First Minister made in Bruges, widely reported in the European press but barely mentioned by the UK's MSM, who preferred to concentrate on misrepresenting AS's warning not to underestimate Mr Putin in a weeks old interview, as somehow amounting to 'admiration' of Putin and his policies.

Link here to full text of Bruges speech: news.scotland.gov.uk/Speeches-Briefings/Scotland-s-Place-in-Europe-bdf.aspx

Trident and similar should be kept in the back garden of 10 Downing Street. That would make the PM very careful.

The last time we had a referendum on that basis, we thought we were voting to join a common market and we ended up with the European superstate. I wonder how many people would have voted 'yes' if they'd known what the future would be like?

Problem lots of politicians have massive egos

I can understand the Scottish people feeling they have no say in what happens in their lives and land (a feeling, I believe, that is shared by Wales and many English too) and the above highlights that very nicely.

I have no doubt that the the Scottish, the Welsh and the English could live side-by-side and prosper - but not with the way politics/politicians view Britain, they have to remember that Britain is more than just the South East. Maybe when that happens, there would be a chance of harmony again.

Well said lilygran re Common Market.

Problem lots of politicians have massive egos, and Salmond is in the front of the queue.

His brain and mouth are not in synchrony, a loose cannon

I don't presume to tell the people living in Scotland how they should vote although personally I think the break-up of the union would be very sad. What worries me is that there are so many vague and speculative theories floating about what happens after the referendum if the vote is 'yes'. The last time we had a referendum on that basis, we thought we were voting to join a common market and we ended up with the European superstate. I wonder how many people would have voted 'yes' if they'd known what the future would be like?

Love that idea Elegran

I posted in April that there was 'Live' from Holyrood on BB Parliament Scotland's Economic Future Post 2014.

It is Live again now but I don't know if this is particularly interesting to anyone...

I am obviously watching and to be honest it is fairly heavy going in the sense a lot depends on the questioner and the responder's political bias to some degree.

It is however interesting and I think it is the case 'If you put 100 economists into a room they wouldn't agree'

Trident and similar should be kept in the back garden of 10 Downing Street. That would make the PM very careful.

rosequartz, one thing that pushes me to a Yes vote is the fear that if the Tories get their In/Out referendum on Europe, Scotland may be dragged out of Europe whether we want to go or not, and I don't think most of us do. My other, and main reason, is the fact that what I believe to be the biggest dump of nuclear weapons is so close to our biggest centre of population. If something goes wrong, or this dump is attacked, of my 7 grandchildren, 2 would die immediately, 3 shortly after, and the other 2 might survive, depending on the wind direction, but perhaps not for long. This may be our best chance to get rid of Trident etc for you as well as for us, because, apparently, there is no way of moving them to, for example, Devonport, because it would be too close to a major centre of population!!

Scotland could possibly end up out of the EU.

I am concerned that if Scotland votes 'yes' Wales may want to follow. Now, I don't think that is economically viable but it could cause some unnecessary angst and ill-feeling in Wales. There is already a very nationalistic element in Wales.

Would Scotland remain part of the Commonwealth? I am not sure that Salmand would want that either.

I presume Scots who have a British passport could retain it, but parents of newborns would have to apply for their child's passport in the same way that Australians and others apply, ie if one of their married parents is English (at present British) then the first generation could have dual nationality but not their descendants.

Is this just an ego trip for a rather self-important politician rather than having the best interests of a country at heart?

I suppose England and Scotland could still be a United Kingdom but they found the union of the crowns without a union of the states too tricky to manage in the 17th century when the Queen and King were actually governing both countries.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707 where would we be without wiki!

I think -

Since we're part of the greater entity of Europe, Britain will just be that collection of islands to the west of Europe in the same way as the Ionians are a collection of Islands to the west of Greece. It'll just be a geographical term.

The Queen will still be queen of Scotland as, presumably Scotland will remain in the Commonwealth.

I suppose we'll still have UK passports - there'll still be three countries left (four counting Cornwall)

- But I could be wrong!

(And thank you Bags for not wanting to leave)

The queen will presumably still be queen of Scotland as well as England, Wales and N Ireland, so in a sense it would still be a united kingdom, wouldn't it? I'm not sure I can get my head round that.

Presumably people who live in Scotland, but weren't born there, won't be eligible for Scottish passports - or will they? And will they have to apply for the right to stay, like British migrants to Australia? The mind boggles.
Or will they be able to apply for Scottish citizenship?
And what about people born in Scotland but not resident there now?

No point worrying about it the noo. I'll be voting no.

Oh well, lily, if Scotland buggers off out of the UK, I suppose Scots will have to have a Scottish passport. They'll still be British people though and can call thrmselves British. That's what I meant.

Unless we all have Ununited Kingdom passports. That might simplify things for when wales and Yorkshire and Cornwall, etc, etc want their independence too.

soutra, it's an if till it's over.

soop, if you have an old-fashioned leather shoe box with a silk lining and a little pocket in the lid (also silk), it'll be in there. Otherwise, I aint got a clooooo!

As river says, I mean british in the geographical sense. What other sense is there?

pogs, for an answer to your question, look at anno's post at 10:18:09 today where she says she wants to remain British. I was just saying she will remain British, as will everyone else who is British now, even Scots who want to leave the UK.

That's all. Dead simple.

Possibly out of date by now Soop! Careful you don't get classified as "stateless" when Salmond ascends the throne