Scottish Independence

Who owns the whisky companies?

I think you probably knew the answer to that before you posted it.The largest companies are international with Pernod/Ricard and Diageo being the biggest.I live in an area where the distilleries are owned by Diageo.There are a lot of independent( that word again..tut tut) distilleries and new ones opening regularly.Who OWNS it is largely irrelevant.its PRODUCED here and cant be replicated elsewhere .The TAX from it is taken by Westminster who dont want to lose the £58 a second.I'm not up to date with that figure .It could be more or less .Added to the whisky tax is the ever growing GIN industry here ,hugely appreciated and sold worldwide MOST are small companies .All exports through English ports are claimed as English revenue .

Can I add Jane that I am more than happy to pay my taxes and have been doing for 50 years I am NOT happy that they go to fund what Westminster wants at the expense of Scotland where the money was earned .That includes my VAT road tax etc .

Three out of four of the large whisky companies are owned by international conglomerates. We are lucky that they create employment here in Scotland.
I'm happy to pay my taxes too although I have absolutely no confidence in SNP govt's economic competence as you know.

The minority SNP Government needed Green backing to get their budget accepted. (Remind you of anything?) The price? That workers are charged for workplace parking estimated at around £450 per annum! This includes people on minimum wage ,and many who have no alternative travel means. Before we are told by those in support, NHS staff are exempt from the charge. Can you imagine the chaos that has caused? How valued do you think other workers feel? Glasgow and Edinburgh Councils are looking at this although some others have said they will not apply the charge. We wait and see!

Here is another

Published in Oil Industry News on Monday, 18 March 2019

New Licensing Round West of Scotland to Open Up Supermassive Oil Fields Where 100 Years of Oil Predicted - News Item Graphic
It has been revealed today that plans are in place for a joint licensing round to be launched between the Faroe Islands and the UK North Sea.

The “ground-breaking” collaboration would see blocks come available for exploration in waters on the UK Atlantic Margin, between west of Shetland and the Faroes.

and meantime SNP gave CARERS a rise that Labour decided to vote against .I take it none of the unionists here are happy with Nurses,Teachers, Police and carers getting wage rises above the average or the extra police on the streets and the drop in crime ,or the maternity grant being reninstated or the many other things including mitigating the bedroom tax ..
Of course you'll say its just SNP propoganda and none of its true!!
Can I again point out that INDEPENDENCE is a cross party policy.At grass roots level.There are NO Scottish Labour or Tory parties they are registered in England only and we have branch offices here who answer to the English masters .

Shouting again again Paddyann? It just makes people scroll past your posts.

Haven’t a clue what she said but probably same old same old.

e Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) examined the impact of combined changes to tax, social security and local authority services between 2010 and 2022. Its report estimates household income in Scotland will fall by 8.5% for the country’s poorest families, 8% for larger families and 7.8% for female lone parent households.

However, the projected drop in total household income in Scotland between 2011 and 2022 will be £200 compared to £1450 in England and £470 in Wales, with decisions by the Scottish Government mitigating the impact of some UK Government cuts.

SNP government doing the day job .working for the people instead of against them .

Oh Dear ,I thought this site was for Grans ...Adults ,seems a couple of teenagers with closed minds and big mouths sneaked in eh "jane and Jan*You could just avoid my posts if you cant bear the thought of a rabid independence supporter having a say .Or you could get me banned for being a traitor to the England/Westminster you cherish ...ha ha ha

Don't be so silly Paddyann. Read Chucky's posts. If you think the day job is desperately failing schools and social care etc etc then SNP is doing the day job. It's just that most of us want it to be done much better. SNP have had long enough to try to impress us but they definitely have not.

Granny23, what's so great about taking out more oil and gas from underground when we should be stopping using fossil fuels to minimise the pollution caused?

I agree that we should be reducing the use of fossil fuels and am delighted by the progress so far in Scotland towards being entirely powered bia renewables - Wind, Wave and Hydro. However until everyone has been converted to electric cars, buses and trains we will need supplies of oil and may as well take them from our own stocks.

I expect you are pleased that Scotland has a moratorium on dirty and dangerous fracking, which will be changed to an outright ban as soon as the Scottish Government has the power to enact that. I am sure you are also lobbying Westminster MPs to take steps to introduce a ban on fracking in the rest of the UK.

I keep reading that over the current century the big shortage will be pure clean water. As the use of oil is slowly phased out Water will be the big cash cow - used for bargaining deals and sold at premium prices. Again Scotland's natural resources will be a much sought after commodity as Scotland (unlike England) has enough water for ourselves and plenty to spare to sell to the highest bidder.

Another interesting FACT = There is more water in Loch Ness alone than in all the lakes in England added together.

How do you think they get oil out of the ground now, Granny? They use fracking.

I beg your pardon Granny23 Keilder water reservoir in Northumberland is the largest artificial lake in the U.K. by capacity of water. It holds 2 billion litres of water, so I think we will be okay thank you very much.

Well we are both correct Gilly Keilder Water is indeed the biggest ARTIFICIAL reservoir in the UK, but Loch ness is the biggest natural loch.

Amazing Loch Ness Facts - Eagle Brae
www.eaglebrae.co.uk/news/amazing-loch-ness-facts

"Loch Ness holds an estimated 263 billion cubic feet of water, which is more than all the water in all the lakes, rivers and reservoirs in the whole of England and Wales combined! Loch Ness’s deepest points are over 800ft deep which is twice the average depth of the North Sea."

Paddyann Granny23
I’ve given the facts and figures, so not re-hashing them just now.

“Definition of independent - free from outside control; not subject to another's authority, not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence

Does this sound like the SNP’s description of what an Independent Scotland would look like if they get their own way?? No, they want an Independent Scotland governed by the EU. That is NOT independence!

Chucky As has been discussed/proven, over and over on Gransnet, The percentage of our laws promulgated via the EU is miniscule compared to the percentage emanating from Westminster. Further an Independent Scotland within the EU would have an equal vote and the same right of veto as any other Nation state.

This is so NOT the case with regard to Westminster, where even if all MPs representing Scottish seats vote together, 'speak with one voice' their voice is drowned by the 90% of the House of Commons who sit for non Scottish constituencies.

Further the Union with England was not entered into freely by the common people of Scotland (there was rioting in the streets) but rather by agreement by a handful of 'Toffs' who had their palms greased (remind you of the DUP?) although even they thought they were entering into an equal partnership rather than being subsumed by the larger entity.

Fast forward to the present and Scotland is no longer the poor relation in the so-called partnership, indeed it contributes more per head to the exchequer than ever comes back. With Scotland's vast natural resources and plenty of room for expansion it is little wonder that the UK Government is so determined to hold onto and control us. However times change and now the 'Big Money' the oligraphs who really run the country can see the advantages to their pockets of having an independent Scotland in the EU when the RUK leaves. They will therefore throw their money, power and influence via MSM behind a YES vote in a Scottish Independence referendum (as they did for NO in the last one) Not that I am saying this is a good thing, just stating that this is how it works nowadays.

Finally, 62% of voters in Scotland voted to remain in the EU - surpassing the 60% redline which should have been imposed on the referendum. Therefore it is the duty of the Scottish Government and Scottish MPs at Westminster to do all it can to ensure that the Nation stays in the EU.

Over the years of watching. Listening and reading what the SNP and activists for Scottish Independence want I find to quite a degree it mirrors what/why some people voted to Leave the EU and gain Independence.

The rhetoric is so similar and if it were a ' principle' then why is it OK for one country but not another in the eyes of those stand on a ticket for Independence as a ' principle' for everybody ?

It appears to me ' some ' view Independence when it suits their agenda as an admirable aim but when it does not they do all they can to stop it.

In my view 'independence' from EU and UK is just plain daft. These are global dark times. United we stand, divided we fall has never been so important.

Jane10 Well as it stands remaining in the UK = leaving the EU. For Scotland, leaving the UK = being able to remain in the EU. How do you choose?

We've not left yet, Granny23 and some of us still hope that we never will.

That is my hope too Varian and given the current shambles anything is possible, though as there is no consensus around any idea and only 9 days to go, it seems ever more likely that we will crash out.