Scottish Referendum No.2 (Scexit ...?)

As a REMAINER I empathize with the SNP position but Scotland would really suffer alone outside the UK. They would not be able to keep Sterling, probably not be admitted to the EU on their own. There are already insoluble issues with the Irish Border, just imagine the issues that would be along the Scottish border.

The root of the problem lies with our London centered parliament which only really looks after the Southern part of the country. I come from Merseyside where we have been short changed by Westminster for years most recently when the Severn Crossing was made free yet the Mersey crossing charges were increased and the upper Mersey crossing charges introduced when there had not been any.

The whole country needs a reformed electoral system (PR based) to break the stronghold of Tory or Labour extreme positions. Repeated swings from left to right and back has divided the nation for too long and cost billions.

Most countries in the EU have PR and are generally happy with it. The EU has funded many projects across the UK regions. Westminster had a policy of "Managed Decline" for less successful areas instead of giving proper support. No wonder many Scots yearn for independence.

Perhaps some Scots do but not most of us!

I’ve read Nicola Sturgeon is hoping for a chaotic Brexit as she says it will help Indy2.

Cindersdad
The reason bei g thst the Severn Bridge cost £8m 50+ years ago (was £5.60 for cars) and has been paid for but the Mersey Gateway which cost £650m attracts a lower fee (£1.80/2.00) and will, like the Severn crossing, be free to cross when it's costs have been recovered which is fair.
The second bridge which is undergoing refurbishment (and a new roads system on both sides) will not be toll free (although it has been up to now) as that would encourage users rather than the tolled upper Mersey crossing.
There is a reasoned difference and it has nothing to do with penalising the North West.

bei g thst being that.

Merseyside will indeed be penalised if we're out of the EU.
It's the EU which has kept Liverpool going because as far as Westminster's concerned we don't exist.
Liverpool ONE was funded by the EU not the useless council and if you were to look online you'd see the millions that the EU contributed to 17 areas on Merseyside to increase its economy and encourage growth.

Balance the £8billion that we pay towards the EU with the UK overall economy of £200billion and it's a no-brainer.
Staying, for us on Merseyside is vital for fear of ending up in the annals of poverty that once was.

Hmm.
This, from a fact checking U.K. forum:

Claim
Since 2000 we’ve given the EU £100 billion more than we’ve got back.
Conclusion
Broadly correct. Since 2000 the UK has made a net contribution in cash terms of £109 billion. That’s £122 billion in real terms.

I’d rather we made our own decisions where to spend our money rather than being grateful to the EU for their grants.

This shows it:

Martin Lewis explains it much better giving his unbiased opinion.

Fair comment EV
He’s a Remainer though so not so unbiased.
Are any of us though?
?

As a Southerner, I'm not sure Westminster works for us. We get ever more crowded with a housing explosion which is gridlocking our surgeries, hospitals, roads, schools, etc. In return we pay much higher Council Taxes, housing prices, food and beer prices. Even if you want to go on holiday, the prices from the Southern airports are normally much more expensive. Business rates are sky high too. If our wages were much higher, it wouldn't be so bad but for the average person, unless you work in the City, it isn't so.
Of course, the grass is always greener the other side of the fence but if the North were to take some of the pressure off the South by getting more investment, I wouldn't complain.

Why would we have to use the Euro ? There are a lot of coutries in the EU who dont use it ,including quite new joiners like Croatia .Nicola Sturgeon isn't praying for a chaotic Brexit,in case you haven't noticed the SNP have been fighting for the Scots who voted REMAIN thats SNP voters or not ...all 62% of them .Unless you have personally spoken to her and have other information I wouldn't spread stupid stories. Telling those kind of lies got Alistair Carmichael a court date and a large bill ...certainly he got it paid by a charity , but we still remember he's a liar !

Paddyann, I might be wrong but I think you'll find that those countries who aren't using the Euro have to eventually. When you join now, you don't get the veto that Britain has to opt out. We've just visited Bulgaria and Poland who don't use the Euro but we were told that they have to go over to it so many of the prices were in Euros even though you could pay in local currency.

My source paddyann
From The Scotsman newspaper September 2018:

Scottish Secretary David Mundell has warned that a “chaotic Brexit” could boost support for Scottish independence.

At the moment the Bank of England is the Bank of last resort for the UK. What bank of last resort, in the event of independence, would Scotland use? Will Scotland have their own currency or use sterling(??!) if sterling, how can they be financially independent from London?!! Oh, and who's going to build and man the border that there would have to be?! Lot to think about!!

Ooh and just imagine the wrangling about a border 'backstop'. Years more trying to sort out a deal. Economic doomsday!
Scexit would set Scotland back into the dark ages.

Constantly hear from posters: ‘Westminster only works for the South!’ Well, that really is rubbish, and the South has higher council tax and much much more expensive housing stock, crowded hospitals GP surgeries and schools, as icanhandthemback has just pointed out.
I really don’t think Scotland would be allowed to keep stirling in the event of them becoming independent, perhaps they could have oats ( a bit like groats) and thistles instead.

The position as regards adopting the Euro is that new members must commit to joining but only once they have met the joining criteria. Some of the newer Countries have made a point of deliberately not meeting the criteria but have not been censured or penalised for keeping their options open in this way.

As to the retention of Sterling, many of the smaller commonwealth nations retained Sterling following Independence, Sterling is also the official currency of dependancies eg Gibraltar, the Falklands, Isle of Man etc.

Scotland's position is different in that Sterling IS the official currency throughout the UK. 'The Bank of England ' is a misnomer which causes much confusion. It should have been called the Bank of the UK or the British Bank. If Scotland is leaving the Union in an orderly fashion then it will be entitled/responsible for 9% of the assets and debts of the B of E as well as all of the gold deposits held there to guarantee the value of Scottish issued bank notes.

Pie in the sky and wishful thinking. The sort of thing that led us to the Brexit debacle.

It should have been called the Bank of the UK or the British Bank
It was founded before the Act of Union in 1694.

Indeed it was. However surely its name should have changed following the Act of Union?

How have they managed in Ireland so far? It's Sterling north of the border and Euros south of the Border. Maybe you can use both?

Also, I'm fairly sure the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have their own currencies. We do have Scottish notes and people still sometimes try to get rid of them before going south but you hardly hear of it these days.

Shouldn't we wait and see whether we are in or out of the EU and on what terms before we start worrying about Scexit.

We already know the Westminster Government will make as big a mess of Scexit as they have of Brexit ... except it would be worse because they would be the bigger partner.

And the damage will already have been done to Scotland's economy.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-47847576

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-47840566

Scotland does its own damage to its own economy as currently run.

Examples Jane? What would you do differently?