Meanwhile in Scotland.....

What do you mean Scotland doesn't have a deficit???!

And still no real answer to the 'what's the plan/where are the details' question I see - just more pathetic insults about levels of intelligence (which really doesn't do the nationalist cause any favours at all).

Malta's virtually a casino country run by the Maffia as was proved by the murder and subsequent cover up of the journalist who tried to uncover all the financial fraud that is alive and well on Malta. I don't think Scotland wants an economy run on a similar basis?!!!

Good point Jabberwock www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190326/local/malta-has-characteristics-of-a-tax-haven-european-parliament-says.705632

Oh, and look - "The report highlights how the high share of FDI in Malta, Luxembourg, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Ireland in particular is usually attributable to special purpose entities".

SirChenjin, maybe we should concentrate on what the plan is and where the details are for here-and-now Brexit, given that the UK is supposed to have spent two years planning it.

Can't see why you'd want details for a possible future vote from a possible future referendum when we all have enough worries about the decisions and the plans and the details of the mess we are in right now.

First things first.

And I'm sure the Scottish parties are all learning something about what not to do if the time ever comes.

So no plans then - or even a broad outline of how Scotland will join the EU.

When I last looked, Scotland was still in the EU. Plenty time for planning if we lose that citizenship. Is it likely the UK government would be a bit quicker about it all with the boot on the other foot?

Why so desperate to find out what Scotland would do when we don't even know from one week to the next what will happen to the UK (which we are also still in)?

It might not even be an SNP-led Scottish Government by the time we get another referendum (if we even need one) and, if Scotland does become independent, all five main parties would have to have definite plans for being the ruling party, either alone or in coalition...and how they would manage the relationship with the rUK.

I don't get the constant picking on the SNP who are making a better fist of running their own elected responsibilities than the UK Tories are at present.

So let me get this straight.

Scotland doesn't have a deficit
The block grant means the UK Govt keeps our money
We can be like Malta
We don't really need to know about the details re how/when/if Scotland plans to manage its future membership of the EU
It's not fair that the SNP gets picked on

This is an opinion forum. If you want an argument about any of that, I'm sure you can find it somewhere online.

There's still the Brexit omnishambles in the room despite all these "look over here" attempts.

Caledonai14
'When I last looked, Scotland was still in the EU. Plenty time for planning if we lose that citizenship.
Why so desperate to find out what Scotland would do when we don't even know from one week to the next what will happen to the UK (which we are also still in)?'

Totally agree -Until we know the results of the Brexit negotiations I do not think there is any point, at this moment in time ,to go into the finer details of how Scotland will rejoin the EU should we become Independent .

No argument required - and yes, it's an opinion forum. The thing with these pesky forums is that you do have to put forward opinions which stand up to (factual) scrutiny.

I agree SirChenjin, but when people have repeatedly pointed out the facts as known and provided sensible answers, they shouldn't have to keep repeatedly trying to explain minute details about future unknown events to help you detract from the very real and worrying problems that the known Brexit mess lands all of us in.

Once we know whether we are in, out, delaying again - and on what terms - that will be the time to investigate how much will or support there is for Scexit and how we would go about it.

You've had many thoughtful and well-researched answers here, yet you keep picking at it like a child does at a scab.

No Scottish politician is going to risk making anything worse for either side of the seemingly-endless national argument about EU membership. The Tories are managing that all by themselves on an almost daily basis.

No - what we've had is insults about the intelligence of unionists, financial misinformation and vague statements about detail or even vague outlines of plans from the SG simply not being required at this stage. These are not well researched or thoughtful responses.

Now, if that irritates you to the extent that you liken it scab picking then I'm afraid that's your issue.

I'm not irritated. Just slightly bemused.

Bemused/irritated/whatever. It’s one of the downsides of being on a thread where misinformation is corrected, governments are questioned and insults are rebutted.

Further Information about Spain's position on an Independent Scotland's place in the EU:

^SPAIN’s top diplomat in Scotland has declared clearly and unequivocally that the Spanish government will not block an independent Scotland’s entry into the European Union. Miguel Angel Vecino Quintana, the Spanish Consul General in Edinburgh, laid out his country’s position in the strongest terms yet in a letter copied to Scottish Government civil servants. He also stressed it has “always” been the Spanish government’s policy not to veto an independent Scotland membership of the bloc – busting what was a major Better Together myth once and for all.
The diplomat also made clear “there is no queue” that an independent Scotland would have to join in order to become a full EU member^

From Farmers for Independence

theorkneynews.scot/2019/06/07/burden-of-proof/

Brilliant article PA - am off to share it elsewhere.

I really hope Alec Ross's article gets the widest possible viewing.

That's the best thought-out and most intelligent comment I have read about the current situation.

Well done to the Orkney News for publishing it and for not placing it behind a paywall. Some issues are too important to be restricted.

Thank you Mr Ross from a farming area of Aberdeenshire where we are already in deep trouble and fear being pushed over the Brexit cliffedge with Scotland's hands in an undemocratic vice and our voice choked by a five-year-old bad decision to stay in a southern-centric union that is now determined to commit economic suicide, taking the rest of the family with it.

Thanks Paddyann

Richard Murphy (of the Tax Justice Network) has always contended that an independent Scotland would be able to run a successful economy and that the data which is currently used to apportion 'revenue' to Scotland is inaccurate.

He does stipulate that for an independent Scotland to be successful it has to have its own currency.

His latest blog post on the topic is here:

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2019/06/03/scotland-is-being-shafted-by-dodgy-data-from-westminster/

I hope that both sides of the 'debate' will find it interesting.

P.S. I've never thought of News & Politics as an 'opinion' forum. Surely it's a discussion forum to which one can bring facts and figures to back up one's opinion

MaizieD you are quite right. Perhaps I expressed it badly. Mostly, people do try to back up their discussions with facts and I enjoy reading many articles posted here.

I just feel a bit weary when every sensible comment is met with the same argumentative questions over and over, as seemed to be happening earlier in the thread.

Glad to see it back on track and raring to go today.

Thank you for that very interesting link.

Can you clarify what those repetitive argumentative questions were? I saw (and posted) questions relating to factually incorrect information which was posted - but surely you wouldn’t expect anything else? Or is this simply a thread for nationalists to post their views and anyone else should keep quiet in order to keep things nicely on track for you?

I'm not a nationalist, SirChengin, I'm not even Scottish. But I do take an interest as I have relatives in Scotland (English immigrants .

I hope you read my link...

I read it v quickly - I'm on my lunch break at work. I've heard DH talk about Richard Murphy, he's quite an interesting character

Something else to worry about for those in Scotland, Wales, NI and the North of England:

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/06/tories-would-now-rather-face-scottish-independence-lose-brexit?fbclid=IwAR3JUh7KnHLPEQKTjM9O2-NqndazcP7cVDBl0u-xGYA3zVnygMEkrDzxK6o

Thank you for those articles. Unfortunately those who have most need of such information are the very ones who just won't even think of doing reading them.
Ps Maizie where in Scotland do you fancy living?
Happy to start looking for suitable properties for you!