300 years is long enough!!!

[raab11]

So this year marks the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union, the perfect time to dissolve it?

Scottish independance( and indeed english independance too) is long overdue.  Its time for Scotland to run her own affairs!!
independence is not about being anti-english but rather pro Scottish!! having our country run by westminster is frankly absurd!! a feeling shared by our friends in the north of england, who are actively seeking regional assemblies.

as o son of the central belt im not even one of the worse affected, anyone livinf further north has it much worse and those in the highlands or islands almost completely forgotten!!

as power continues to shift to europe scotland needs her own voice to be heard there, we dont need to be represented by a government withe such a south east england bias.

independence does not mean the SNP, when independence is secure you can vote for anyparty you like, even god forbid the tories. at least then they will  be Truly scottish tories.

Anyway at this years holyrood elections, get out and vote, vote for Scotland, vote to give our children there own country, Vote for Independence!!!



All views will be heard with interest, especially those from my friends in England.

[ifm]

Be quiet, that's an order from your masters

Didn't we have this debate before?
I think it got out of hand.

[Rod Paradise]

Recent polls have given me the hope that rather than rely on the Scots (who have been fed the 'susidised from England line too long) to vote for independence, it looks like it could be the English who vote for it instead.

I'd welcome it & we can then see how the countries get on.  

I'd liken the relationship at present to sharing a flat with an overbearing mate, you start resenting them to the point of hatred. Move out & you can go back to being mates when in the pub, but not be stuck with him!

[Rod Paradise]

Be quiet, that's an order from your masters

Didn't we have this debate before?
I think it got out of hand.

Shut it you

mfi makes a good point - if we are to discuss it let's keep it civil. Pretend your Mum's reading it (My Mum's born in Scotland from English parents - I've got to keep the nationalistic rants toned down a bit).

[raab11]

Be quiet, that's an order from your masters

Didn't we have this debate before?
I think it got out of hand.

statements like this, wether serious or not, are probably the reason it got out of hand!!

i am hoping for a more serious discussion.

[Graham C]

Total independence?  What about public money and it's spending?

[ifm]

No mate better light hearted than not i think.

I think it'll be a great thing for a number of reasons, mainly because "you" couldn't vote in the prime minister for "us".
Blair would never have been reelected without Scottish voters.

[Rod Paradise]

Total independence?  What about public money and it's spending?

Total. What's raised in Scotland is spent in Scotland. Of course the oil revenues & exported electricity would be taxed, and English students would have to pay fees to attend the Scots Unis.

The figure usually quoted is ever so slightly misleading.

[raab11]

Total independence?  What about public money and it's spending?

each country could decide on how to spend its own public money

No mate better light hearted than not i think.

I think it'll be a great thing for a number of reasons, mainly because "you" couldn't vote in the prime minister for "us".
Blair would never have been reelected without Scottish voters.

i give up???


ok so im on 499, time to reflect me thinks

[Rod Paradise]

No mate better light hearted than not i think.

I think it'll be a great thing for a number of reasons, mainly because "you" couldn't vote in the prime minister for "us".
Blair would never have been reelected without Scottish voters.

I agree. Similarly we'd never have had our industries & infrastructure destroyed by Thatcher, who knew nothing she did in Scotland would hurt her as she was getting no votes up here anyway.

[patman]

raab...where are you living just now??

[Nem]

Let Scotland be ran by the Scottish.

So when the Olympics come around the English can have their own football team!

[Graham C]

Do you think Scotland (and may as well stick Wales in the discussion here) could financially support themselves? 

You mentioned English Students paying fees to go to Scottish Uni's - how about the Scottish Students moving south or do they pay fees already?  My knowledge of the uni systems isn't too good

Personally I'm not fussed either way, but am interested to see what would happen if it were to happen.

[Rod Paradise]

Scots students pay fees in England. GB student's fees are paid by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS)

Edit - I just looked it up to check, and, as EU members English students would still not pay fees in Scotland. (TBH if we started charging them you could close Edinburgh & St Andrews Unis )

[AndrewT]

The whole point of the Act of Union was to stop you guys from getting too cosy with the French and opening up another attack route to England from the north.

Now that's not an issue I really don't see why Scotland shouldn't go it alone. It's not as if it's some tiny little country - the population is similar to Ireland's and they've done tremendously well economically over the past 20 years.