Any English people WANT Scotland to leave the UK?

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Reply 80

TimmonaPortella

I'm happy for them to stay, as long as they promise to stop voting in labour governments.

Reply 81

SmallDuck

Original post by Quady

Bit confused with the analogy... is the taxpayer Scottish or English or A N Other?

If the latter, what are you on about?

There is no doubt that the British/Welsh/Northern Irish taxpayer will be asked to contribute to the 'recreation' of an independent Scotland: just think of all the infrastructure etc that it takes to build an independent nation!

I can't imagine that anyone other than the UK govt will end up paying for it. The latter should be self explanatory now...

Reply 82

Boromir

Scotland leaving would mark an even further decline of the world's former largest superpower.

However, Scotland leaving would probably let England shift right politically which is always a good thing. Blair and Brown can go back to where they came from.

Either way, it doesn't make a difference; the EU has their filthy hands on all of it.

Reply 83

BurstingBubbles

Life & Style Forum Helper

Not bothered either way. If they are independent, they won't last long, unless we are stupid enough to fund them with a **** load of money

Reply 84

seaholme

I would like Scotland to remain part of the UK. To be honest the whole thing seems weird to me. It's like selling your arm or something. I've always considered myself British and I have family in both England and Scotland, and just on my part I would be sad to suddenly be part English and part Scottish when the heritage of myself and our history in general is that we're all one nation!

Reply 85

Quady

Original post by SmallDuck

Meh, I don't really see why we'd contribute much, other than to deal with splitting and moving assets. ie not the creation of new infrastructure.

Theres a significant amount but its hardly like they are starting from scatch, they have their own police, judiciary, NHS and parliament. The key things I can think of are the systems for tax collection, welfare payment, DVLA and passport service.

Reply 86

silverbolt

Original post by Flexa

I honestly wouldn't care if they did.

and if they do, Scotland will collapse.

i imagine this is the opinion for most people - they just go meh

i doubt it will collapse though - they will maintain strong trading links with the rest of the UK

Reply 87

christinecheng27

That's just ironic =_=

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 88

Staceyc1990

I know the question was for english people.. But I'm scottish and would prefer if we stayed as one

Reply 89

cowsforsale

"As I noted earlier this week, the Scottish independence referendum is win-win for the Conservatives. If Scotland votes No, the Union is saved, if Scotland votes Yes, the Tories win a huge advantage over Labour. While Ed Miliband's party would be stripped of 41 MPs, David Cameron's would lose just one. This has prompted some to suggest that an independent Scotland would leave the Tories with an inbuilt "permanent majority".

But how true is this? Without Scotland, Labour would still have won in 1997 (with a majority of 139, down from 179), in 2001 (129, down from 167) and in 2005 (43, down from 66). What those who say that Labour cannot win without Scotland are really saying is that they do not believe Labour can ever win a sizeable majority again. This may or may not be true but it's a different debate. History suggests that England and Wales alone are capable of electing a Labour government when the conditions are right."

www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2012/01/scotland-labour-majority-win

Spoiler

LABOUR DOESN'T NEED SCOTLAND...

Reply 90

cowsforsale

Original post by Staceyc1990

I know the question was for english people.. But I'm scottish and would prefer if we stayed as one

May I ask why?

Reply 91

cowsforsale

Original post by MatureStudent36

You've missed out the concept of devolution. It allows areas to spend funding how they best feel fit to. In Scotland their is a belief in free university education for undergraduates. This does not mean that we have something additional that other people in the UK don't have access to. Our free higher education has been funded by cuts to college funding and reduced investment in NHS Scotland.

At the moment you care about university funding. I've just finished postgraduate study in Scotland which I've had to pay for and I'm now concerned that I don't get as good a service from NhS Scotland than my friends and family elsewhere.

You're moaning because you had to pay for postgraduate study? What made you think you'd get it for free?

Moaning about cuts? Wait, when it's the tories who are doing the cuts, it's fine because we're all in it together? What makes you think cuts are going to stop if scotland votes no?

NHS down south? because it's been doing brilliantly as of late? Oh wait, it's being cut bit by bit.

Stop talking nonsense.

Reply 92

Quady

Original post by cowsforsale

They didn't mean national cuts, they mean't cuts within Scotland to reallocate funding. They didn't suggest national cuts would (or should) stop if Scotland votes no.

The NHS hasn't been cut...? How is funding for the NHS worse than that for NHS Scotland?

Reply 93

MatureStudent36

Original post by cowsforsale

I'm not moaning because I had to pay for postgraduate study. I happen to believe that if you're going to invest in education to enhance your learning potential then the tax payer shouldn't be footing the bill.

I understand that in pretty much every part of the UK we live as a nation beyond our means and spending needs to be brought under control.

I was merely highlighting that free higher education funding in Scotland is financed from cuts elsewhere. That's mainly been in college education funding and investment in NHS Scotland. And yes, compared to Scotland, I'd much rather have care provided to me down south.

http://m.stv.tv/news/politics/214744-fake-figures-put-trust-in-nhs-waiting-times-at-risk-says-report/

http://m.scotsman.com/news/health/scottish-cancer-patients-denied-medicine-fund-1-3117297

merely ponying out that there's only so much money, a devolution allows for that money to be spent in different ways in different areas.

Reply 94

chrisawhitmore

Original post by Toub123

Can someone explain to me, in lehmans terms, why Scotland will collapse if they leave Britain. I'm fairly certain they make something like £10500 per capita in taxes as compared to england who make £9000, but if they leave why would they collapse?

Well, the main problem is that all the figures the SNP produce assume that all their demands will be met (they won't). If, for some reason, we were to give the new state of Scotland all the United Kingdom's North Sea oilfields, their pick of the military assets, a favourably small portion of the national debt, free use of the pound sterling and hand over, free of charge, all of the civil projects currently underway in Scotland at the expense of the UK government and all of the assets belonging to the various arms of the UK government in Scotland, they'd probably be fine.

But why the hell would we?

We stand to gain nothing by being accommodating, as they've really got no options other than the UK. They can't join the EU without the UK greenlighting it (we have a veto), and they can't use the pound without our say-so. That means that they could easily end up in deep trouble if they don't give the UK a good deal. This will mean a higher share of the national debt, paying the UK government back for assets over time and crucially, giving up a fair bit of the oil they lay claim to.

Reply 95

chrisawhitmore

Original post by MatureStudent36

Which holds true until you check the regionally identifiable spending and find that Scotland is getting about £1000 per person per year more than England.

Reply 96

chrisawhitmore

Original post by Boromir

Actually, the EU commission has already stated that (contrary to Salmond's claims) an independent Scotland won't be an EU member, and won't be allowed in unless they join the Euro.

Reply 97

Quady

Original post by chrisawhitmore

Actually, the EU commission has already stated that (contrary to Salmond's claims) an independent Scotland won't be an EU member, and won't be allowed in unless they join the Euro.

When does the EU Commissioner's term end?

Reply 98

Quady

Original post by chrisawhitmore

Which holds true until you check the regionally identifiable spending and find that Scotland is getting about £1000 per person per year more than England.

How much more does Scotland contribute in tax than England?

Reply 99

MatureStudent36

Original post by chrisawhitmore

Which holds true until you check the regionally identifiable spending and find that Scotland is getting about £1000 per person per year more than England.

You'll find that we're not a particularly densely populated part of the UK. Mostly rural. Rural areas tend to get more spent on them for a whole host of reasons. The additional spending though doesn't all cover the £9k a year free tuition fees.

What we have at the moment is narrow minded navel gazers throughout the whole of the UK feeling hard done by because they always feel that somebody else is getting free stuff.

youre using the Barnett formula. If its tax breaks for working mothers, then stay at home mums feel like they're hard done by and vice versa. If additional money is spent on ethnic minorities the majority feel like they're missing out and vice versa.