Is Scottish independence a 'good or bad' thing?

Attack after attack after attack after attack after attack. Can't you formulate some sort of positive reason for the union as opposed to negative reasons for independence? Every unionist is the same, like a broken jukebox. Tsk tsk.

If someone came up to me with the terrible idea of burning down my house, I wouldn't wax lyrical to them about the virtues of uncharred home ownership.

Why on earth would we argue in that fashion, or indeed take your instruction on how to argue? If someone came up to me with the terrible idea of burning down my house, I wouldn't wax lyrical to them about the virtues of uncharred home ownership. No, I'd tell them if they did that, I'd give them a hiding and they'd end up in prison.

Either way, it's simply a linguistic trick largely. If I say we'd be better off as part of the UK, you can just as easily translate it to mean we would be poorer if the separatists got their way. Both mean the same thing, yet for some reason you seem bizarrely attached to 'positive' language.

Well, let me tell you, I will be extremely negative about Scottish nationalism, because the outcomes of it would be negative in the extreme.

"Scotland depends on money from Westminster." Well for one thing this wouldn't be true.

In many ways, it is. If it were to separate, the Scottish poond would be at the mercy of the international money markets, particularly if Salmond defaults on the Scottish debt as he's threatening to do.

Also, there are 30,000 civil servants in Scotland who do work that is for the entire UK. The vast majority of them would be made redundant if Scotland becomes independent.

One Part the UK runs a surplus. Just one part. The SE.

Please stop using SNP numbers . We run a deficit. A smaller deficit than most parts of the UK. But still a deficit. And that's with additional government spending per capita.

So you're saying Scotland can't afford to be? Scotland can easily raise taxes or cut spending (which the SNP are not proposing) I am just saying Scotland can afford it but they will most likely be much worst off.

So you're saying Scotland can't afford to be? Scotland can easily raise taxes or cut spending (which the SNP are not proposing) I am just saying Scotland can afford it but they will most likely be much worst off.

If Scotland can leave the UK, Aberdeenshire can leave Scotland. I'm voting for Doric independence!
http://effiedeans.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/a-doric-declaration-of-independence.html

If Scotland can leave the UK, Aberdeenshire can leave Scotland. I'm voting for Doric independence!
http://effiedeans.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/a-doric-declaration-of-independence.html

Money from up here is continually funnelled down to the Central Belt. Why should we be subsidising Glasgow and the like?

Scotpulse has just published a poll about George Osborne's speech - which I think would be the second poll we've had, now? https://m.app.box.com/view_shared/euvpu3kpgs8ma8zsp1w2

It suggests that the core No and Yes votes are evenly split on 38%, while 3% have been convinced to vote No as a result of the speech, 5% vote Yes. 16% remain undecided.

Not sure what weighting they use - these results are unusually negative for the No camp - but it's run by STV so I'd presume it has some credibility.

Except your link isn't showing what other polls are showing. Its not evenly split.

That's what I was saying - with Don't Knows included, the No vote is usually well above 40%. So I'd be interested in seeing how they came to that result.

This is a question the SNP really need to answer. For a start, the money would be better spent in places like Aberdeen and the shire; secondly the North East gets shafted in terms of Scottish Government expenditure.

This has left Aberdeen a peculiar city of contrasts. There is both spectacular wealth and absolute deprivation, even in parts close to the city centre. Many of the wealthier inhabitants have ghettoised themselves to the west end, or moved out into the Shire.

I, for one, am excited to see the disappointment on Salmond's face when his referendum is rejected. Imagine that- a lifetime's work, for nothing. I'll almost feel sorry for the guy.