Is Scottish independence a 'good or bad' thing?

Has anyone commented on the fact that Scottish citizens living south of the boarder aren't allowed to vote regardless of how long they had lived in Scotland/were born in Scotland? I am no expert but it seems a tiny bit sneaky of the SNP to exclude Scottish people on grounds that they would be likely to vote against them because they are currently living in the UK in particular or elsewhere around they world. Obviously, the SNP haven't said this is what they are doing but that's what it appears to me.

Has anyone commented on the fact that Scottish citizens living south of the boarder aren't allowed to vote regardless of how long they had lived in Scotland/were born in Scotland? I am no expert but it seems a tiny bit sneaky of the SNP to exclude Scottish people on grounds that they would be likely to vote against them because they are currently living in the UK in particular or elsewhere around they world. Obviously, the SNP haven't said this is what they are doing but that's what it appears to me.

Has anyone commented on the fact that Scottish citizens living south of the boarder aren't allowed to vote regardless of how long they had lived in Scotland/were born in Scotland? I am no expert but it seems a tiny bit sneaky of the SNP to exclude Scottish people on grounds that they would be likely to vote against them because they are currently living in the UK in particular or elsewhere around they world. Obviously, the SNP haven't said this is what they are doing but that's what it appears to me.

How do you define a Scotsman? Geography? Ancestry?


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I've never understood nobody who thinks that somebody ex revising their democratic right is wasting their vote.

The Lib Dems are part if a coalition government and therefore their vote want wasted.

Tuition fees?

Exactly. Where would it end? If you let all Scottish people living abroad have a vote then you'll start getting people who want a vote just because their great grandfather was Scottish.

I really don't understand why people think it is unfair that only people living in Scotland get a vote.

Exactly. Where would it end? If you let all Scottish people living abroad have a vote then you'll start getting people who want a vote just because their great grandfather was Scottish.

I really don't understand why people think it is unfair that only people living in Scotland get a vote.

It's bad. Nothing good will come of it, especially for Scotland. Also I dislike Alex Salmond.

Salmonds campaign is based on nothing but lies and fudged figures, he hates England so much he would destroy his own country to be away from it. He is openly racist and gets away with it and even encourages racism in his supporters.

Most campaigns, about any topic, use fudged figures to suit an agenda. The SNP aren't doing anything new or revolutionary with that.

I dislike Alex Salmond, he's a professional liar, hence a politician, but Scotland will exist long after aul Alex is dead. Its a poor justification against independence, and your post pretty much in line with project fear. If Scotland votes yes, then Better Together will go down in history as a massive factor because it is so incredibly negative. Thats from someone who isn't Scottish and also has no say in what happens!

Negative? Or countering fanciful assumptions.

Would you expect a Yes campaign to be negative in trying to get people to vote their way? People don't vote for negativity, they want to hear the positive. They want to hear "the union is great because ____", not "independence will bring hell and brimstone and you only have us". Especially with a conservative government in power, who, as you know, the Scots generally despise.

Better Together has had a lot of opportunity to put a positive spin on things, its largely failed at that and spent its time on doom and gloom. If the No guys can't put the union across as positive, it speaks volumes and ultimately helps the Yes campaign.

Well quite a bit of their marketing is quite negative. listening to them now you'd be mistaken for believing that the end of the world is nigh and we're living in a third world country.

I'd agree that the BT campaign haven't done an outstanding job at selling the union, but they've had ample ammunition discounting the YeSNPs fanciful assumptions. In fact I'd say that they've done very little so far.

The YeSNP have been going full pelt and managed to shift opinion polls a few single digits to levels they've seen before.

I don't doubt, Osbourne, Balls and Alexander's statement about a currency union has annoyed a few undecided voters. But do you really think that somebody who has been undecided for so long is going to walk their way to a polling station a go 'f*** it. I'm going to screw myself over financially because somebody has said something I don't like.'

The question for me isn't if Scotland can go it alone. They can. The question is how easy it will be.

The fearmongering from Better Together is simply that - fearmongering. Realistically Scotland will bask in its glory for a whole, the economics of independence will be felt in 5 or 10 years time, not the day after attaining sovereignty. In all honesty, things won't change that much, and whoever is in-charge of the money in England/rUK will do whatever is to their benefit, be it a currency union or not. It would be very silly to believe what Better Together are saying right now is what the UK will stick to, it does not speak for future governments or future markets.

How do we bask in our glory when we realise that Salmond et als white paper is found to be wishful thinking and their economic assumptions have been grossly over exaggerated?

Because politics is a funny aul thing and Salmond's white paper is not a constitution. Ideas and policies will change with future global and economic developments. Thats natural of any independent country.

There is no guarantee the SNP would even win an election post independence. Also while you may not bask, many people will. Nationalism does that to people.

The question for me isn't if Scotland can go it alone. They can. The question is how easy it will be.

The fearmongering from Better Together is simply that - fearmongering. Realistically Scotland will bask in its glory for a whole, the economics of independence will be felt in 5 or 10 years time, not the day after attaining sovereignty. In all honesty, things won't change that much, and whoever is in-charge of the money in England/rUK will do whatever is to their benefit, be it a currency union or not. It would be very silly to believe what Better Together are saying right now is what the UK will stick to, it does not speak for future governments or future markets.

They might even find themselves with a friendlier Scottish government post-independence, if it happens. Infact, I'd bet Labour will be straight in there. The SNP for a lot of people is a means to an end, they'll be dropped after that goal is achieved and their main purpose for existing has been achieved.

The SNP is nothing without Salmond. Once he leaves the party it will nosedive regardless of the political situation. Johann Lamont's resignation would also help.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Leadership wise Salmond is head and shoulders above anyone else in the SNP, but then he's head and shoulders above most politicians. Elected leader 24 years ago and still there, albeit for a brief holiday.

If Lamont resigned, is there really anyone in Labour's ranks to take over?