Is Scottish independence a 'good or bad' thing?

Would you be able to provide me with a (non biased) source for these figures? I can't seem to find them via google.

Scotland has to become independent for the sake of is own economy! The measly 54 MPs elected from scotland will never make a difference in who gets in power considering from London and down further in the south east have 129 MPs! We are getting NO say in the way or economy is run cause our votes don't matter to the public school boys in downing st. The Tories are going to pass more and more legislation allowing the rich to get richer and poor to get poorer, even though its the multimillionaire bankers who caused this mess, not labour! Not to mention trying to convince us to get out of the EU and lose the best political and financial safety net in the world! Also, us Scots get given too much from Westminster? Do we hell! We put in more than we get back! Scotland will come out better in 2014, then we'll see how England, Wales and Northern Ireland do with a permanent Tory government that do not care about 90% of the population.
From here we can only go up ALBA GU BRATH!!!!!!

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Well, the SNP are certainly too stupid. It's quite legitimate to argue that Scotland would be worse off, and that a larger state, working alongside our neighbours benefits us enormously.

I think we know who's the bitter one here. Anyway, there's nothing less appealing than watching Alex Salmond at First Minister's Questions evading, attacking and using childish nicknames for organisations he doesn't like.

He's unfit for his office and every time there are foreign dignitaries sitting in on FMQs, I'm hugely embarrassed for how he portrays Scotland abroad. Next year can't come soon enough, as we unite together to say that this man does not speak for the vast majority of Scottish people.

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.

Ipsos-mori ('Reputable source' ???) poll February 2013:

http://www.ipsos-mori.com/offices/scotland/scottishpublicopinionmonitor/keytrends/votingintention.aspx

Satisfaction with party leaders:

Alex Salmond: 50%

Nicola Sturgeon: 50%

Johann Lamont: 39%

Ruth Davidson: 29%

David Cameron: 27%

Willie Rennie: 22%

The SNP is digging a big hole for itself (and Scotland) if it enshrines a right to free education into a written Scottish constitution (as it plans). The place will be flooded with British university students all taking advantage of the largesse of the Scottish taxpayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-21910007

Never heard Alex Salmond say anything remotely racist myself.. got any sources?

I'm English and I would like Scotland to be independent. As this would make it one step closer to getting a proper English identity back instead of it constantly being suppressed in favour of promoting this 'British' identity illusion.

In terms of good or bad.. for Scotland in financial terms I think there won't be much difference. It's more about being a proud independent country standing on its own in the world which is something I admire as I just implied.

Realistically I don't think Scots will vote for independence. The fact the SNP is got its way on letting 16 & 17 year olds vote was a sign of desperation. Scottish kids are often quite Anglophobic and pro-independence.. then they grow up a bit and realise being in a union with England isn't a bad thing.

a well made argument. However I'd say we don't need to break the country. Up for an English identity. In fact I'd question what is an English identity when its so diverse

.. or am I missing something? Clearly they're not going to enshrine free university education for everyone in the world who comes to Scotland.

I think you are. Under EU law, if they offer free education to Scots they must also offer it to other EU citizens. This currently doesn't apply to English, Welsh and Northern Irish students studying in Scotland as they are of the UK, but this anomaly won't apply if Scotland is independent and also a member of the EU.

Guess where the biggest likely group of travellers for free university education in Scotland reside. I believe this will mean Scots will have about three times more "foreign but EU" undergraduates to pay for than they do now.

Well you could say that about most countries to be honest. I guess setting out what an English identity is though is best for another thread another time ;p So I won't say any more.

The SNP is digging a big hole for itself (and Scotland) if it enshrines a right to free education into a written Scottish constitution (as it plans). The place will be flooded with British university students all taking advantage of the largesse of the Scottish taxpayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-21910007

Is that a bad thing? Immediately the universities would have to reduce the fees for British students in line with the Scottish/EU fees of £1820, so the immediate impact to the purse would be around £30m per annum (going by the 4,150 English and Welsh students accepted to Scottish universities in 2012, pro-rated to 16,500 students over a 4 year period, which is actually more than the current number of non-Scot UK students in higher education in Scotland).

UK applications would certainly increase, but places are finite, so either the universities would be forced to grow (positive), or only the best non-Scottish students will be accepted (also positive). We're unlikely to see the number of Scottish students failing to get into university increase more than already, as there is no longer the financial incentive from UK students for universities to accept them.

£30m per annum is not a particularly tough fee on the tax-payer, and if it attracts the brightest minds from the UK to study in Scotland, it will have a positive effect, particularly as many English students who study in Scotland then stay after they graduate.

only the best non-Scottish students will be accepted (also positive).

Dream on numb n*ts. We're looking at £140 million a year. It costs roughly the same to educate an undergraduate in Scotland as it does down south. That's about £9k a year. Don't fall into the trap if thinking its £1820. It's a lot more than that. English university's are charging £9k for their students and struggling to turn a profit on that. its the scottish tax payer that's subsidising the rest of the £1820.


£140 million a year.

its not like we'd re cover it in money spent in Scotland. I don't know a student that goes through £9k a year on rent, food and beer. So basically we'll shuffle cash around but unless we're planning on an English version of Steve jobs setting up shop in Scotland we'll loose cash.


meanwhile we're cutting back on college funding which is where the real sustainable jobs should be being created.


do some research on your numbers.

I'm an English student and living off £70 a week next year plus my rent is 8926 or similar. Students can spend £9000 on living easily. (44 week figures)

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or only the best non-Scottish students will be accepted (also positive).