Scottish independence

Glen_Clark

How can we calculate Scotlands share of the debt when we don't really know what the debt is?
Much of it is off balance sheet like Gordon Brown's PFI contracts, or George Osborne's commitment to underwrite sub prime mortgages

.string.

black_taxi wrote: »

you forget independence is a gradual process.

If that is addressed to me ---

Capital Flight is not usually a gradual process.

JohnRo

Glen_Clark wrote: »

How can we calculate Scotlands share of the debt when we don't really know what the debt is?
Much of it is off balance sheet like Gordon Brown's PFI contracts, or George Osborne's commitment to underwrite sub prime mortgages

Indeed, not to mention other intangibles like the alarming, spiralling cost of nuclear decommissioning and maintenance of infrastructure.

jimjames

black_taxi wrote: »

you forget independence is a gradual process.

NO campaign kept Devo + off ballot paper to kill nationalism,to quote Alistair Darling

devo + would have won a landslide

So if Devo + is the preferred option then vote No and that will then come up or be offered at next election.

Seems pretty silly to vote for something that isn't wanted purely because it's the only option available.

ColdIron

black_taxi wrote: »

you forget independence is a gradual process

If you are referring to the 18 month transitional period proposed by the Scottish government before Independence day, this seems a laughably short and abrupt timescale to me

black_taxi_2

So if Devo + is the preferred option then vote No and that will then come up or be offered at next election.


Horrible Histories


labour devo bill--page 6
For those that should NOT be devolved to Scottish
Parliament
1.financial and economic matters
2.foreign affairs
3.core of welfare state
4.the constitution
5.imigration
6.drug trafficking
7.betting gaming lotteries
8.broadcasting
9.civil service
10.abortion
11.currency union(tory/libdem)


Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown
both ostentatiously boycotted the opening of the Scottish Parliament
itself, and later the Holyrood building, in order to demonstrate their
personal opposition, and that of the Labour Party, to the whole
devolution project.

black_taxi_2

If you are referring to the 18 month transitional period proposed by the Scottish government before Independence day


no cold iron im referring to the long or short term strategy of getting independence,gradual,status quo,federal,full independence

jimjames

black_taxi wrote: »

Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown
both ostentatiously boycotted the opening of the Scottish Parliament
itself, and later the Holyrood building, in order to demonstrate their
personal opposition, and that of the Labour Party, to the whole
devolution project.

If that is a geniune suggestion then it seems utterly bizarre one to make. Labour stood in 1997 on a platform with devolution in their manifesto and then in government implemented it. Why would they do that if the Labour party didnt really want devolution?

Borrowedtune

ColdIron wrote: »

If you are referring to the 18 month transitional period proposed by the Scottish government before Independence day, this seems a laughably short and abrupt timescale to me

For me, the potentially most dangerous phase is the period between a decision to terminate the Union, and the actual day the Union is ended.


Markets hate uncertainty, so a protracted period of negotiation and transition could create problems for all parties. Would businesses invest in such a period, or wait until the dust settled ?


I understand that the "velvet divorce" between the Czechs and Slovaks was done in 6 months, which maybe the minimum possible period but I would hope that the period of a UK break-up actually happening would be measured in months not years.


Sure, for rUK there may be down-sides from the divorce, but there could be upsides from the divorce too: substantial "inward investment" from Scottish based financial services being one, and a removal of our obligation to buy over-priced Scottish renewable energy being another.


A bit of competition on the corporation tax front would also be a good thing from my selfish point-of-view...

black_taxi_2

When SNP won Scottish elections,gordon brown as PM never contacted the 1st minister Scottish Parliament for weeks