The impact of independence on Scottish postal services

[Tman]

.... stop whinning about something that has feck all to do with you

A perfect example of the lack of comprehension of the Scottish Independence issue.
As a UK tax-payer it has everything to do with me. What are the financial arrangements? Is the Bank of England and Sterling going to be the currency, and if so, what's written into the small print? How much risk is there in supplying/propping up another country with "my" currency? What are the financial implications if/when things don't go to plan in Holyrood? How much of the Family Silver is disappearing North of the Border post-independence? What are the safe-guards in place should EU entry be delayed/denied? The future of the Armed Forces,.... etc etc etc, and so it goes on.

Please don't bother replying with that well-worn cliche "oil revenues" as the panacea for all ills as there's much more to it than that.

[Lounge Lizard]

Digressing somewhat from North Britain, progress with the peace process in Northern Ireland is beyond what could have been imagined thirty or so years ago and a united Ireland must increasingly be a possibility and if this were to happen surely an enlarged Dublin Mail Centre could absorb all BT postcodes but presumably travelling expenses for all the Belfast staff that transferred would be paid for tree years or so.

[simply_the_best]

The Nats are now getting a pounding on their currency plans, No plan B so they are spitting the dummy out

[newtimes]

Wee Eck wanted us to be like Iceland, look what happened there, total melt down, just look at Iceland now, a place where corrupt bankers are being jailed, so how about a referendum on this island for fair government. This YES and NO crap lets them away with it again.

http://positivenews.org.uk/2013/economi ... c-miracle/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[walrus]

The paradox here is that although fiscal union undermines autonomy the nationalists are reliant on joining the pound. Without offering the electorate the reassurance of keeping sterling they are unlikely to succeed in the referendum, and If Scotland voted for independence then they would need to keep sterling to maintain economic viability.
This need to join the pound is a position of great weakness for the nationalists and they should have been made concessions and grabbed the lifebelt whilst it was there. Instead they played braveheart politics overplayed their hand and not surprisingly the lifebelt has been removed. What now.

[Tman]

I liked the way Ali McSmug and Nikki Krankie said that the rest of the UK would be more than happy for an independent Scotland to keep the £.
What sort of dream world do these two live in?

[walrus]

It does appear to have been on the table but not after the nationalists started blustering about and making demands they were in no position to make.

[Danelectro]

What now.

If there is a YES majority then there will have to be negotiations and it is the opinion of some that in international law an independent Scotland holds a strong hand in the negotiations regarding debt default.Osbornes position assumes that a Westminster parliament can dictate the outcome and not international law and there are no consequences.If he is confident of that then why doesn't he sign up to a live TV debate and spell out what the negotiations would look like.

There is the option of an independent currency as supported by Dennis Canavan as it gives more flexibility over the economy though it brings with it amongst other hurdles the role unelected credit agency's play in scoring a country's credit rating so its not clear and brings risks but this equally applies to whats left of the UK after independence hence why Sturgeon suggests the currency threat is bluster.

[fishtank]

The three pro UK parties are taking a huge risk here, It plays well to the underdog nationalist narrative to have all three UK parties appearing to be reactionary and petulant, If Salmond can come up with a viable plan B on currency the whole thing will boost support for the Yes vote, If he can't then he may be in trouble but I would be very surprised if the nationalists have no contingency for this scenario. If they don't that's very short-sighted.

[newtimes]

In a general election would you give them your vote?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

same party different coloured underpants.

[Tman]

If he can't then he may be in trouble but I would be very surprised if the nationalists have no contingency for this scenario. If they don't that's very short-sighted.

As it's been a scenario discussed and debated for some time, it's more total blindness than merely short-sighted. No need to have a honours degree in Economics to see the disadvantages for both countries, post-Independence.
McJowl will undoubtedly portray it as Scotland being the victim (again) of Wezzzminsturrr, but the undecided middle ground who have even a basic grasp of the potential problems may be swayed to vote No rather than rely on Braveheart to sort something long-term.
Give it a few months, especially if the Yes vote increases, and watch the new and scary phenomenon of Capital Flight in action, too.

[JaneM]

The 3 major westminster parties are doing their best ,through political arrogance to galvanise the yes vote,Salmond must be well chuffed.

[simply_the_best]

The 3 major westminster parties are doing their best ,through political arrogance to galvanise the yes vote,Salmond must be well chuffed.

He's feckin raging, people are rightly asking for clarity on a currency union, yesterday it was given but if you don't like the answer then blame it on the Tories and Westminster bullying, Pathetic.


Salmond and Sturgeon both took a tanking on TV yesterday, she especially got roasted by Andrew Neil and couldn't answer a question, they have no plan B and are up s**t creek!!

Sturgeon interview http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26175401" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Godric]

The 3 major westminster parties are doing their best ,through political arrogance to galvanise the yes vote,Salmond must be well chuffed.

He's feckin raging, people are rightly asking for clarity on a currency union, yesterday it was given but if you don't like the answer then blame it on the Tories and Westminster bullying, Pathetic.


Salmond and Sturgeon both took a tanking on TV yesterday, she especially got roasted by Andrew Neil and couldn't answer a question, they have no plan B and are up s**t creek!!

the simple fact is without Scottish oil and gas the poud will plummet in the currency markets the pound has already lost 1/3rd of it's value the past 5 years including against the Euro ... personally I would rather have our own currency and the rest of the UK would be saddled with our share of the debt which we were prepared to pay if we shared the bank of England's assets ... since as you say we are not to share the currency ... then Scotland will start debt free

and now their is the story coming from the government that they will tear up the Edinburgh agreement if things don't go their way in the referendum thus they are going against the democratic will of the Scottish people .... not a clever or wise thing to do all because the yes campaign has closed the gap big time and the unionists are running scared

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/ ... s.23438016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A REFERENDUM Yes vote would not guarantee Scottish independence and the 'status quo' will be maintained if talks do not go smoothly, a senior ­Coalition source has warned.

The planned Independence Day of March 24, 2016, will not happen, leaving the current set-up as the "default option", unless negotiations between Edinburgh and London are completed satisfactorily, according to one of Prime Minister David Cameron's most senior colleagues.


The controversial view - dismissed by Alex Salmond as breathtaking, irresponsible and contemptuous of the democratic process in Scotland - came as the three main Westminster parties formed a united front to rule out the First Minister's centrepiece proposal for a currency union between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK.