to ask how you feel about Scottish Independence?

[PierreBourdieu]

Particularly looking for opinions from South of the Border, but all opinions welcome. My FB is awash with Independence fever after the rally in Edinburgh yesterday. As a Scotwoman I am always interested to hear the views of the English and get that perspective. I'll not disclose whether I'm pro or anti as I suppose it's not relevant here, also not looking for a bunfight! Care to share?

Fanjo I was unaware of a rule that only permitted Scottish politicians to be arrogant? I admit to being a tad arrogant when it comes to being told what to think by less intelligent people than myself, in fact quite unashamedly so. I do however feel that, to some small extent, I have earned my right to be arrogant on occasion. Which is more than I can say for the average drivel-spouting SNP activist.

I, while not being an SNP activist, know some extremely intelligent ones Geegee, you have clearly just been unlucky.

Malta does pretty good for itself as one of the smallest nations in the EU.

Its banking and finance sector does remarkably well I hear...

An independent Scotland would need to offer very light tax to attract businesses and jobs. But it also seems to want to spend heavily. So the taxation burden would fall on individuals.

Narked, I haven't read the Daily Mail article, but the Scotsman article only implies that there are challenges and out-of-the-box thinking will be needed to make the most of the health budget to meet its needs in future. Which is fairly obvious. There are no numbers that add or don't add up. Scotland can't borrow money at the moment, and so far John Swinney has managed with what he has been given to maintain free prescriptions.

They've cut from other areas, including other areas of the health service, to maintain free prescriptions. Good luck when they can borrow.

And it's a Daily Record article about IVF funding being cut.

Interestingly, the property section of The Scotsman on Thursday ran an article on North Northumberland, and how house prices are picking up there as buyers, keen to move out of Scotland before any more uncertainty caused by the Independence question, but having jobs to commute to in Edinburgh, are buying around Berwick-on-Tweed.

But never mind, one of the most dreary SNP activists I'd met, happily informed me that SNP plans on independence are to double the Scottish population by immigration after Independence. Thus cancelling out one of the few reasons to actually live here - the space, the open countryside, the low population...

narked but that's the whole point! Scotland, where it has control, makes choices differently. Whether these choices are good for Scots or not is a matter for debate, what is important is that they are our choices.

But England has cut services and are also privatising parts of the NHS, that's without free prescriptions, so what's your point?

Narked, yes, but their prospects are good. Do you think in several years time they'll not be on the bounce-back. Irish Outlook . Where will the UK be in several years time? The forecasts aren't good.

That apparently, I was told earlier on this thread, that they haven't got more money to spend (they do because of greater health issues) and they just choose to spend it differently which is why they can afford to offer free prescriptions. They're already subsidising a policy with money intended to fund other areas and other health care.

I hope they will Jmacks. It's very hard ATM. Lots of family down to one income due to lay offs.

Malta has about a tenth of the population Scotland does, you may as well compare yourself to Poland!

Ireland is in a mess and that is despite massive eu subsidies etc

While we're talking about small countries, lets not forget the Shetland question. The part of me that is Scottish is from Shetland, and there are a lot of Shetlanders who can't bloody well stand the Scots. Now geographically, Shetland has claims to much of Scotland's oil, and no-one is really listening to the increasing concern of the Shetlanders to the independence issue. Some want to become an independent territory, perhaps a bit like the Faroe Islands and Denmark, others want to return to Norway, some want to remain part of the UK.

I think counting on the current geographic entitlement to the oil reserves without considering this issue is extremely contradictory. I have never heard Alex Salmond mention Shetland at all. Surely he is not ignoring the views of a small part of the UK in favour of its bigger, noisier neighbour?

Geegee, that's a total fallacy. The only calls for Shetland to consider independence from Scotland came from Tavish Scott, whose nose was put out by the massive failure of the Lib Dems to the SNP at the last Scottish elections, and some over-the-top Tory Lord who claimed Westminster could keep Shetland. And in terms of the oil, Shetland would only be entitled to a small area around the islands themselves if they were to become independent, not to the massive reserves further offshore from the islands

University fees are free in both countries anyone want to do a nationality swap, maybe somewhere warm ;)

I wouldn't send my son to an Italian university even if all the other countries burned theirs down.

He is only 12 and I am already peering beadily at the Uni websites in The Netherlands wondering which fourth language to introduce. We can accomadate Swedish .

Just don't think we afford anything in Britian. Not least cos I think that as high as the fees are now, in six years time 2013 is going to look dirt cheap in comparision.

Our only real hope for a British uni is that online learning really takes off and the choice of courses expands dramatically with the option where he can do two/three years distance and a final year in situ.

Do not disabuse me of my hope even if you know different. Let me hibernate in peace for a couple of years at least

JMacks

If Scotland votes for independence, the UK wont exist anymore, as the United Kingdom refers to the political union between Scotland and England/Wales. Therefore, the argument that Scotland will have to renegotiate with the EU, while the remainder of the UK will remain in the same deal is not correct. There will be two new political entities - Scotland and England/Wales/NI. Either negotiations will have to take place between both with the EU, or the EU will allow both parts entry under current arrangement.

This is not correct.

International law apparently states that the UK (England/Wales/NI), as the continuing state, would remain an EU member.

EU President Barroso confirmed that Scotland would have to negotiate membership and this would be subject to a vote in the European Council.

An independent Scotland would not automatically be an EU member and would have to reapply for membership.

"there are a lot of Shetlanders who can't bloody well stand the Scots."

Really geegee? That sounds amazingly (and unplausibly) xenophobic. I have actually never heard anyone, English or Scottish, or any other nationality, saying "I can't stand the ....[insert nationality]"

I know it's said that English people hate the French, but I don't know any who actually do. I also have never heard a Scot voicing dislike of the English - I think it probably only happens at football matches, but then football has its own special category of tribalism. So it seems amazing that a Shetlander should say "I bloody well can't stand the Scots".

I'm Scottish and think it would be a disaster. Will definitely vote against as will our friends and family. I cringe when I hear this topic mentioned!

"EU President Barroso confirmed that Scotland would have to negotiate membership and this would be subject to a vote in the European Council"

Not quite correct. This was clarified a few days later on, as Barroso was discussing the possible Catalan membership, as they are not the same as Scotland re: independence.

Sorry...

Geegee, that's a total fallacy. The only calls for Shetland to consider independence from Scotland came from Tavish Scott, whose nose was put out by the massive failure of the Lib Dems to the SNP at the last Scottish elections, and some over-the-top Tory Lord who claimed Westminster could keep Shetland.

Perhaps you'd like to tell that to my family from up there, and many of their friends and neighbours?

What on earth is the rest of your paragraph about? How is it relevant?

From telling people what to think, its a remarkably quick step to telling people you've never spoken to what to think!

This is the sort of drivel based response that is driving out the reasonably intelligent from Scotland. If you can just imagine having to listen to this on a daily basis, its in the newspapers, on the tv...it could probably be used a form of torture, a very effective one!

SuoceraBlues if its of any help to you, your son could rent a room in a shared student house in Utrecht for 350-400 Euros per month, including gas and electricity. Belguim is also a good place to consider.

Charlie1972

Not quite correct. This was clarified a few days later on, as Barroso was discussing the possible Catalan membership, as they are not the same as Scotland re: independence.

The question was asked by the BBC specifically in reference to Scottish independence, not Catalan. See the article.

Sorry...

Nothing to be sorry about.

Flatpackhamster, that is the view of one expert. There are multiple different views on the subject. Conveniently, your expert believes that Scotland would become a new state, while the 'rest of the UK' would be the continuing state. There will be no UK if Scotland opts for independence, the union that makes it the UK will be dissolved, and so equally the remainder will also be a new state and find itself in the same position as Scotland. Barosso said that 'new states' would have to negotiate on their position in the EU, and did not mention Scotland specifically. So my point stands - if negotiations have to take place, they will have to do so by both Scotland and England/Wales/NI, unless the EU can agree to allow both entities in under current arrangements.