to think that English, Welsh and Northern Irish

[winkywinkola]

people are perfectly entitled to have an opinion on and be interested in the Scottish referendum on their independence?

I don't see how anyone could claim only Scottish born people could express an opinion - there are lots of non-Scottish born people able to vote in the referendum, and lots of Scottish born people who can't because they aren't registered to vote here. I can't imagine Sean Connery would have a vote - that would surely mean he'd lived here long enough to pay some tax!

I am English. Do I think Scotland should remain a part of GB? I think I am entitled to my opinion!
YANBU OP

Not caring is not the same as not being affected though. Some people might have a rude shock in the aftermath of September whichever way it goes....

It'd be very amusing if they gave England, Wales and N Ireland a referendum on whether Scotland should stay, and they voted 'no' while the Scots voted to stay.

StatisticallyChallenged - thanks!

I did start off asking things like, how would the NHS get paid for, to be told it is run separately in Scotland, you know, like the schools. Well I do know that but how will it be paid for?

I don't want to know some spin about Scottish gas etc (that's another question) I want to know how the NHS will be paid for. Welsh, English and Scottish or Welsh, Scottish and British.... that sort of thing.

Sadly I am usually with scary English or Scottish shouty people who just want a rant.

So I am no longer curious. I just expect to have to continue to pay for it all and for that not to be acknowledged or discussed.

Having said that, surely some clever bod has done the figures? How much tax is exported from Wales to the rest of the UK, how much UK tax is paid into Wales - by individual. Surely the Daily Wail did that years ago and already have some projected figures for Scotland?

I don't mean that that should change anyone's mind, but I would like to see some real facts and figures, not just jingoistic tut from both sides.

I don't know for Wales, but for Scotland the closest figures to reliable are the GERS figures. I don't have the exact numbers to hand, but it roughly works out that as a percentage, Scotland pays in slightly more than it comes back (it was something like pay in 9.7%, get back 9.3% but that's not exact!)

However, because the whole of the UK is running a deficit, the amount that is spend in total in Scotland (on both devolved and non devolved issues) is still more than we pay. If Scotland had the geographical share of oil then they would still be running a deficit based on current spending but it would be lower than the deficit in the UK as a whole (at something like 2.9% of GDP)

I find that if you start to ask how things will be paid for you get accused of scaremongering. It worries me that the Yes campaign appears to be all about aspirations and it pushes the No campaign into looking really negative.

The idea nomama is that Scotland's revenues - income tax, corporation tax, oil revenues etc - would pay for all its services. Scotland wouldn't then pay 'in' to the UK's general pot.

In reality of course this couldn't happen overnight and there would have to be some sort of phased timetable for separation.

There are lots of figures available but very few I would consider to be completely non-biased - the ones stats quotes above tend to be the most trusted.

As an aside, what happens to VAT, would Scotland keep its own VAT revenue? Presumably it could set its own levels too?

Would the telly be different? Would they still get BBC?

Scottish, living in Scotland with my English wife, everyone should have an opinion, hard not to. Personally I would love to hear more from the other home nations on a positive note, most of what's reported is either ' we don't care' or very negative though.

I am undecided personally, consider myself British first and scottish second so having a hard time with it, leaning to voting NO though.

Salmond or Cameron, fuck me that's not what I call a choice.

Ha funnily enough I caught something on the TV earlier with someone from the yes campaign saying we would get our share of the BBC assets - it was faintly amusing the way it was stated as an absolute, incontrovertible fact that this would happen.

Nobody knows!

OOAOML that's the sort of thing I meant.

Wilson, sorry, I know that is the idea, as you say it won't happen overnight. It may not happen at all if someone doesn't start writing the business plan. Details, is it viable, can it happen?

Stats... and then there is the question about paying off Scotland's debts, RBS, North Sea and other things that Cameron is saying will happen. The way it is being reported it is easily seen as Scotland taking its toys home [:)]

And don't even start on the 'way back in 1700 we had XX stolen' or other historical grudges on either side.

It all seems odd to me. Such a big step to take, apparently based on long term feelings and beliefs and with very little proper information on its viability.

And Plan B - who picks up the pieces if it all goes horribly wrong - for Scotland or England.

And again.... can England be all nice and separate too please?

Maybe federalism is something to be properly explored.

Debts - who knows. We were originally told that "we'd pay a fair share on a per head basis", then when Osborne said "no currency union" SNP threw their toys out of the pram and said we wouldn't pay. The reality is that these things aren't know until (if!!!!!!) there is a post referendum negotiation. Really we're being asked to vote for an ideal with not a lot of hard facts.

RBS - ach who knows, but given it's currently 80% owned by the UK taxpayer I can't see it staying here!

I have an opinion on the vote, that Scotland should vote no.

I live in England and I think it's weird that my country (the Uk, I am definitely British not English) might be broken up and it's apparently nothing to do with me.

Why do only the Scottish get a say in whether my country should cease to exist in it's current form?

Why do only the Scottish get a say in whether my country should cease to exist in it's current form?

It's not like there was a referendum for Irish independence in 1922. Why should this time be different?

It was once said: 'no man has the right to fix a boundary on the march of a nation'.

Everyone and anyone is entitled to an opinion. Doesn't count towards anything though.

It's a decision for Scotland and Scotland alone, as it should be.

I think this issue will get bigger Antimatter. It was never just going to be Scotland making a clean break and everything else going on as before. rUK or whatever it would be called would be substantially different, despite what the Be-gone-it-won't-affect-me brigade might say.
Much sympathy....

I live in Scotland and am planning to vote no BTW.

Auntimatter , sorry. Did notice and like

Thanks.

Without wishing to be rude or wind anyone up, but why can't those who are not in Scotland vote? ( I say that as a Scot living in England) Why can't England, for example, decide to go it alone?

Incidentally, as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved rights, I understand that MPs from these areas are still able to vote on English issues that would be decided at local level in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Whilst I have no problem with devolution, if this correct then I'm afraid that I would find this to be unacceptable and hypocritical.

lol, who cares. Let them back-stab us when the chips are down, they'll be as sorry as fuck when their primarily public sector economy has to stand on its own two feet because the EU isn't as accommodating with the giros as NI/England/Wales.

A lot of people care! How can you be so flippant! Just because you don't care it doesn't mean that everyone has to follow suit.

Very mature addition to the discussion YoYo, and clearly well informed too