to ask why the Yes campaign in Scotland wants to keep the pound?

[grovel]

That's it really. Surely an independent Scotland would want its own Central Bank setting interest rates etc?

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

Carol, Scotland sends 59 MPs to WM, but they're not all
Labour. One is Tory, 6 SNP and I think 11 LibDems.

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

Oh, puhlease, Peach, read a wee bitty more, eh? Yes campaign talks about a lot more than the Tories, heard any discussion re Trident for example?

[PeachandRaspberry]

Read plenty, thanks.

Firstly, rUK has no obligation to remove Trident until they have a suitable place to move it to. This could take years. If iScotland wants it out earlier, they have to foot the bill. So iScotland would conceivably still have Trident.

Secondly, under SNP proposals, Faslane will still be a nuclear base, except it will be foreign countries based there. Scotland would have no right to check these vessels and weapons.

Thirdly, unless the UK moves Trident to Australia, we'd still be affected if there was a nuclear incident.

There's not much argument there.

[luckypeach]

"Because WM shows no appetite for further devolution, and insisted that the "devo-max" option was removed from the referendum ballot paper."

sorry to be dim but what does WM stand for?
there was never any clarity over what "devo max" would entail hence there being no appetite for it, as I understood it was more power without full responsibility for when things went tits up.

The SNP weren't called the Tartan Tories for nothing, explains why they bang on, and on, and ON about them. Oh I forgot "the Referendum is above party politics" ...much

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

Whether there's argument there or not, it's still a lot more than squealing about Tories, isn't it?

[Megrim]

A four year university course in Scotland does not necessarily lead to a masters degree - not sure where that idea came from?

Undergraduate degrees are generally 4 years, with 5 year courses offered for medical studies and Masters for science degrees.

The ancient universities offer an MA for some subjects for completing a 4 year course, but that is no different to Oxford an Cambridge offering an MA after a 3 year course. It is still only equivalent to a standard Bachelors Degree.

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

WM= Westminster.

Had some form of devo been on offer, it would have been hugely popular. But it's not, it's a straightforward yes/no proposition, and that was WM's decision. Alex wanted a second question about devo.

[PeachandRaspberry]

Nah, not really. Every single Yes campaigner comes out with the 'it all comes down to Scotland having it's own government' line.

I'm almost tempted to vote Tory out of sheer badness.

[PeachandRaspberry]

Are you on first name terms with Salmond then? Ooooeeee.

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

Because the referendum is about Scotland having it's own gvt! What else would you expect yes campaigners to say?

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

I have never met Mr Salmond, but Alex is a bit more respectful than "clootie dumpling of Doom". (I grant you the latter is funnier, though. )

[StatisticallyChallenged]

The ancient universities offer an MA for some subjects for completing a 4 year course, but that is no different to Oxford an Cambridge offering an MA after a 3 year course. It is still only equivalent to a standard Bachelors Degree.

Aye..when your employer's HR department is down south and they require evidence of your undergraduate degree it causes no end of hassle though ;) 15 identical "you've send is details of your postgrad" phonecalls and an emailed link to wikipedia later....

[Lanabelle]

"Westminster will do what's best for what's left of the union" #

what makes you think they will start now? Westminster never did whats right for anyone but themselves and that's what most people I know who would like independence cite as their reasons. we didn't vote for Cameron and his cronies, but we paid their expenses as I am sure you did too. It isn't an anti English thing at all, but Westminster never do whats right for country never mind Scotland. I have English friends whom I love dearly but the government continue to dump nuclear waste in our rivers, contaminating our beaches etc. I am not saying the Scottish government has all the answers but I think it is a good start.

[luckypeach]

thank you for explaining that oldlady re WM.

the more I think about it, (not that I know enough enough I admit), sounds like they (WM) are anticipating AS hanging himself with his own rope.

[Roseformeplease]

In my house he is referred to as, "The Guppy" but the other nicknames are much, much better.

Not sure why one poster is arguing that Scotland should be independent because some British people don't understand the degree system in Scotland. There are huge numbers of things I don't know about parts of the UK - doesn't mean I am against them, just ignorant. Some British people don't know about very much at all beyond their own area - not really a reason to vote yes.

[OldLadyKnowsSomething]

Lucky, when WM forced a yes/no vote, they fully expected a resounding no. While polls are still showing a majority no result, yes is making steady gains, and it's been forecast by some that yes will be in the lead by summer. Sphincters are tightening in WM.

[2rebecca]

As England and Scotland joined together with the Scottish King ruling both why is the pound any more English than it is Scottish? If we leave the union why is it not our currency and the English should choose a new currency if they don't wish to share?
I think Scottish independance is a backwards idea though and think we should work together not split into tiny bits.

[weatherall]

The pound is as much Scotland's as rUK's.

The name of the Bank if England is confusing in that people can think that it is 'English' rather than a UK institution.

[luckypeach]

but OldLady if it is indeed WM forcing a yes/no vote, and you say that Scotland would have welcomed exploration of further devolution, that does not make it right for a Yes vote now, does it? iyswim?

Surely the strength of feeling about e.g. issues that are being campaigned about as a reason for loosening control from WM could be given more considered debate. It's not a case that once a yes/no vote is over, that nothing can change or move in the right direction afterwards?

I firmly believe that David Cameron has done more to further the Yes vote than anything Alex Salmond has said.

[prh47bridge]

the Scottish vote makes no difference to who governs in Westminster, ever

Apart from the many times we've ended up with a Labour government when rUK didn't vote for it.

Because WM shows no appetite for further devolution

Which, I'm sure, is why Cameron has pledged to back plans to give Scotland more powers to raise tax and make laws in the event of a no vote.

[weatherall]

Luckypeach- the 'tartan Tories' moniker is a hangover from the long gone days when the SNP were fighting the Tories for rural seats.

That time is over. The SNP is now to the left if Scottish Labour and won first past the post seats across the central belt urban areas that were once labour heartlands.

On average Scottish people are to the left if rUK people on a wide range of political issues eg immigration, welfare reform. The SNP (and other Yes parties such as the Greens and SSP) represent this divergence. That is a big reason why the is a broad spectrum of demand for a yes vote now.

With the rise of UKIP WM will go to the right and inflict policies on Scotland resident vehemently oppose.

It is deeply undemocratic and the No camp always move the argument away from this fact because they cannot argue against it.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

but OldLady if it is indeed WM forcing a yes/no vote, and you say that Scotland would have welcomed exploration of further devolution, that does not make it right for a Yes vote now, does it? iyswim?

The problem is, further devolution with a no vote looks vanishingly unlikely.

[weatherall]

Phr47-that is factually incorrect. Twice the Scottish vote caused a labour gov rather than a coalition.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Apart from the many times we've ended up with a Labour government when rUK didn't vote for it

www.flickr.com/photos/potatojunkie/8087151692/sizes/o/

[cricketpitch]

We would have an rUK pound sterling and A Scottish Pound - we can both do that - but the question of currency union is different. I agree with OP - why have independence but then have currency union?

I am an English person married to a Scot. I admit Scotland was not treated well within the Union at times but I think that it is better now, (but then I am not living in Scotland). I think we are stronger together and don't want to see a breakup but I have no say in this.

I have always been proud to be British - not just English - and will be more than sad if the vote is YES.