to wonder how Scotland's decision will affect england?

[LEMmingaround]

Just that really? If they do go their ownway how will it affect england?

Also will it open a can of worms with wales and northern Ireland?

Scotland's not independent yet. So, you're right, it is no better.

Scotland has a fabulous opportunity to change that. In the event of independence, I believe this opportunity won't be wasted.

So, you believe that independence guarantees that no politician is ever a scumbag?

Don't be silly.

I believe there is an opportunity not to be rotten and not to tolerate any rottenness that does occur.

There might be in an ideal world. It isn't going to happen though. Hasn't Alex Salmond had a few queries about his expenses...

I believe there is an opportunity not to be rotten

Isn't that what I just asked you and which you said was silly? There's certainly not much of a difference.

Don't forget Salmond was about to be barred from Aberdeen City Council premises for bullying.

No.

There will always be scumbag politicians, however I personally think it would be 'fairer' as we are generally a more left leaning country. Yes there is tory support here but they are in the minority. Also we would make a constitution and have nice things in it like keeping the NHS.

Oh really? What's the difference?

And that was absolutely pathetic and embarrassing of aberdeen city council!

Also we would make a constitution and have nice things in it like keeping the NHS.

What a load of hot air! It's been trotted out again and again and there is no evidence whatsoever that this would actually happen.

Um I think tory support is in a minority in rUK as well

Arf at the Aberdeen council premises banning. Santa, you need to check up on that story, who was actually banned and the reasons behind it and then the head of the council being sacked afterwards.

Not aimed at you Santa, in particular, but the misinformation and general bullcrap posted on here as fact shows the Project Fear campaign is really getting through to some.

Good point, saintly, but they're still running the country, unfortunately.

In Constitutional terms, the UK parliamentary system has far more inbuilt checks and balances than the Scottish system.

Add to that the lack of a second chamber, reliance on the committee system (which can be filled with placemen), ignoring of close to home political scandals, its "own version" of the ICHR (as promised in the White Paper) and a less diverse political spectrum, and it sounds like a good recipe for anything but a fairer or more equal society...

WhatTheFork Not aimed at you Santa, in particular, but the misinformation and general bullcrap posted on here as fact shows the Project Fear campaign is really getting through to some

So Scottish politics and politicians can never be criticised?

And you consider your fellow Scots to be so stupid that their own experience and qualifications are so deficient that they cannot be trusted to make up their own minds?

How cohesive.

Urgh, here comes Project Fear again. Run out of things to say?

LittleBear, our famously separate justiciary now has a Supreme Court. It sits... in London. Our health service is threatened by privatisation in rUK. Our Parliament's control of renewable energies was stripped by the (unelected) House of Lords, without a word said in the Commons. This is the beginning...

And Santana, Alex was not to be banned from Aberdeen council properties for "bullying", but because Aberdeen council is Labour-led, and Labour in Scotland have a visceral hatred for Alex. How dare the SNP have a majority gvt (under a system designed to prevent majority gvts) when Scotland belongs to Labour?

Wanksock The list on the last page of 'scandals' are bad, poorly managed, but I don't think are comparable to the cover ups of Iraq WMDs, rich paedophiles, expenses etc. What else might they be lying about?

Drug taking culture leading to incompetence and failure of the justice system to prosecute criminals.

At first, sex abuse was a Roman Catholic problem. Then it turned out to have been going on in other churches too. And then other voluntary organisations. And orphanages. And now the BBC.

Leaving aside the obvious point that Scotland had no equivalent political establishment until the late 90s, no one should take the high ground. There is certainly more to come out. Our concern should be for supporting the victims, dealing with the perpetrators, and preventing it from happening again. This is not helped by dragging it into political issues.

My view is that if Scotland was an asset, or even paying it's own way, then no way would there even be any significant discussion about Scottish independence. Someone in power has done the figures and deduced that Scotland is dead wood. Therefore it will be cut free. Maybe not at this vote, but eventually.

And I suspect that other, less profitable parts of Britain will ultimately follow suit, until all that remains is the wealthy city state of London.

Now there's a conspiracy theory for you.

Tinkly, I may be missing your humour, but in what way is Scotland being "cut free" by rUK establishment? If we're "dead wood", why aren't they just saying, aye, fine, you can go your own way?

Though I agree that if we vote No, WM will squander our oil (again) and line their own, and their pals' pockets (again), and when it finally runs out, in 100 or so years, "let us go."

How was the oil squandered?

Toad, on shit like WMD we'll never use, (new agreement for £130 billion replacement/renewal of Trident just made) and serve only as a bit of willie-waggling, but which lead to us being potential targets of terrorist activity, esp when the vehicles transporting warheads break down (quite often) on our major routes through our biggest city... And the odd illegal war, resulting in the deaths of millions of innocent people. Or maybe the odd fuck-knows how much money airship-carriers that don't actually, er, carry airship?

I'm not aware that WMDs would have been scrapped but for the oil money.