To ask how a yes vote would actually affect England?

[ziggiestardust]

I can't really seem to find unbiased information anywhere

At the moment, I'm wondering whether it wouldn't be better if Scotland got its independence what with all these people who want it (or at least polls seem to say it's very close!) but again, I don't know.

Is it a good thing?

I've been wondering this. What's in it for us- either way?
Will watch with interest.

It's great if you're a Tory supporter. If you look at the voting tendencies for different areas Scotland has been very Labour historically. If they leave the Tories will be in power easily, the Eastern Tory heartland remains and no north of England support for labour

And what's with the currency as well? Didn't someone say when it all started bubbling up that Scotland might not be able to use the pound? Or is that a total lie? And what happens to all the debt? Are Scotland allowed to walk free from it? Or is there some kind of monthly payment scheme

I think that they are amongst the questions Mr Salmond will not answer directly. His Land of Milk and Honey will provide... and the devil take the hindmost, etc.

The "let the Tories in" thing is a bit of a myth. Since 1945, Scottish votes haven't once prevented the Tories getting into power. They have twice tipped hung parliaments in favour of Labour. Basically what happens now is that if England votes Conservative there is a Conservative government. That won't change.

Does anyone know what will happen about tuition fees at Scottish universities?

No north of England support for labour??

Because at the moment, my thinking is that it'll be a shame to break up the UK, but tbh if that many people feel so passionately about an independent Scotland, it's probably better that they get it.

dad yes, and prescription charges as well. How will the NHS work? Will Scottish patients be allowed access to English specialists/consultants?

Scotland has said it would walk away from the debt which means no one would deal with it economically. So it would be screwed.

And if the financial crisis had happened and Scotland had of been independent it wouldn't have been able to have bailed out RBS or HBOS. Not sure it would have been given European assistance what with it using it's 'Scottish' pound either.

The problem is nobody really knows although both sides will tell you it is, of course. The Yes campaign are making all sorts of assumptions that Westminster are refusing to support. Imo the Yes voters want to have their cake and eat it so they aren't likely to get there own way but I don't know of Westminster will cave in the end.

One thing is for sure, since it unlikely that either side will get a landslide, there going to be a lot of unhappy people in Scotland and the reprecussions of this, whichever way the vote goes, will go on for many years to come.

If Scotland abolishes tuition fees for all EU member states, I foresee a headlong rush of uni applications northwards in 2016...

As an English person, I don't care either way, as I can't find enough unbiased information to build an informed opinion. However, I'd rather they left now than had another referendum every few years. If enough Scottish people want independence then they should have it, IMO.

Do you mean the rest of the UK or just England?

Not sure about the OP, but I mean England.

But surely Westminster isn't going to let Scotland walk free of the debt? I can't imagine Dave turning all pally and letting that happen! And how would they even work it out? I think Westminster could be quite spiteful actually.

Lots of us in Scotland feel passionately about Scotland as part of the union though...one side is going to be disappointed

I also think Wales and NI should be allowed their own referendum. I think in these places there seems to be quite a lot of anti - Westminster feeling, so I think they should be allowed to just crack on with it themselves if they want to.

brain I was reading another thread on MN this morning about a lady who was a single parent, and her whole job hinged on the outcome of the vote. I felt so, so sorry for her. A yes vote would really screw her life up. I felt so sad for her and her DC having to face such upheaval and sadness

I think it would be economic suicide for Scotland to walk away from the debt. Their international reputation will be in tatters and who is going to lend to a country who reneges on their debt? They are going to have to borrow to finance the setting up of all their institutions and their spending plans so they can't afford to walk away. I really don't know how Scotland think they can hold the rest of the UK to ransom over this but they seem intent of trying so maybe I am missing something.

big I never thought of that actually.

Perhaps they are hoping their oil reserves will keep them afloat??

Wales is too small to need their own referendum. There isn't an appetite there for it and I don't think they would survive as a separate country.

I imagine the south of England would love it if the rest of the UK voted for independence. London and the surrounding counties would probably be one of the richest countries in the world.

I'm stunned if these questions haven't been answered-the £ & the Nhs especially. How can they walk away from their share of the debt too, that's crazy. I hope that they don't leave but is the campaign really that thrown together that they haven't a clear plan for these type of things?

Ziggy, the UK Treasury accepted back in February that the debt, taken out by the UK Treasury, belongs to the UK Treasury. The debt does not belong to Scotland, we didn't guarantee the Guilts, Bonds or whatever, so we don't have to pay any of it.

However, the current Scottish Gvt has said that we will pay a fair share, providing that we also enter into a formal currency union with rUK. Ball's in WM court; they say, No CU.

Ball's in SP's court; we say, no CU, no debt.

And that's where it stands atm.

Presumably Scotland need money to actually extract their oil? I mean there are countries in Africa with vast oil and mineral wealth. They are just being exploited by China and the Middle East though.