To think its ok to tell voters that businesses will move south if its a yes?

[Loopylala7]

If these businesses do intend to shift south of the border if its a yes, shouldn't the voters know this is a possible outcome? Why is it considered unfair for this information to be out? Can somebody please explain? Am I being a bit dense?

Economic realities are "scaremongering" you see ;) everyone knows absolutely nothing will go wrong and the streets will be paved with gold, really. Noone will lose their jobs, prices won't go up....

[/sarcasm]

It just looks bad for the Yes campaign is all. I've said before I'd vote No if I had a vote, but if they do vote Yes I hope it works out, although I personally think it won't. There are so many people (ordinary people who don't have thousands of pounds of savings to see them through) who will suffer in the event of independance when their jobs are on the line, or disappear.

Businesses threaten to leave the US all the time if they don't get their precious tax breaks. We've called their bluff a few times, and nothing has come of it.

Businesses making threats are basically using fear tactics to get people to vote how they want. Unless it's easy to pick up, move, and re-establish in England, I doubt they'll really leave. They're just stamping their feet.

Banks and financial institutions have to by EU law have their head office in the country which they do most of their trade.

Moving offices to London is an inevitability in the case of a yes vote and not actually a choice dependant on how they feel the aftermath will be.

It's not that it is being reported that's an issue, but how it's being reported.

How's it being reported wrong then? genuinely flummoxed!

I agree with tabulah, however I think the reason it's been jumped on so hard by the Yes campaign is that it sheds a negative light on them, and they're going for the blanket positivity angle. They're trying to use a clumsy presentation to cover up the starker facts of the matter. "Who cares if jobs will be lost - LOOK!! - they presented it before 7am on the day of trading! This totally invalidates the message and renders it untrue!"

I do think a Yes vote will be a risky move financially / economically and I do think it will throw a lot of low earners into turmoil. Sometimes when I listen to the way Salmond talks I do wonder how many peoples lives he's prepared to risk (and I think it's a high risk) ruining to get his independence. I don't know if a) he really honestly thinks job losses won't happen, b) he doesn't want to entertain the notion or c) he just doesn't care.

To me it sounds like, as always, big business has a bigger say in democratic decisions than the rest of us.

I also think it is highly unlikely that that would happen.

It's being reported wrong because...having headquarters in London is not by itself an indication of anything other than that they're complying with EU law.

The way it has been presented and the timing of the reporting is pretty much designed to cause panic about the consequences of a yes vote.

They may well have issues with the uncertainty that would follow a yes vote... But creating headquarters in London does not by itself mean that as they will absolutely have to and it was never actually a decision that could be made.

DaughterDilemma you are a charmer. I'm allowed to ask questions, just because you don't like my questions doesn't mean I'm wrong to ask! Go vote your 'yes' and leave me be.

Oh another scare story.

Scotland is, and will continue to be, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. If some big/small/medium businesses choose to leave, others will move in. There are profits to be made after all, that's how capitalism works.

Why do you assume voters don't already know this? I mean, the referendum was announced at least a week ago...

I suspect you are a campaign lackey because you are on other threads asking similarly banal but leading questions, designed to make you appear an innocent bystander.

I realise I sound paranoid, perhaps that's because I worked in politics.

I'm flattered you might think that, but genuinely not. Couldn't be further from it. As I said before I'm just curious. Are you a Yes campaigner? You appear to be most upset at my questions

OK Loopylala I apologise for assuming you're a campaign lackey. I am definitely paranoid, sometimes I can't understand why others don't get the point of all this that's all.

If I was a 'campaign lackey' I would of had the sense to name change lol

Yes I was thinking that too

YANBU.

I'm a no voter in Scotland.

I am honestly staggered - dismayed - by the attitude of my fellow Scots. I actually think they don't understand what it means. You can say that billions has left the country, but it wouldn't mean anything in context. You can hear it from businesses directly - they won't believe it. They are drunk on empty promises. I can't tell you how worried the half of the population are.

The yes voters I know are generally not very informed, questioning people. I can be flamed for saying that - but this is a fact based on my immediate circle. They are not remotely able to accept what is being said or question that Salmond might be wrong. Their ignorance of facts is absolutely staggering. They simply believe one man and his lies.

It is a truly terrifying time to be in Scotland and half of us are very very afraid. The only thing that comforts me in these sleepless nights is that no one can say they were not warned.

For me? Well I will lose my job, as will my husband, but worse it will take years before I can sell up and leave to escape. We are looking at hard hard times. Jesus wept.

Countless yes voters will now come on to flame me no doubt. Their only counter argument is that it is all scaremongering.

How do you know you are going to lose your job?

It's not an Ebola outbreak or an Isis or Putin takeover, it will be business as usual with fewer bankers cluttering up the place with their inflated money.

Why would businesses move here? Because there are profits to be made, do you think Standard Life etc are here because they enjoy the weather? Some individuals (eg JK Rowling, Brian Soutar, to give one from each side) do have oodles to spend; then there are the precious few who own so many of our hectares and seek to protect their wealth.

However this turns out, however many businesses say they'll move (and we've kinda heard it all before), new businesses will move in, because a whole new country offers whole new opportunities,and entrepreneurs will take advantage of that. I just hope they're Scottish, though of course an injection of new money wouldn't go astray.

Erm, when I say "Scottish", I mean domiciled here, just for the avoidance of doubt. Don't give a toss about where they were born.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scottish-independence/10891530/JK-Rowling-donates-1-million-to-Better-Together-campaign-to-fight-Scottish-independence.html

an interesting read OldLadyKnowsSomething

Is that supposed to be news, Loopy? Did you check the date?

I have been told my business will move south. As has my husband.

Most of its customers are there.

It is not hanging around.

I can accept this - I would move with them. But we won't be able to sell up as we have a high mortgage and in Edinburgh, house prices are set to plummet.

Perhaps you'd like to tell me that Soutar is a homophobic twat who gave £100k to Christians for Indy?

When are you going to mention Ian Taylor, Vitol, and Arkan? (Hint, if you don't already know, Google it. I've suggested search terms.)

I apologise OldLady, I miss read your list - although you have to admit it is an interesting read