Are you in favour of Scotland leaving the UK?

[LadyMaryCreepyCrawley]

Lucky bastards!

I'm not really bothered one way or the other from an emotional perspective. I can't help feeling that Scotland would be exposed economically - but that is just my hunch - I haven't seen any economic figures or statistics to back up my hunch.

Are not at

they can be independant if they want but thats totally with no financial help from the rest of the uk at all. they can have their proportion of the national debt too.

the north sea will still be owned by uk not scotland.

scots cant have it all ways.

But the Irn Bru factory is there!!!! I can feel an uprising starting

MrsBucket, why do you think Scotland should take a proportion of the debt but NO proportion of North Sea oil. Surely a proportion of each would be more logical?

I can honestly say I'm not bothered if Scotland wants to be independent. I've always liked scotland when visiting, but i believe people have a right to self-determine. It will be very interesting watch.

On the tuition fees point - English students will ny har to pay Scottish fees on the event that Scotland does join the EU (which will not occur automatically but will probably be fast tracked) becauseEU countries have to treat students from other EU countries just like home students. Hence why getting an Irish passport gets round the fees too.

The rules on joining the EU require all new joiners to adopt the Euro, so unless there is a treaty change Scotland will have to change its currency (though this may not occur immediately, there may be a grace period).

*not have

The Tories have no incentive to keep Scotland's voting population. No Westminster government ever have or ever will. If you are Scottish your vote doesn't count.

I'm sorry, there's no way on God's green earth that David Cameron wants to go down in history as the Tory Prime Minister who was in office when the Union was dismantled.

Seriously, I'm sure 'The Union is a Very Good Thing' is pretty high on the list of things that Tories believe.

Speaking of the way Scotland votes, did anyone happen to spot the picture that just happened to be on the wall behind our two leaders as they signed this historic agreement?

www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article8212466.ece/ALTERNATES/w460/salmond+cameron.jpg

I believe the reason there might be anti-Scottish feelings in England are not the fault of the Scottish people at all, really. It's because of issues like the West Lothian Question (I think that's right) where Scottish MPs are given the right to vote on matters that only affect England whereas the opposite is not true.

Of course that has the potential to spark some resentment. Similarly, the Scottish decision to not charge uni fees to Scottish and EU (but not English) DC- well, someone's paying for that and it isn't necessarily just the Scottish taxpayer, is it? Free prescriptions, free care for the elderly,anyone?

All of this was permitted by the government in Westminster, in just the same way that should Scotland vote for independence, I think we can be sure that it'll come with a huge subsidy from the English taxpayers, the ability to stay within Sterling (and haven't the potential problems associated with fiscal but not political union been written large enough just recently?)- and to basically go on cherry picking the 'good' bits. The English just know that a government that 'allows' the West Lothian issue to stand will also see the English taxpayer paying for Salmond's vanity project.

Of course, a principle reason to keep the Scots 'sweet' has been North Sea oil- it will be interesting to see what happens there, especially now output is apparently declining.

Personally, I'd have no problem whatsoever with Scotland gaining full independence from the union, BUT I'd only support the idea if it were true, full, stand-alone independence. And there, I think the problem lies. In the current financial crisis, I believe Scotland would soon find itself in deep trouble, financially, as would places like Cornwall should they lose the SE England taxpayer subsidy.

Littentree

The Scots are voting for total independence, or not. There is no middle ground. In the case of independence there would be no subsidies to an independent Scotland. Of course there would be agreements on things like borders, but that it s common between countries.

The only place where a link would remain is currency until Scotland joins the Euro.

Also, the currently subsidies are calculated in exactly the same way as the rest of the UK. The Scottish (and for some things the Welsh) governments just choose to spend money in different ways.

Litten - I don't think most people have a clue about the consitutional point of the West Lothian issue!

The UK is a country of nations. There has been national differences for a long, long time - not dissimilar to the Basques in Spain, the Bretons in France, the Czechs & the Slovaks, the Shias & the Kurds etc etc etc.

How many jokes about the Scots Man, The Welshman, The Englishman & The Irishman are there? Sometimes we get along fine & sometimes antipathy springs up.

On a one to one level most people are going to get on fine with anyone from any of the nations, but some people are full of prejudice & the media loves nothing more than a good fight. Any bad feeling will come from and be stoked by the media (and a few sad bigotted loons).

Fine- can you link to the wording and detail of The Question That Will Be Put To The Scottish People?

The bit that states, categorically, that 'there will be no subsidies'?

Don't the Scots have nuclear facilities for energy? Would England lose the benefit of these, or am I being fuddled?

It would be a bad day for the whole of Britian I think.

I'm Scottish, living in England and think of myself as British, on a personal note, what do I then become?

littentree No I can't. Independence means independence, a completely separate country. There would be no mechanism whereby RUK could subsidise an independent Scotland.

Does the Westminster government currently subsidise other independent countries?

this subsidy thing is rubbish, you know. scotland pays marginally more into the pot than it takes out, when you take into account oil and crown revenue.

also, the idea that we have to set up our own NHS is a joke... our NHS is separate from England's, it's one of the reasons why we aren't quite so up shit creek as England is.

it's tricky, all this, there is a lot of bigotry on this site and it's going to get more and more ugly as we get nearer to the referendum. i hope MNHQ will take a position on it, after all they are quite strong on myth-busting in general.

So hold on - Scots should expect 'subsidies' from England, should England expect them from Scotland? Or, as MrsBucket charmingly proposed, should Scotland take its fair share of the UK national debt whilst England keeps Scotland's natural resources?

No one in Scotland whether they are pro or anti independence expects or wants subsidy from anyone. That kind of chat only fuels resentment an isn't helpful.

Consils There are currently a few nuclear power plants in Scotland, but once they reach the end of their life they will hopefully not be replaced.

I'm sure Scotland will sell electricity to England if required (and vice versa)

couldn't agree more Aitch.

Maybe the Scottish Government should give the English one a few tips! I hope there's not as many people up North who are relying on foodbanks to feed their children. The English Government are a screw up.

happyorchid no need to worry about the cots and practicaliites of Scotland setting up their own NHS, this already exists! And we dont have a "Scottish Assembly" either.

Regarding the vote Im really not sure how I will vote, mostly I would like to stay as part of the UK but it gets so tedious reading all the anti-Scottish comments that spring up in the media, forums etc whenever Scotland is mentioned that eventually enough may be enough. For goodness sake there was a deepy nasty and unpleasnt one here last night full of xenophobic rubbish that was allowed to stand.