Independent Scotland?

I would really like to know how things honestly stack up. There are so many assertions doing the rounds but I for one feel really ill-informed - I simply don't know enough to hold a valid opinion. I did read recently that the UK government grants Scotland a subsidy of eight billion pounds each year, but I've no idea how that relates to oil revenues. There were also some interesting stats on Radio 4 recently. The health spend per person in Scotland is apparently 1.8 times as much as in England. We weren't told why this is the case, but I imagine it is due to fact that parts of Scotland still have comparatively high levels of deprivation. It would be a fairly hefty bill for an independent Scotland to foot, I would have thought.

 

Having Scottish roots (gud strong firm wans at that)

Remember this

YouTube - Braveheart freedom speech -- Matt

 

Ah yes. Those were the days, when one Australian in plaits could single-handedly save Scotland from tyranny .

(If my Uncle Hamish is reading this, I am only joking, Uncle, honest. I saw what your lot did to the would-be terrorists at Glasgow airport and I don't fancy my chances.)

 

We're a bunch of chain smoking alcoholics, and our version of healthy food is mushy peas with our fish supper!
Our diet is poor, we binge drink, drop dead way before our time, we have the one of the highest Heroin addiction (per head) in Europe... A lot of our income would have to go into healthcare and drug rehabilitation programmes. We'd be skint after the first month!!!

 

Great minds think alike, Shiney! There must be a substantial saving on long term care. I went to visit a former neighbour in a care home recently; many of the residents were ninety or more. 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' seemed to be playing on a continuous loop, as always. I mean, WW1 was a long time ago. I have a sudden vision of myself, a child of punk and new wave, a few years down the line. I am trapped in a wheelchair and that bl***y Tipperary song is still going round and round, while the young staff clap along, assuming that I am delighted by the experience. Pass the fags and the booze, SausageFingers.

 

I would assume funding would come through North Sea Oil revenue.

 

Okay, I've been keeping an eye on this thread.

I'm English, living on the Isle of Man (which has been owned by all neighbouring countries at one time or another) and have my own special leaning towards Scotland aswell. Piggy in the middle I think!

This little island of ours has raised the question of it's own independence on more than one occasion. The last occasion, not so long ago, when Gordon Brown was doing his worst.

We have our own government (Tynwald) that in the eyes of the world is one of the best. The ups and downs of the UK has barely touched us at all, even through your recession, the island has remained pretty much stable.

Yes, I hear a lot of you saying tax haven etc. Not any more, the people of this island have to work damned hard, like anyone else to earn a crust.

Although we are semi-independent, if Westminster was to stop putting hurdles in our way there is no reason why the island couldn't become fully independent. Our finance sector here is pretty buoyant and believe it or not the island leads the way in a lot of modern technology, developed here, 'shipped' to the UK and it's origins forgotten.

Scotland had it's independence taken away by the English, perhaps it's time to let them have it back and like the island, see what they can build on!

 

No, nothing is free for us here, and the cost of living here is higher than the UK whilst wages are lower. Housing is also more expensive.

Yes, I suppose you are right about Scotland being dependent on oil, but if they were to develop their industry further, they could then possibly look at independence in the future.

On another note, how I hate the title United Kingdom, it is not the name of our country, we live in Great Britain, the Great might be disintegrating, but this is where we live! Added to that, the Isle of Man is not part of the 'UK', but is addressed British Isles. It really annoys me when the mainland assumes we are part of the UK!

 

We're sorted... The Tories made a boo-boo and gave us the Stone of Destiny back in 1995/6. All we need to do, is make some poor fool King of Scotland, have a great big party and get totally blootered Then we can blame him when it all goes t*ts up
On a serious note, if we did become an independent Scotland, I would be worried about the bigots and fanatics who would come climbing out the woodwork and try to force 'foreign' nationals out of the country - a real problem that blights our nation (especially in football recently)
But we won't be independent anyway - Westminster needs a testbed to try all the stupid laws & taxes MPs invent, the gave it a name - 'the north'!