Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

They already do tax them with the cost of rail fares

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Or London could get food and milk cheaper elsewhere from those willing to supply it. ;) France for example. Besides London would take the South-East with it. Besides all the populist "let London go it alone" stuff comes from people outside London not inside. :p:

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

if only there wasn't a pesky river to float things up and down :)

Anyway back to the reality of fantasists vs realists in the independence debate. Tomorrow it's Alistair Darling vs Alex Salmond in a live debate, could be interesting if the chair keeps Salmond in check and he doesn't just resort to cheap sound bites and 'freeeeeddoooommmm' references.

It's been nice the last 11 days to have a comparative break from this nonsense, roll on the 18th of September so this can be over, hopefully for a good few years.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Scotland are the only country that has a chance of carrying on with life as something approaching normal outside of a union with England and that is highly debatable. Wales and Northern Ireland would be financially inviable and have to instigate huge cuts and take huge hits to quality of life.

England really should have its own parliament though, one outside London.

---------- Post added at 08:01 ---------- Previous post was at 07:58 ----------

London's alleged wealth is massively distorted by the City and the many firms that have HQs there. In terms of median disposable incomes it gets more debatable as many have relatively little spending power after paying their absurd rents.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I would imagine an English Parliament would just be the UK one with the MPs representing the other members of the Union not voting/excusing themselves for English laws. Don't see the point of electing a whole new set of politicians. It's already the case then Parliament passes English only laws so just prevent MPs voting if they don't represent a English constituency.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Amen to that. I presume Bravemouth will do the decent thing and resign immediately and permanently if he fails in his quest to lead Scotland down the garden path and break up the union... :rolleyes:

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

That could still mean the party/parties in Government along with its policies would still be dictated by Scotland, Wales and NI. How would that be democracy and it wouldn't be acceptable anywhere else in the world. Especially as England being the largest part, is the one having a lower standard of democracy.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Apparently STV is having problems with the live feed of debate - it'll be more bullying I imagine... :rolleyes:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Darling did well! I thought Salmond would grandstand and destroy him but nope!

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

That was astonishing. Salmond attempted to build a line of attack based on campaign frippery - silly comments about driving on the wrong side of the road or the likelihood of alien invasion. Utterly, totally incomprehensible how he could think this was a good use of airtime.

But the one thing that will stick with anyone who watched it was Salmond getting the full Paxo from Alastair Darling over the currency. What's plan B? And yet we still don't know.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Can't believe Yes didn't have a better answer to the the currency question or at least a better evasion tactic. I think their line of attack was designed to surprise Darling and get him to crack and/or send him off-message and off-plan leaving Salmond open to look reasonable and assert control. Backfired dramatically.

Guardian ICM poll: 56% Darling, Salmond 44%. I was sure Salmond would win that. Great performance from the underestimated Darling.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

I will be surprised if Bute House now goes on to find time in Salmond's diary for a rematch on the BBC. Salmond is the one with everything to lose, and he's shown himself well capable of losing it.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Salmond, in my view, has nothing to lose. He is behind in the polls and just lost a debate. Expectations will be higher for Darling next time and lower for Salmond. If anything Better Together should avoid another debate.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Oh dear, that didn't go well at all for the Yes campaign.

Salmond got asked what the pension triple lock was. Just kept repeating that the triple lock was great and brilliant and better than anything there now. However that was just bluff and bluster.

It didn't actually answer the question of what the hell it was. Alisdair's great comeback was a rather in depth analysis of how pensions are funded and paid for. With the end being, not sure what triple lock is, that is for Alec to answer. However I bet what ever the UK offers he'll offer more :) hahaha.

Most answer went that way.

Re: Will Scotland Leave the UK?
 

Salmond's been a big fish in a small pond for too long and forgotten that fact. Such is the power of ego...