What Do The Snp Call Independence ?

[kestrelg]

The SNP and it's followers claim to "want independence" and yet they also say that they want to part of the EEC. Surely if they become members of the EEC they will have to join on Europe's terms and not their own. What kind of independence is that

[douglas9401]

Bob, mony a mickle maks a muckle. Many small things added together make a big thing.

[douglas9401]

A direct reply to the direct question is, freedumb.

[steg]

Slither away slug janbee lol
Not given any thought, what a load of crap. All those years of campaigning etc no thought..

[FrogNog]

Years of thought Steg?
Please tell me the confirmed position for:
Currency
EU membership
NATO membership

[mikey4444]

If Salmond could answer just one question honestly, he would win the day.

Question ?...what currency will Scotland use after independence ?

But all we have had is a load of waffle, and that is why I think he will lose tomorrow....for not being honest.

[douglas9401]

We travel in hope, Mikey.

[Peter Pedant]

The gaelic word is - - - uhuru innit

and it means whatever you want it to mean

I mean in Zim it means Mugabe for ever !

[Peter Pedant]

Post the eleection

the post mortem will identify that the No's felt threatened and so said Dont know when they meant go away I am gonna vote no

The Canadian ref on Quebec was decided by 50 000. - amongst a few million

[mikey4444]

Strange story from Betfair :::

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29232538

This Bookie is so sure that the NO camp will win, they have already paid out on some bets, BEFORE the result of the referendum is known ! Am I the only one that finds that amazing and not a little puzzling ?

[mushroom25]

whilst an independent Scotland may well be granted EU membership, it's a process that will be fiercely resisted by the Spanish, who definitely don't want a precedent set for their own breakaway enclaves

[KARL]

It is indeed freedom from Westminster rule that the Yes supporters want (including Mr.Salmond). If that is achieved then Scotland is better equipped to arrange their affairs than Slovakia was when they chose to break away from the Czechs, than Iceland was when it broke from Denmark and Ireland was when it got away from the UK. None of the "rewards" being offered to Scotland by the UK to elicit a No vote would in the slightest way tempt the above three countries to reverse their decision - and that is even though they have had periods of difficulty to deal with. Iceland's particular experience was to be targeted by Brown and Darling as the UK government - the EFTA court strongly criticised that and said it had seriously exacerbated Iceland's crash (Icelanders remember that along with the cod wars, none of it to the UK's credit, but they still regard co-operation with the UK/Britain as preferable and usually relations are cordial). By several measures, not least in employment, Iceland's economy is now performing better than the UK's. Iceland has no military at all and have never had any yet they are a founder member of NATO. To suggest Scotland might be refused entry into NATO or the EU (assuming they would want in) is probably best described as wishful No camp thinking.

The UK shows up as a poor performer by a large collection of societal parameters as listed by OECD, UN, NGOs, etc. The Yes movement wants to be free of the constraints of doing things the UK way. Generally they will know that not only is there a lot of work to do in order to catch up with the nations at the top of the lists but also that there are uncertainties along the way. The Yes voters are less afraid of change than the certainty of permanently languishing well down the performance lists. They want change, something their opposites fear to the point of paralysis.

[lindapalmara]

Ok Karl, but what currency are you going to use?

[KARL]

Although seized upon by one side in the argument, the currency issue is in my view of less importance than how the country is run and what the society is like. To again take Iceland as a comparison, on anything from infant mortality, life expectancy, women's participation in management and government, equality within society, (un)employment, health service effectiveness and its value for money, to peacefulness and happiness ratings, the UK gets left in the dust.

Personally I would avoid the Pound because it has a poor record but I accept the argument that in the short to medium term it would make the transition somewhat easier and calm people to continue using it. Iceland, with a population of 320,000, has its own currency. If prevented by a vindictive UK from using the Pound then Scotland should do no worse than Iceland by creating its own currency (unless one assumes Scottish people to be less competent) and might just maybe begin to catch up with Iceland's and the other top-of-the-list countries' societal performance (i.e. well ahead of the UK). It does not matter at all what currency is used to achieve that, to suggest otherwise serves other motives than a desire for a good society.

[vetuste_ennemi]

"whilst an independent Scotland may well be granted EU membership, it's a process that will be fiercely resisted by the Spanish, who definitely don't want a precedent set for their own breakaway enclaves."
Did anyone see Monday's Newsnight? The Spanish Minister of European Affairs (interviewed by Kirsty Wark) made a (very faintly veiled) threat to scupper a Scottish application.