I have an idea...

[suburbanreuben]

I'm all for it (heart ruling head again), but being English I probably won't get a vote. Who will?

 

[Rumble]

I guess in theory if there was enough desire for it then England could get it's own vote on leaving the union, but it's taken the SNP a long time to get to this point, and even now independance isn't a done deal by any means.

 

[Andy R]

As far as the 'exports' go, how about some of the greatest scientists/engineers and inventors of all kinds ever seen? How about a huge number of the people who actually create the wealth in the UK? How about a huge number of the respected media/politicians, business leaders in the UK?

You can be as patronising as you bloody well like, but Scotland has a hell of a lot more to offer than what you have mentioned.

Even bloody water.

We will be selling it to you as gold within my lifetime.

Apart from all that, of all places on a bleedin' mountain bike forum, I would have to remind you Scotland has the BEST mountain biking in all of the UK, run a close second by Wales but miles ahead of England.

We have a small population, highly technically advantaged and historically inventive. We have one of the most beautiful and desirable landscapes in the world to set our diamonds in.

We have demonstrated historically a huge ability in science, engineering, economics, politics, philosophy, art and just about every facet of popular culture.

What do we have to lose?

The real question is what does the rest of the union lose.

All very true - and if the Isle of Man ever sinks without a trace (under the weight of an rapidly increasing number of immigrant LOMBARDs and chavs) it's to Scotland that I'll be heading, in the hope that they'll let me live there.
Plus it's only 20 miles to Isle of Whithorn.

Put a good word in for me guys.......

 

[FST4RD]

Long live the queen and may she live happily on the minuscule
percentage of my tax money that it costs to have her and her family in a position that would other wise be held by yet another whim of a politician.

Firstly, she has no actual power whatsoever. None.
Secondly, if she did, why on earth would you want that position to be held by someone who got it by virtue of who their parents were, rather than a democratically elected individual? If the "president" (or whatever) we chose turned out to be a rotter we just vote in another one in a few years, can't do that with the royals can we?

Anyway, she's not my queen, I didn't vote for her...

I'm a bit of a royalist... and I live in New Zealand!
The old man got a British Empire Medal from the Queen a few years back for his 21.5 years doing chopper search and rescues as a paramedic in the Air Force all over the world.

But back on to why I quoted this... She does have some power yeah? Doesn't the newly elected PM for England have to go to the Queen to ask for permission to run the country, and if she says yes then once he's formed his government he then has to go back and ask for her permission again?
I know that this is generally a formallity, but I do know that the queen did Veto 1 PM in her reign...

 

[Neil]

But back on to why I quoted this... She does have some power yeah? Doesn't the newly elected PM for England have to go to the Queen to ask for permission to run the country, and if she says yes then once he's formed his government he then has to go back and ask for her permission again?
I know that this is generally a formallity, but I do know that the queen did Veto 1 PM in her reign...

I'm a bit grey (well charcoal, really...) on all the details, but although that may all happen as a technicality - it does mostly seem a formality, these days.

I can't see anything like that (ie the monarch refusing to allow a PM elect to form a government) happening in this day and age - and if there were an attempt, you'd have to boggle at the constitutional implications of an unelected monarch, interfering with democracy and denying the intent of the voting public.

 

[grahame]

Ji

Also, the Scottish people may want Balmoral back when Scotland 'does one', and has a say in it's own affairs,without inteference from a bunch of rich Southern English political ponces. That may raise a couple of quid.
al.

If the Scots did go there own way, could they afford to stay that way? Easy enough to begin with after all they already have had their hospitals, airport's, schools etc etc built with U.K's money. I mean will they depend on England for defence? will they use the £ or will they join the euro (snigger). I cant think of many scottish exports apart from whiskey, haggis and nessy. Cant see that paying for much. Would like to see it happen if only so we can see them come back a few years later cap in hand

I very much doubt they would need to?

Don't they have a shed load of natural resource (gas... oil?)

Actually no, they dont.

Well can't say as I'm an expert in it - it was just a throwaway comment from something I read at some point.

But, from wikipedia (yes, I know, not 100% perfect, but generally accurate...):-

"Scotland's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), including oil and gas produced in Scottish waters, was estimated at £137.5 billion for the calendar year 2009"

Now unless there's some huge controversy about whether the oil and gas can truly be annexed by Scotland, £137.5 billion seems a non trivial amount.

Well, if I was a Shetland Islander, the minute the referendum is over (and assuming Salmond wins), I'd petition for independence from Scotland, and take my oil revenues with me.

It's a slippery slope he's treading, I tell you.

 

[FST4RD]

But back on to why I quoted this... She does have some power yeah? Doesn't the newly elected PM for England have to go to the Queen to ask for permission to run the country, and if she says yes then once he's formed his government he then has to go back and ask for her permission again?
I know that this is generally a formallity, but I do know that the queen did Veto 1 PM in her reign...

I'm a bit grey (well charcoal, really...) on all the details, but although that may all happen as a technicality - it does mostly seem a formality, these days.

I can't see anything like that (ie the monarch refusing to allow a PM elect to form a government) happening in this day and age - and if there were an attempt, you'd have to boggle at the constitutional implications of an unelected monarch, interfering with democracy and denying the intent of the voting public.

Oh and she can declare war as well! :twisted:
So don't go pissing her off any other nation of the world... you'll have mother england after you