UK Scottish independence

[Second Summer]

I don't fancy losing all those Labour MPs in parliament. That will just mean that Labour has to move to the right to get some of the middle ground voters.

In total there are 650 UK MPs. 59 are elected from Scotland, and currently 40 of those Scottish MPs belong to Labour. So it's ~ 6%. There are 11 LibDems and 1 Conservative, so ~ 2%. So yes, you would lose some Labour influence.

That said, Labour is already pretty far to the right, or at least under Blair it was.

In the end though, it seems to me that corporate media decides who gets elected in this country. Or at least, they make sure no undesireables get elected, such as Ed Miliband who is too far to the left for their liking.

 

[Clueless Git]

Well, the Tories definitely want a YES vote.

I know that to be true.

There's no other possible reason for Cameron telling the Scots that his little Tory heart will be broken if they don't vote NO.

 

[ledboots]

I think the timing of the royal pregnancy announcement is interestingly early, considering I have heard the Scottish people like the Queen and the royals...

Maybe I'm just too American, putting political spins on everything.

 

[shyvas]

I think the timing of the royal pregnancy announcement is interestingly early, considering I have heard the Scottish people like the Queen and the royals...

Maybe I'm just too American, putting political spins on everything.

I don t really think that it will have a great influence on the vote. My hunch is that the NO will get the majority vote.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I have prepared the new flag, just in case.

 

[Ann Chovie]

I think the timing of the royal pregnancy announcement is interestingly early, considering I have heard the Scottish people like the Queen and the royals...

That is not my experience of the Scots ledboots..
The Scots I know /have met are furiously anti-royalist and very vocal about it too! Prehaps I just meet the angry ones!!

 

[Amy SF]

What *I* find interesting is the timing of the TV series Outlander, which is being aired here in the States on Starz. I don't know if it's currently being broadcast in the UK, but if it is, it might contribute to anti-British feeling among the Scots who watch it. It's about a British nurse in the 1940s who time travels back 200 years to the Scottish Highlands of the 1740s, when Scots wanted to put a Stuart on the throne. At least one of the British Redcoat characters is portrayed as being brutal and vicious.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I have been reading on another forum how the referendum is turning people against each other in Scotland. This wouldn't have happened if there had been a clear majority who wanted independence, say 60%.....they are talking on the news in tiny percentages; first its 53% Yes, then it's 53% no, as if it was a horse race.....either way Scotland will have been torn apart a bit. And it's not like a general election; as they keep saying this will be for the rest of people's lives; hundreds of years, if they go independent, and anyone with a view will probably have strong feelings.
This is all about the oil. Salmond wants all the oil. Without the oil there wouldn't have been an issue. He should have taken a lot of polls and only pushed for a referendum if they showed a clear majority.

 

[Second Summer]

If they don't choose independence now, then Scotland is likely stuck with the UK for the rest of people's lives. I agree though that a clearer majority either way would have been preferable.

 

[Blobbenstein]

they might as well flip a coin for it.

 

[shyvas]

Only a few hours to go before the Scots vote :

Sky Poll: Scots Unclear Over No Vote Powers

 

[Amy SF]

I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the outcome...

 

[shyvas]

I'm watching the results live on Sky tv and the No results seem to be in the lead.

 

[shyvas]

NO 55%

 

[Amy SF]

Scots reject independence in historic vote

For those of you who supported secession, buck up. You can always try again in, oh, 100 years.

 

[Second Summer]

In 100 years there might not be any Scottish identity left on which to build an independent nation.

 

[Clueless Git]

On the bright side of the NO vote ...

The UK will reap a heap of medals if competitive alcohol drinking ever becomes an Olympic event.

I feel sorry for Alec Salmond though. His desire and passion to make Scotland a better and fairer place seemed 100% genuine to me.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I was in two minds about the referendum. On the one hand I thought Scotland could become a liberal Norway type country. They have similar population sizes. On the other hand I thought that they were just too intertwined with the rest of the UK. Plus maybe the oil and gas should benefit the whole of the UK.

Also, it feels like the UK is on a Tory ratchet system. Gradually selling of state assets, becoming less liberal. I thought Scotland could show the rest of the UK, how a country could, and should be run.

 

[Second Summer]

Maybe the promised more powers to Scotland and each of the other countries in the union will be a a good thing though.

 

[Blobbenstein]

Maybe the promised more powers to Scotland and each of the other countries in the union will be a a good thing though.

could it be more like the US, where each state has quite a lot of power?

Or is that how it is at the moment......