If Scotland gained independence....

[Tsippy]

Would it actually be able to support itself? BBC are talking of the SNP success as a call for independance, so was just curious as to whether it could work and what the benefits and downsides would be for both Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

[Shaw Tarse]

I doubt they could support themselves!
Had wondered about this earlier?

[thinfourth2]

The simple answer is no one knows

We aren't all unemployed up here despite what the daily wail tells you.

But if the SNP stay addicted to the cheque book i doubt it.

I do get the feeling we will find out as despite what cameron sayes his actions are of a man who wants to dump scotland.

[thinfourth2]

Shaw Tarse said:

I doubt they could support themselves!
Had wondered about this earlier?

Do remind me again exactly how much more comes into westministers coffers compared to goes out?

The simple fact is the UK as it stands can't support itself.

[Jackleman]

Let them find out the hard way.

[Stevenj214]

thinfourth2 said:

The simple answer is no one knows

This.

Various figures say yes, no or maybe depending on when they were produced, who produced them and what spin is placed on them.

With the natural resources, the manufacturing and the service sector bases available for development and growth any moderately competent independent government should be able to do a job.

[thinfourth2]

Stevenj214 said:

thinfourth2 said:

The simple answer is no one knows

This.

Various figures say yes, no or maybe depending on when they were produced, who produced them and what spin is placed on them.

With the natural resources, the manufacturing and the service sector bases available for development and growth any moderately competent independent government should be able to do a job.

If we as a nation believe we can do it then we can do it.

All we need is the group motivation to get up and run and we can be a great nation again.

However that applies equally to england.

[Victor McDade]

Scotland would join Europe's 'arc of prosperity' with Ireland to the west, Iceland to the north and Norway to the east and become one of the richest nations on this planet.

Well according to Salmond anyway

[MiniMan64]

You're all assuming that Scotland would actually vote Yes for independence, that really doesn't seem to be a forgone conclusion.

Doesn't that leave the SNP in a rather sticky situation?

[JonnyFive]

Jackleman said:

Let them find out the hard way.

We'll just end up bailing them out with money we haven't got anyway so I'd rather we don't try and find out..

[ExChrispy Porker]

Surely the rest of the UK should have a vote as well?
I would vote 'Yes' without a second thought.
Why do only the Scots get to decide?

[davepoth]

Stevenj214 said:

This.

Various figures say yes, no or maybe depending on when they were produced, who produced them and what spin is placed on them.

With the natural resources, the manufacturing and the service sector bases available for development and growth any moderately competent independent government should be able to do a job.

Except of course the UK will steal all of the oil and gas, the shipyards, naval bases and airforce bases will close, and many of the banks will move south.

[Dracoro]

Would it not muchly depend on whether they get to own the oil under the North Sea......

[BlanketyBlank]

There was an article in the Telegraph before about this. They reckon that if Scotland kept its current spending level but took away the money given by Westminster then Scotland would have an annual budget deficit of £14 billion:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jeremywarner/...

No idea how they calculated it though.

On the plus side if Scotland were independent then Labour would never again get enough votes to get into power in England.

[eldar]

davepoth said:

Except of course the UK will steal all of the oil and gas, the shipyards, naval bases and airforce bases will close, and many of the banks will move south.

The UK, as opposed to England or Scotland own them at the moment. I'm assuming you means the Scots want to steal them instead of the rest of the UK having them?

[HAB]

davepoth said:

Except of course the UK will steal all of the oil and gas, the shipyards, naval bases and airforce bases will close, and many of the banks will move south.

The UK, yeah?

Be honest- you wrote that for a bet, didn't you?

[HAB]

I'll tell you what, going by the quality of the comments on this thread, you've got much more pressings issues to worry about than Scottish independence.

Fvcking laughable.

[Mojooo]

If they dont go independent then they should have exactly the same laws as E and W.

[Guybrush]

If true independence were to occur, I wonder what would happen to Scotland's very large public sector workforce largely funded by England's (relatively large) private sector. One other point, the resources around the coast are not 'owned' necessarily by the peoples residing on the closest land mass, in the case of oil, for example, I doubt it was Scottish money which found it and then got it out of the ground in the first place.

[eharding]

As per the other thread, the terminology will need sorting out.

I don't see why the 'UK' cannot continue to refer to the United Kingdom of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Whether an independent Scotland will retain allegiance to the Monarchy is debateable - it could easily become the Scottish Republic.