Scottish Independence Poll

[The Doctor]

Secondly the whole point of a "yes" vote and a "no" vote is biased. Yes is positive, No is negative.

so how are they supposed to word a yes/no question so that it doesn't have a yes/no answer?

[Vacamion]

so how are they supposed to word a yes/no question so that it doesn't have a yes/no answer?

'Do you wish Scotland to remain in the UK' would have been better.

[qwerty123]

I'd be interested in the tax implications of independence

 

Will Scotland continue with current Tax, NI amounts or will they revert to something similar to Ireland which companies use as a low tax haven? Potentially a massive vote winner if its up for discussion during the vote

 

For me; we/they have nowehere near enough information to make an informed decision. I'm surprised its gone as far as it has without the detail behind the Yes vote

[Guest]

so how are they supposed to word a yes/no question so that it doesn't have a yes/no answer?

 

 

That's my point. whooosh. You can't. One side will always have a psychological advantage. That's what biased means you know.

[Guest]

'Do you wish Scotland to remain in the UK' would have been better.

 

What about "Should Scotland be allowed to quit the UK?" 

[Guest]

I'd be interested in the tax implications of independence

 

Will Scotland continue with current Tax, NI amounts or will they revert to something similar to Ireland which companies use as a low tax haven? Potentially a massive vote winner if its up for discussion during the vote

 

For me; we/they have nowehere near enough information to make an informed decision. I'm surprised its gone as far as it has without the detail behind the Yes vote

 

So much information is unknown.

 

That's what makes me laugh most about "the Debate"

 

Who pays my unemployment benefit / health bills / retirement pay and how much will I receive are far more important than will we use the £.

 

As far as I'm aware Scotland could use the £ or $ or euro or whatever. The problem is that they have NO say over the policies of these currencies.

[The Doctor]

That's my point. whooosh. You can't. One side will always have a psychological advantage. That's what biased means you know.

So essentially your complaint is "it's not biased in my favour"? Seriously, why complain about bias when by your own admission it can't not be bias

[Guest]

So essentially your complaint is "it's not biased in my favour"? Seriously, why complain about bias when by your own admission it can't not be bias

 

I have no complaint - that's your bias - I pointed out that there is a in-built bias which in this case is in favour of Scottish independence.

 

You are so funny sometimes when you get on your high horse without thought. I live in France and have for over 20 years. The vote is not in my favour (or against it) and concerns me very little. 

 

Still, at least French citizens will have a say in whether an independant Scotland can join the EU. 

 

Personally I'd vote "no". 

[breadandcheese]

I can't believe how poorly the "Better Together" campaign is being run and how they're presenting themselves.  

 

The Union is the most successful union in the world.  There is a reason the union has endured for 400 years and it is not because of the currency or borders, or whatever else the "Better Together" campaign are pushing.

 

The SNP represent the worst of Scotland.  Their image of Scotland is Robert the Bruce from the thirteenth century, an independent localised country, with very little external influence on the world.  A version of Ireland.  

 

Frankly, it betrays the number of great Scots, who excelled onto the world stage over the last three hundred years due to the strength and prominent position of the United Kingdom.  Alexander Bell, Sir Alexander Fleming, Sir James Simpson, David Livingstone, all achieved excellence and pushed back the boundaries of world knowledge and understanding.  They did this through the union.  This is the United Kingdom I recognise and the one that should be promoted.  We all work together for the better of all of us.  

 

It will be a shame if Scotland vote to leave and whilst Scotland won't collapse, its influence will wain over time. It will never have the prominent place in the world that it currently enjoys.

[Smudge]

Significant drop in the value of the pound already . Endless uncertainty in the name of what?

[Guest]

Significant drop in the value of the pound already . Endless uncertainty in the name of what?

 

Robert the Bruce!

 

the uncertainty won't be endless. It'll last to the 19th if the Scot's stay in and last for 18mths to 5 years if they vote to leave.

 

Of course a vote to stay in will change little for the SNP.

[The Doctor]

I have no complaint - that's your bias - I pointed out that there is a in-built bias which in this case is in favour of Scottish independence.

You are so funny sometimes when you get on your high horse without thought. I live in France and have for over 20 years. The vote is not in my favour (or against it) and concerns me very little.

Still, at least French citizens will have a say in whether an independant Scotland can join the EU.

Personally I'd vote "no".

You complained about the whole thing and mentioned the bias in that complaint. How exactly are you not complaining about the bias?

And also, pray tell what my bias is when I have openly said I don't really care either way about this?

[Smudge]

Robert the Bruce!

 

the uncertainty won't be endless. It'll last to the 19th if the Scot's stay in and last for 18mths to 5 years if they vote to leave.

 

Of course a vote to stay in will change little for the SNP.

I meant an endless list of uncertainties, yet uninformed people are voting about the future of the nation.

No one knows how everything will be split up and the consequences, they have no idea what will happen with the EU, what currency will be adopted or it's value.

[Guest]

You complained about the whole thing and mentioned the bias in that complaint. How exactly are you not complaining about the bias?

And also, pray tell what my bias is when I have openly said I don't really care either way about this?

"Pray tell" ? Are you religious now?

 

I didn't complain as I couldn't care less. I pointed out inequity and bias but as usual you have an already decided one track mind and went off on one.

 

Your bias as I just stated is that you read and hear only what you want to read and hear and then chunker on about it. You are always totally biased. Your bias has nothing to do with this vote as I believe you when you say you don't care (though I'm sure you will afterwards).

 

Sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong but always you are closed eared and blinkered, having made your decision before reading other views.

I meant an endless list of uncertainties, yet uninformed people are voting about the future of the nation.

No one knows how everything will be split up and the consequences, they have no idea what will happen with the EU, what currency will be adopted or it's value.

 

right.

 

On that I agree 100% with you.

 

Idiots the lot of them.

[Trav Le Bleu]

I found myself wondering today what would happen to Royal Mail in Scotland? At the moment there is a "universal service", enforced by law, in place that it will cost you as much to send a letter to Coventry (goodness knows why you'd want to) as it would to the Outer Hebrides, despite the fact that this is clearly a much more expensive thing for Royal Mail to do. Surely if Scotland becomes an independent, and therefore foreign, country, this would no longer apply and Royal Mail would withdraw it's services, which I'm pretty sure cost a lot more to run in the highlands and islands of Scotland than they do in the other three home nations. Which would be beneficial to Royal Mail of course, but I wonder if the people in these far flung reaches of Britain have thought what they stand to lose.

 

I would also guess there must be other companies - travel services, energy suppliers, media suppliers - to whom this would similarly apply. Haven't seen any of this debated - though I can't say I've been paying rapt attention.

[Guest]

I found myself wondering today what would happen to Royal Mail in Scotland? At the moment there is a "universal service", enforced by law, in place that it will cost you as much to send a letter to Coventry (goodness knows why you'd want to) as it would to the Outer Hebrides, despite the fact that this is clearly a much more expensive thing for Royal Mail to do. Surely if Scotland becomes an independent, and therefore foreign, country, this would no longer apply and Royal Mail would withdraw it's services, which I'm pretty sure cost a lot more to run in the highlands and islands of Scotland than they do in the other three home nations. Which would be beneficial to Royal Mail of course, but I wonder if the people in these far flung reaches of Britain have thought what they stand to lose.

 

I would also guess there must be other companies - travel services, energy suppliers, media suppliers - to whom this would similarly apply. Haven't seen any of this debated - though I can't say I've been paying rapt attention.

 

Certainly the price of postage to Scotland will go up, even more so if it's not an EU country I guess.

 

If Royal Mail have any sense they pull out of the highlands - where I'd presume arrangements would be made with the Highland post on a price after pickup in Edinburgh as with other foreign countries.

 

The more interesting question is whether the new Scottish parliament would insist on same price postage/energy/etc for orkney, shetland etc... as for the lowlands. 

 

Orkneyfox would probably be the guy to know.

[Guest]

I found myself wondering today what would happen to Royal Mail in Scotland? At the moment there is a "universal service", enforced by law, in place that it will cost you as much to send a letter to Coventry (goodness knows why you'd want to) as it would to the Outer Hebrides, despite the fact that this is clearly a much more expensive thing for Royal Mail to do. Surely if Scotland becomes an independent, and therefore foreign, country, this would no longer apply and Royal Mail would withdraw it's services, which I'm pretty sure cost a lot more to run in the highlands and islands of Scotland than they do in the other three home nations. Which would be beneficial to Royal Mail of course, but I wonder if the people in these far flung reaches of Britain have thought what they stand to lose.

 

I would also guess there must be other companies - travel services, energy suppliers, media suppliers - to whom this would similarly apply. Haven't seen any of this debated - though I can't say I've been paying rapt attention.

 

There's been some discussion among my colleagues about what happens to the BBC, the widely held opinion (I haven't currently got facts to back this at the moment) is that Scotland takes more than it contributes in terms of output etc. So would that have a knock on effect on license fee agreements or the amount of funding that places in England/Wales/NI would then have access to for programme making?

 

Don't have the answers but it'll be interesting to watch.

[ADK]

IF they vote yes then I suppose there will be a lot of negotiating going on for a while.

[Guest]

IF they vote yes then I suppose there will be a lot of negotiating going on for a while.

 

Shouldn't allow it.

 

Clean cut.

[Jordan]

There's been some discussion among my colleagues about what happens to the BBC, the widely held opinion (I haven't currently got facts to back this at the moment) is that Scotland takes more than it contributes in terms of output etc. So would that have a knock on effect on license fee agreements or the amount of funding that places in England/Wales/NI would then have access to for programme making?

Don't have the answers but it'll be interesting to watch.

I recall Yes Scotland saying they'd try to make a deal with the BBC whereby the create a "Scottish Broadcasting Corporation," which would do it's own programming while also handling the portion of programming that BBC Scotland provide for the rest of the BBC. In exchange for continuing to provide the existing share of programming, the "SBC" would ask the BBC to broadcast its programming to Scotland... So the BBC service to Scotland would continue as normal, with the Scottish government running an additional service.

Well, that's their "plan," anyway...

Edit: I just found this, which explains the proposals, and does seem to back up your hypothesis about input and output: http://www.yesscotland.net/answers/what-will-happen-bbc

[yorkie1999]

Can't wait. All my mrs' family will become immigrants in my country. Ha Ha. Be off with you, nasty Scottish mother in law.

[lavrentis]

Think if Scotland go independant  we should invade them and dont give them the vote

[Vacamion]

I found myself wondering today what would happen to Royal Mail in Scotland? At the moment there is a "universal service", enforced by law, in place that it will cost you as much to send a letter to Coventry (goodness knows why you'd want to) as it would to the Outer Hebrides, despite the fact that this is clearly a much more expensive thing for Royal Mail to do. Surely if Scotland becomes an independent, and therefore foreign, country, this would no longer apply and Royal Mail would withdraw it's services, which I'm pretty sure cost a lot more to run in the highlands and islands of Scotland than they do in the other three home nations. Which would be beneficial to Royal Mail of course, but I wonder if the people in these far flung reaches of Britain have thought what they stand to lose.

I would also guess there must be other companies - travel services, energy suppliers, media suppliers - to whom this would similarly apply. Haven't seen any of this debated - though I can't say I've been paying rapt attention.

I'm pretty sure the Nats promised to renationalise the Scottish part of the Royal Mail, with universal service guaranteed.

Then again, they promised a load of other stuff they couldn't possibly deliver.

Lower tax, more benefits. An oil boom, a green energy dividend. Independence, keep the pound, the monarchy and the BBC.

All bollocks, of course...

[yorkie1999]

I'm pretty sure the Nats promised to renationalise the Scottish part of the Royal Mail, with universal service guaranteed.

Then again, they promised a load of other stuff they couldn't possibly deliver.

Lower tax, more benefits. An oil boom, a green energy dividend. Independence, keep the pound, the monarchy and the BBC.

All bollocks, of course...

And free money for everyone...bit of a vote swinger!

[The God Emperor]

would Scotland even get the oil? surely at the moment it legally belongs to the UK not Scotland. Yes it's in Scottish waters but I can't see that argument holding up, this is oil we're talking about, Governments fight wars over this stuff! I'd imagine is the UK didn't want to give up the oil there wouldn't be much that Scotland could do about it since if my thinking is correct it never belonged to them in the first place. I think the SNP have overestimated their position on the bargaining table.