Salmond "We can take Scotland in two weeks"

[Old Greg]

No. Because the split wasn't voluntary.

However the original point is a good one. If Scotland chooses to separate then everything, including the oil, will be up for negotiation.


On a plus point for us IT contractors though .... just think how many IT projects are going to have to be executed to prise Scotland out of the UK. We'll be on an IT gravy train for the next decade!

How on Earth do you split the UK Army? That must be a massive undertaking in its own right. Setting up an entirely new tax collection system ... doesn't bear thinking about.

The oil will belong to whichever country it is closest to.

Czechoslovakia split its army pretty easily.

The split itself is not that complex, certainly the complexity is manageable. However, there are significant risks by virtue of having a split in itself.

[Old Greg]

1. Scotland votes YES.
2. Cameron gets the sack.
3. The Libdums all but disappear.
4. Labour loses 50 MPs.
5. Farage wins enough to join a coalition.
6. England leaves the EU.

Am I the only one who will open a very large bottle of Champagne to celebrate?

I'm sure you'll find something else to be really really angry about.

[TestMangler]

So they are pretending they will move to England because they don't want a situation where they'll be better off in iScotland?

That was pretty much what Nish said on the BBC website in January.

I also have a letter from Standard Life from when I wrote to them the day after that article was published. I'm trying to find it now and will upload on here when I do. Nish said they had no plans to move out of Scotland in exactly so many words. Some letters were exchanged and one was sent to the BBC asking them to publish extracts from Mr Nish's response. They didn't.

[The Spartan]

I agree they are bluffing. It will cost them a fortune to relocate and hire all new staff or relocate existing staff. For what reason? They could end up paying less tax in an Independent Scotland.

Well I'm sure the bulk of their customers will be allowed to switch all their pensions and investments to companies within the UK if they don't, let me think relocation costs or 80% of your balance sheet not a hard decision is it really

[BlasterBates]

The oil might be the key for Scotland, wonder how they compare to Norway.

[tomtomagain]

The oil will belong to whichever country it is closest to.

Czechoslovakia split its army pretty easily.

The split itself is not that complex, certainly the complexity is manageable. However, there are significant risks by virtue of having a split in itself.

The oil, along with all the other assets, will be negotiated. The SNP's starting position is "Its our oil". But that's just a starting position. New discoveries would belong to who's ever water they were in. But existing assets? I don't see why they would automatically go to iScotland. Especially as the UK has paid for a lot of the development and production costs.

Dunno about splitting an army. I assume you have to set up entirely distinct weapons procurement programmes, recruitment procedures, training facilities ( the Infantry train in Catterick, North Yorkshire ), logistics, medical corps and so on.

Some of the units will "Scot Heavy", some of them "UK Heavy". So how does that work?

Not saying its impossible. Just I wouldn't expect extracting a viable military unit from the British Army to be trivial ( or cheap ). Same goes I suppose for the Navy and the Air-force.

[Batcher]

1. Scotland votes YES.
2. Cameron gets the sack.
3. The Libdums all but disappear.
4. Labour loses 50 MPs.
5. Farage wins enough to join a coalition.
6. England leaves the EU.

Am I the only one who will open a very large bottle of Champagne to celebrate?

When all that comes true, without Scotland the £ will plunge and, being out of Europe, the price of a bottle of French Champagne will be out of your price range

[Mich the Tester]

When all that comes true, without Scotland the £ will plunge and, being out of Europe, the price of a bottle of French Champagne will be out of your price range

Then he can blame the EU for keepng the Euro too strong, and he'll be back to his normal self again.

[tomtomagain]

The oil might be the key for Scotland, wonder how they compare to Norway.

Compare scotland and norway - Wolfram|Alpha

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i...and+norway+oil

[Batcher]

The oil, along with all the other assets, will be negotiated. The SNP's starting position is "Its our oil". But that's just a starting position. New discoveries would belong to who's ever water they were in. But existing assets? I don't see why they would automatically go to iScotland. Especially as the UK has paid for a lot of the development and production costs.

Dunno about splitting an army. I assume you have to set up entirely distinct weapons procurement programmes, recruitment procedures, training facilities ( the Infantry train in Catterick, North Yorkshire ), logistics, medical corps and so on.

Some of the units will "Scot Heavy", some of them "UK Heavy". So how does that work?

Not saying its impossible. Just I wouldn't expect extracting a viable military unit from the British Army to be trivial ( or cheap ). Same goes I suppose for the Navy and the Air-force.

If no agreement on the oilfields can be reached then I'm sure it would be decided along international lines therefore putting 90% of oil in Scotland's waters.

I think the army will be an easier split than you think. All current soldiers will be asked which country they want to serve. The Scottish Regiment will be located in Scotland and our share of the assets (probably 8.3%) will be handed over.

We will need to build surface ships to patrol our waters so that should give the shipyards work for the next few years.