Salmond "We can take Scotland in two weeks"

[Old Greg]

Are they different countries?

Go and find me a list somewhere on the Internet that has Scotland and England, Wales and Northern Ireland listed as separate countries.

List of sovereign states - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You'll not find one. Because England, Scotland, Wales, NI are legally a single entity. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the sovereign state.

To the outside world the UK is one country.

Because if they were individual countries then all the treaties such as membership of Europe and Nato would already be in place for Scotland.

But since it's technically Scotland is not a country. They aren't.

You are incorrect, but it is a little complicated.

UK is a sovereign state with four constituent countries. It is unusual, granted, but not unique. The Kingdom of the Netherlands has four constituent countries: Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten. Other similare examples:

Constituent country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Batcher]

Sorry. Orchestrated.

Now can you give me a decent reason why the country should be split up? How are things going to better for everyone in the UK?

The country isn't being split up. The UK isn't a country.

One country of the UK is heading towards independence because the largest country of the UK is heading in a different direction politically and has been for the last few years.

[jemb]

The country isn't being split up. The UK isn't a country.

One country of the UK is heading towards independence because the largest country of the UK is heading in a different direction politically and has been for the last few years.

Still won't get us a CU or instant entry into the EU.

Actually do we *need* to be in the EU?
Seriously - could we just not bother?

[TestMangler]

It was a stupid thing to say - can't believe he wrote it either. Gosh us Scots - gotta laugh

The RUK doesn't want Scotland to crash and burn, we, and I say 'we' because I have a vote, will have chosen the path ourselves. So when the RUK say no to a CU we shouldn't start crying that the nasty English have taken their ball back.

Anyone been called in for Contingency relocation planning meetings yet?
Just signed my NDA ......

Do you SERIOUSLY believe that a CU will not happen ?

And before you start the 'sovereign power' argument, list all the sovereign powers that Ireland gave up during their currency union with the UK.

[Batcher]

You didn't cut and paste the bit from the BBC from the CEO of BP that says "Ian Wood was correct about the oil reserves and that the future of Scotland is best served remaining part of the UK".

I was going to but then in the interests of fairness I would have to report on the 100 new discoveries.

A leading oil economist has predicted almost 100 new discoveries in the North Sea over the next 30 years - as a major industry figure warned against basing an independent Scotland's economic future on "exaggerated" claims.

Prof Alex Kemp said there could be 99 commercially viable oil finds by 2045.

His report came as Sir Ian Wood claimed some oil forecasts were "misleading".

[EternalOptimist]

I was going to but then in the interests of fairness I would have to report on the 100 new discoveries.

A leading oil economist has predicted almost 100 new discoveries in the North Sea over the next 30 years - as a major industry figure warned against basing an independent Scotland's economic future on "exaggerated" claims.

Prof Alex Kemp said there could be 99 commercially viable oil finds by 2045.

His report came as Sir Ian Wood claimed some oil forecasts were "misleading".

Oil forecasts are notorously misleading. In any event, the whole energy landscape will change with frakking , hydrates and other unknown, never mind untapped, energy sources out there.

If I were a jock, I would be happy with energy security and forget any sort of bonanza.
The way salmon bangs on about 100% green energy and asking the UK to pay scots wind subsidies in the event of a YES, the man is clearly detached from reality

[jemb]

Do you SERIOUSLY believe that a CU will not happen ?

And before you start the 'sovereign power' argument, list all the sovereign powers that Ireland gave up during their currency union with the UK.

There will be no CU.
Mark Carney of the Bank Of England has said that it is not compatible with Scotland being a sovereign country.

Yes voters tend to assume it will happen and that it's just a bargaining chip used by the No campaign. It would be political suicide for any party that promotes it and, as a result, they have stated that it a no-to-CU will be part of their manifesto.

...Ireland has the Euro.

[TestMangler]

Oil forecasts are notorously misleading. In any event, the whole energy landscape will change with frakking , hydrates and other unknown, never mind untapped, energy sources out there.

If I were a jock, I would be happy with energy security and forget any sort of bonanza.
The way salmon bangs on about 100% green energy and asking the UK to pay scots wind subsidies in the event of a YES, the man is clearly detached from reality

So, here is a way that would allow the Better Together coalition to kill off the entire indy campaign.

Give a guarantee that they will devolve oil and gas taxation completely to Scotland.

It's clearly worth very little to Westminster, and would probably kill SNP support stone dead.

[Old Greg]

What a spectaculary dumb ass thing to say

The people on here who have suggested that Scotland would blame England in the event of failure were little Englanders like Dodgy Agent and Flashman. You didn't get that from any of the Scots on here.

In fact, all the bold predictions of carnage on here come from the little Englanders + Minestrone who is a Scot, pretends he's Irish, supported the armed struggle for an Independent Ireland but doesn't support a referendum for Scotland.

TM, you have correctly identified other people's bulltulip without acknowledging your own.

Scotland would make a good go of being an independent state and won't crash and burn. But that doesn't mean it's going to be smooth, and there are significant short-term risks, which you are brushing under the carpet. There needs to be some expectation management and also some honesty about what independence means, rather than touting some indy-lite (CU with fiscal oversight from London) to pull in some DevoMax supporters who are sitting on the fence. And EU membership is very likely, but not necessarily on the terms Salmond states or implies are a foregone conclusion.

[Batcher]

Oil forecasts are notorously misleading. In any event, the whole energy landscape will change with frakking , hydrates and other unknown, never mind untapped, energy sources out there.

If I were a jock, I would be happy with energy security and forget any sort of bonanza.
The way salmon bangs on about 100% green energy and asking the UK to pay scots wind subsidies in the event of a YES, the man is clearly detached from reality

We're not looking on oil as a bonanza, it's a bonus.

We have massive potential for wind and wave power and have had hydro dams for years producing electricty that has been exported.

Our green energy potential is one of the reasons I think we will be welcomed back into the EU.