Spain OMG!

[Troll]

Actually it's mostly the Shetlands oil and the pawning to Scotland of the Shetland Isles in 1468 would be easily overturned in Strasbourg.

Given that there is only a population of 22000 living in 10000 households it would be relatively easy to buy up sufficient properties and influx a more amenable population to get a controlling vote in the 7 wards on Shetland to begin the process of becoming an independent state.

Given the oil riches that would then flow directly to the Shetlands for their own use, rather than being used for subsidising general unemployment on the mainland and smack heads in Glasgow in particular, the new state of Shetland would become per capita one of the richest within Europe if not the world.

Currently for sale in the Shetlands:

land for those wanting solitude

Hotel

House

[speling bee]

Actually it's mostly the Shetlands oil and the pawning to Scotland of the Shetland Isles in 1468 would be easily overturned in Strasbourg.

Given that there is only a population of 22000 living in 10000 households it would be relatively easy to buy up sufficient properties and influx a more amenable population to get a controlling vote in the 7 wards on Shetland to begin the process of becoming an independent state.

Given the oil riches that would then flow directly to the Shetlands for their own use, rather than being used for subsidising general unemployment on the mainland and smack heads in Glasgow in particular, the new state of Shetland would become per capita one of the richest within Europe if not the world.

Currently for sale in the Shetlands:

land for those wanting solitude

Hotel

House

An independent Shetland does look viable. But what happens when the most Northerly island proclaims independence?

[shaunbhoy]

Given that there is only a population of 22000 living in 10000 households it would be relatively easy to buy up sufficient properties and influx a more amenable population to get a controlling vote in the 7 wards on Shetland to begin the process of becoming an independent state.

Never been to the Shetlands, have you?

[KentPhilip]

OK the Shetland islanders would become an independent state, but then the British government's military would promptly invade them on some pretext and pinch the oil.
If it was that easy then Argentina would have bought property on the Falkland islands to get soverignty over that island + all of its associated oil assets.

[BrilloPad]

Never been to the Shetlands, have you?

Would I want to go?

[Troll]

Never been to the Shetlands, have you?

I've never been to Devon either - what's your point?

[Troll]

OK the Shetland islanders would become an independent state, but then the English government's military would promptly provide Air & Sea cover (naturally for a small nominal fee) to stop any attempt at the Scots seizing the islands

FTFY

[milanbenes]

Why? Do you buy the idea that it would lead to more jobs? Who told you that, employers who want to pay lower wages? MRDA: well, they would say that, wouldn't they?

Scrapping the minimum wage puts no more people in work, it just makes less income for the working poor and more profit for the employers. If there is any kind of welfare state it then supports the poor, so the net result is employers becoming richer at taxpayers' expense.

Why do you think it would be acceptable to employ someone and pay them less than a living wage?

you got that wrong,

the minimum wage actually becomes the maximum wage, ask anybody on the minimum wage

Milan.

[Troll]

Interesting article about the Spanish Army being prepared to stop Catalan secession

I said it would be unthinkable for the Spanish state to stop Catalan secession by military force.

Such action would violate EU Treaties and lead to Spain’s suspension from the European Union. You do not do such things in the early 21st Century.

I may have underestimated the vigour of the Spanish officer corps.

First we have the robust comments of Colonel Francisco Alaman comparing the crisis to 1936 and vowing to crush Catalan nationalists, described as "vultures".

"Independence for Catalonia? Over my dead body. Spain is not Yugoslavia or Belgium. Even if the lion is sleeping, don’t provoke the lion, because he will show the ferocity proven over centuries," he said.

Now we have an explicit threat from the Asociación de Militares Españoles (AME), an organisation of retired army officers, warning that anybody promoting the break-up of Spain ("fractura de España") will face treason trials in military courts.

The attitude of the Catalan government and members of its parliament is inadmissible.

The Armed Forces are guardians of the Spanish state and its territorial integrity under Article 8 of the Constitution.

They will carry out this role "scrupulously and strictly" to defend the sovereignty and Carta Magna of the Spanish nation.

AME said any flicker of secession "must be suppressed". Violators must bear in mind that they "will have to respond with all rigour to the grave accusation of high treason under the jurisdiction of military tribunals".

[Robinho]

Sounds like Catalonia will actually leave.

They had a march recently with 600k+ people present.

Scotland's march had 5,000 people