Scotland's new currency

[tomtomagain]

It's this attitude that has led to Scotland having a referendum in the first place.

My mother is Scottish, half my family are Scottish, I am half Scots.

Having an opening negotiating position is not an "Attitude". It's common sense.

[AtW]

Nicola Sturgeon says Osborne is a "bully" for stating a position ( she actually says that about everything she doesn't want to hear ) but if she thinks the government is being tough today she'll be in for a shock come the split.Divorces are messy.

Osborne is an idiot.

What he said was equal to - Scotland will NOT have any UK debts.

That was pretty clear before when Treasury (some weeks ago) admitted that UK gilts can't be split to Scotland simply because it would be effective default as money were lent to UK and you can't just split it up.

Now independent Scotland would have to get into eurozone and that will create additional pressure for UK to join. So in essense idiot Osborne doomed sterling in the event of YES vote.

[doodab]

It's bizarre that after all the effort of becoming "independent" they would want a currency union in which they would always be the weaker partner.

the fact they feel they need to keep the pound so badly seems to imply they would be better off staying as part of the UK in the first place.

It's ******* comical how ill thought out this whole thing is really. I can see it getting voted through on purely emotional grounds followed by a 5 year period where they realise what they have done and desperately try and avoid having to actually follow through on it.

[Flashman]

It's bizarre that after all the effort of becoming "independent" they would want a currency union in which they would always be the weaker partner.

the fact they feel they need to keep the pound so badly seems to imply they would be better off staying as part of the UK in the first place.

It's ******* comical how ill thought out this whole thing is really. I can see it getting voted through on purely emotional grounds followed by a 5 year period where they realise what they have done and desperately squeeze as much money as possible out of the English before staying in.

FTFY

[doodab]

FTFY

I don't think they'll get much, I'd expect the chancellor of the day will be happy to call their bluff and then some.

[MicrosoftBob]

How come England take so long to join the battle?

It's hard to argue with a retarded child

[scooterscot]

My mother is Scottish, half my family are Scottish, I am half Scots.

Having an opening negotiating position is not an "Attitude". It's common sense.

"But as I said. Why the assumption that Scotland gets to keep it? If I were the UK government negotiating the split my starting position would be

"You want access to our markets?"
"You want to use sterling?"
"You want our support so you can join Europe?"
"You want to shelter behind our army?"
"Then we'll have the oil. Thanks""

This is not common sense. This reads like a threat, plain and simple. And if the union is such a cosy relationship how is it descending into such bitterness? People should be allowed to decide their future without blackmail.

[scooterscot]

It's bizarre that after all the effort of becoming "independent" they would want a currency union in which they would always be the weaker partner.

the fact they feel they need to keep the pound so badly seems to imply they would be better off staying as part of the UK in the first place. .

It would turn out certain passages in the report produced by this civil servant, which the media has chosen to ignore, suggest a currency union would be something to consider if it were believed Scotland continued to use the currency for the next 30-50 years.

I don't think folks want true independence, that hand was forced upon them against Devolution max, which massive support suggested it would be an easy victory for the nats. Effectively George Osbourne has made this the reality now. If in a Yes vote then Scotland controls the taxes, you walk away from the debts, don't have control over monetary policy (like Scotland ever did), and you continue to use the pound.

[The Spartan]

"But as I said. Why the assumption that Scotland gets to keep it? If I were the UK government negotiating the split my starting position would be

"You want access to our markets?"
"You want to use sterling?"
"You want our support so you can join Europe?"
"You want to shelter behind our army?"
"Then we'll have the oil. Thanks""

This is not common sense. This reads like a threat, plain and simple. And if the union is such a cosy relationship how is it descending into such bitterness? People should be allowed to decide their future without blackmail.

To be fair both sides are being petulant, they're both trying to throw their weight around and I'm sure it'll get worse the closer it gets to September.

At the end of the day though you can't cherry pick the best parts it is that simple and the same applies to the UK in it's current relationship with the EU.

[doodab]

"But as I said. Why the assumption that Scotland gets to keep it? If I were the UK government negotiating the split my starting position would be

"You want access to our markets?"
"You want to use sterling?"
"You want our support so you can join Europe?"
"You want to shelter behind our army?"
"Then we'll have the oil. Thanks""

This is not common sense. This reads like a threat, plain and simple. And if the union is such a cosy relationship how is it descending into such bitterness? People should be allowed to decide their future without blackmail.

It's called negotiating. It's descending into "bitterness" because of the attitude of the Scots which is basically "**** the English" while trying to dictate the terms they depart on. I can't believe anyone would be so stupid as to think that Scotland could unilaterally dictate the terms of it's departure but Salmond apparently is. He was never going to get away with it.

What he actually seems to want is the power to tax and spend, which is all well and good but with no funds from Westminster, a reduced ability to borrow and no control over interest rates or the money supply he's going to find his dream of a free spending low tax utopia somewhat unrealistic. If you look at other "small" but successful countries in Europe they pretty much all have higher tax takes as a %age of GDP than the UK and Scotland will have to too unless it's going to abandon things like the health service and free university education.