Scottish independence - yes or no?

[Louisa]

Sorry I'm just watching Question Time on the BBC. Any views on this one? It probably doesn't matter to most south Londoners.

Louisa.

[*Bob*]

'And now on BBC1, Question Time - which this week comes from Scotland'

*Click*

[Otta]

Haha, I am actually watching tonight, but usually it's exactly as *bob* says.

[stacey-lyn]

"One step closer to finding aliens". Tell me you didn't laugh.

George is in top form.

Entertaining if nothing else.

[*Bob*]

They've got George and Nige in this time to jazz things up a bit, which is a bit sneaky.

Maybe David will do a song at the end and they'll let some fireworks off as well.

[Louisa]

Not a single Lib Dem on the panel? Even UKIP and RESPECT made an appearance...

Louisa.

[MrBen]

But to answer the question, my answer is NO to independence. And most Scot's feel the same. The SNP have yet to have more than about a 35% of the population as a "Yes" in past public opinion polls. The best thing Cameron did was to force the SNP's hand with an earlier referendum than the SNP had planned. They have a long way to go to convince >50% of the population. Basically, it wont happen and this is a political side show that's wasting a load of time and money that could be spent by everyone on stuff that is likely to happen in the real world.

[MrBen]

What has been entertaining though are all the awkward implications of independence that have been required to be discussed with a straight face.

Scottish Secret Service to replace MI6 anyone?

Passport controls at Hadrians wall?

Taxes on English lorries?

[Ted Max]

Add in Paxman and his "armoured train" loaded with 8% of the BofE gold reserve heading north etc. (actually add in the regular cliff faces of self-regard clashing as 'ec crosses swords with Paxo)

What's been, er, annoying about these "entertainments" is the exploitation of the cultural cringe factor, the playing on the sense that of course the poor old Scots couldn't handle the responsibilities of independence. Paxman and his eyebrows would make me want to vote yes (if I had a vote) just to stick it up that patrician disregard.

But overall, appeals to nationalism...too ugly, too late. Appeals to democratic accountability...yes of course. It all depends what you define as the relevant unit of population/nationhood, which I think is eventually a gut/heart decision.

Another thing. Say Labour does lose its block of Scottish MPs from Westminster, even as part of some sort of Devo Max arrangement. It looks like you then get a permanent English Tory majority, but given that possibility maybe we would see some re-balancing of party politics within England? Pipedream for a Friday lunchtime, obviously.

[JohnL]

I thought Gordon sold of all the gold reserve :)

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Add in Paxman and his "armoured train" loaded with

> 8% of the BofE gold reserve heading north etc.

> (actually add in the regular cliff faces of

> self-regard clashing as 'ec crosses swords with

> Paxo)

>

> What's been, er, annoying about these

> "entertainments" is the exploitation of the

> cultural cringe factor, the playing on the sense

> that of course the poor old Scots couldn't handle

> the responsibilities of independence. Paxman and

> his eyebrows would make me want to vote yes (if I

> had a vote) just to stick it up that patrician

> disregard.

>

> But overall, appeals to nationalism...too ugly,

> too late. Appeals to democratic

> accountability...yes of course. It all depends

> what you define as the relevant unit of

> population/nationhood, which I think is eventually

> a gut/heart decision.

>

> Another thing. Say Labour does lose its block of

> Scottish MPs from Westminster, even as part of

> some sort of Devo Max arrangement. It looks like

> you then get a permanent English Tory majority,

> but given that possibility maybe we would see some

> re-balancing of party politics within England?

> Pipedream for a Friday lunchtime, obviously.

[Ted Max]

That was Alex's exact line to Paxman.

[StraferJack]

yeah the attractions of SNP, nationalism and the rest of it sit uneasy with me, but so do the counter-arguments amounting to "Scotland wouldn't cope"

I'm sure same was said about Ireland in all the years before independance (and it's current economic woes hardly make it unique)

[????]

If the scots take the debts of the RBS (run almost exclusively by a Scottish banker mafia) and the Bank of Scotland debts of HBOS (and the Bank of Scotland was largely responsible for HBOS toxic corporate loan book that nearly sunk Lloyyds) then I'm all in favour; altenatively if the SNP and large numbers of other Scottish people could stop blaming London and 'The City' for all their woes and TAKE SOOME FOOKING RESPONSIBILITY they can stay.

Numbers, Mr Ben, Snorky and The BarryBarry boys can all stay on licence as I'm very fond of them all.

[Otta]

Not something I've wver said before, but on this subject I was right with George Galloway last night.

[????]

Anyway I'm very supportive of independence for the ' first rate global city attached to a second rate country'....wherever THAT is :)

[StraferJack]

snorks as well, eh? Well I never..

[*Bob*]

They're everywhere, like in 'V'

[Ted Max]

I don't understand this.

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>if the SNP and

> large numbers of other Scottish people could stop

> blaming London and 'The City' for all their woes

> and TAKE SOOME FOOKING RESPONSIBILITY they can

> stay.

>

>

[RosieH]

Or Australians.

[*Bob*]

In five years I predict the show will just be Galloway and Starkey as guests - with Farage* presenting.

*Nicola Sturgeon for Scottish edition.

[Ted Max]

It only gets commissioned because it makes Dimbleby millions per episode, *Bob*.

[maxxi]

If Dimbleby goes do we get a 'slag-off' between Humph and Paxo for the title?

[*Bob*]

I have insider knowledge on this.

It'll either be Paul Ross or Russell Grant.

[Ted Max]

Colin Murray said to be gutted.

[El Pibe]

That bit where the chap seemed to think that scotch types get spat on as they come off the train at padington/kings cross was a bit jarring wasn't it.

He might actually want to find out about English attitudes to the Scots before voting yay or nay on a ludicrous supposition of large scale racism.

That aside, of Galloway he is occasionally right even when his reasons for being right are wrong, stopped clock and all that. It is awful these days though, except when Will Self (who's often wrong even when his reasons for being wrong are right) or Ian Hislop are on.