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[Iluvandy]

The image of the SNP running a country all on their own is alarming, to say the least.

No more alarming than Cameron, Osborne et al.

[Sir Panda]

No, Andrew - you just want an argument, and I'm not playing.  Go and pick on someone else.

No, I wanted to understand your point and then possibly DEBATE it (the point of this whole thread which now stretches to 53 pages)

[Sir Panda]

Name one debate where you've been at my 'mercy'.

[Aileen]

Unarguably the only sensible thing the SNP has done so far -

The Scottish government has agreed to change the wording of its independence referendum question, after concerns it may lead people to vote 'Yes'.

SNP ministers wanted to ask voters the yes/no question: "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?" in autumn 2014.

The wording of the question will now be altered to: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

The change was suggested by the Electoral Commission watchdog.

I think that currency is a big issue.  I can understand why Scotland wouldn't want to take on the Euro as an independent state but isn't that the whole issue about the UK and Europe - they want the UK to take it on and share their burden - and the SNP keep on insisting that they will be part of Europe but only where it suits (like the current government).  So there are areas that Westminster and the SNP are in agreement without them saying that.  

The whole issue of membership of the EU if Scotland becomes independent is still far from clear, and the SNP are awaiting yet another legal opinion, which they should receive this week.


One thing which really puzzles me though is this:  According to statistics -

Some 400,000 people from elsewhere in the UK reside in Scotland and they will receive a vote in the referendum.

Nearly 800,000 Scots live in other parts of the UK but they will not receive a vote in this poll.

True, there are a some non-Scots who have chosen to come and live here (mainly in the northern part of the country), but there are many who live here for various reasons, e.g. because this is where their job has taken them, or they're married to a Scot, and I don't see why they should be allowed to vote for the future of a country which isn't theirs by birth - although I suspect probably many of them won't vote anyway because they really don't care, unless, of course, they're like an English friend who has lived here for many years (job) but who is worried about what will happen to him if Scotland becomes independent, i.e. will he be regarded as a foreigner who will have to apply for Scottish citizenship and possibly a work permit?

However, whilst there could be a few Scots who have chosen to live elsewhere in the UK, the same job/marriage/etc situation applies to the 800,000 who won't be allowed to vote on the future of their homeland but who have strong feelings about independence, or otherwise, and who would be only too happy to vote in the referendum.  For reasons of expense and logistics this couldn't be extended to the many ex-pats who live or work abroad, but it seems only fair to give Scots living elsewhere in the UK the chance to have their say by means of a postal vote.  Also I'm sure many of them are concerned that the same could apply to them as could apply to my friend if Scotland became independent, only in reverse.

[Aileen]

Would the International students at Uni have the right to vote too?

I read somewhere that Glasgow University are having a poll this month

http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_257069_en.html

No, is my answer, and that applies to students from outside Scotland in general because they're only at Uni for 3/4 years, although if they want to debate the issue and vote in a mock referendum, then I have no problem with that, although Glasgow Uni will need to set the question in its new form if they want to get a fair response.

[tennis_girl]

Unarguably the only sensible thing the SNP has done so far -

The Scottish government has agreed to change the wording of its independence referendum question, after concerns it may lead people to vote 'Yes'.

SNP ministers wanted to ask voters the yes/no question: "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?" in autumn 2014.

The wording of the question will now be altered to: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

The change was suggested by the Electoral Commission watchdog.

The whole issue of membership of the EU if Scotland becomes independent is still far from clear, and the SNP are awaiting yet another legal opinion, which they should receive this week.


One thing which really puzzles me though is this:  According to statistics -

Some 400,000 people from elsewhere in the UK reside in Scotland and they will receive a vote in the referendum.

Nearly 800,000 Scots live in other parts of the UK but they will not receive a vote in this poll.

True, there are a some non-Scots who have chosen to come and live here (mainly in the northern part of the country), but there are many who live here for various reasons, e.g. because this is where their job has taken them, or they're married to a Scot, and I don't see why they should be allowed to vote for the future of a country which isn't theirs by birth - although I suspect probably many of them won't vote anyway because they really don't care, unless, of course, they're like an English friend who has lived here for many years (job) but who is worried about what will happen to him if Scotland becomes independent, i.e. will he be regarded as a foreigner who will have to apply for Scottish citizenship and possibly a work permit?

However, whilst there could be a few Scots who have chosen to live elsewhere in the UK, the same job/marriage/etc situation applies to the 800,000 who won't be allowed to vote on the future of their homeland but who have strong feelings about independence, or otherwise, and who would be only too happy to vote in the referendum.  For reasons of expense and logistics this couldn't be extended to the many ex-pats who live or work abroad, but it seems only fair to give Scots living elsewhere in the UK the chance to have their say by means of a postal vote.  Also I'm sure many of them are concerned that the same could apply to them as could apply to my friend if Scotland became independent, only in reverse.

Why does it matter whether or not they were born in that particular country? They live in Scotland, it affects them as well.

[Littlebuddha]

I read the Times newspaper but I am no tory. In nearly every edition of the paper there are articles about the upcoming referendum. They keep banging on about Scotland becoming independent. If they continue this it is my belief that all it will do is to make people here angry and push people into voting yes. I think some people are under the impression that Scotland is a colony and that we should be grateful to pick up the crumbs from the bountiful UK government. If they keep going on that we should be grateful for that they are sadly mistaken. People forget that we were once an independent country with our own legal system and so on. Scots are not insular and have traveled all over the world to settle in those countries and contributed a great deal to them. If this present UK government wants Scots to remain as part of the UK they should think about a federal system where Scots would govern themselves apart from defence and foreign policy. That is the answer to the question if they are so thick and cannot accept this then eventually Scots will vote yes to full independence.

[Littlebuddha]

The way the this referendum is going it looks as though they think the Scots contribute nothing to the UK. It makes me angry to think that is the way we are perceived. Like last weeks Question time about radioactive waste originally it was supposed to be going to Cumbria but it was found that the rocks would leak radiation.So some smart arse in the audience shouted out send it to Scotland I am beginning to think people think that is what we deserve. It will always be so and I cannot see it changing, if we do not speak up for ourselves we will always be at a disadvantage. The UK government is trying so hard to scare people to accepting the way things are. It is up to Scots to try and change things for the better.

 


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