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Adinnieken said:
kowenicki said:
Conegamer said:
Coming for England, I'd say no and would advise people with the power to vote as well, looking at the positives and negatives of the split.

However, having said that nearly all the Scottish people I know are supporting the no campaign


Because they are intelligent.  It amazes me that anyone in Sctoland thinks this is a good idea if they look at it with their heads and not their hearts.  It will be financial suicide, no question about it.

Kowenicki is a economics expert?  Considering you support the Conservatives, I would say hardly so.

The two things that drive the economy more than anything else are consumer spending and government spending.  The people who spend the greatest percentage of their income, and offer the greatest benefit to the economy are the poor and working class.  The girl working the counter at McDonald's actually has a greater impact on the economy than you do, because a larger percentage of her income goes back into the economy than does yours.  Even depsite the fact that you may purchase more expensive items.  That's because that Xbox One, or that new laptop you purchased had to be imported.  That hardly does anything for GDP.  Where as, her food, her nappies for her baby, those are likely all locally produced or manufactured and 100% of that goes back into the economy.

Conservative ideals are nobel, but ill-informed.  At least that holds true for modern conservatives. 

Scottish independence is a bigger threat to the UK because of the reduction in revenue Westminster would have.  Westminster receives more in revenue from Scotland than it gives back to Scotland.  Thus, take that revenue away from Westminster and the England, Wales, and Northern Ireland suffers.  That's the reason for the scare tactics.  Westminster has more to fear from an independent Scotland than Holyrood has to fear from an independent Scotland.

That isn't to suggest that Holyrood wouldn't have some things to consider in the long-term, and in the short-term there would likely be some adjustments that independence would require, but the fact that Scotland would be better off as an independent concern in the long run.

BTW...Don't think of me as a supporter of Labour.  I've seen first-hand the problems that a Labour government has brought on Scotland through an effort in placation and subjugation with the Blair and Brown governments.  The failure of Westminster, especially under Labour, to generate new industry in Scotland to replace lost industries was a failure of opportunity.  Instead, Labour devoted itself to developing benefits and getting the disenfranchised on the public dole.  Now there exists generations of people who believe there is nothing more available to them than the life their parents lead.

But Cameron's solution is no solution at all.  The Bedroom Tax, like the Community Tax the Thatcher/Major government attempted to impose decades earlier is a punative tax.  Once again, if we look at GDP, if you take money away through an increase in tax, you decrease available income for spending, which decreases spending (a decrease in GDP), and causes a greater need and reliance on government transfers (benefits), which means funds that otherwise could go to the government increasing jobs through government spending, instead goes to maintain current jobs by means of benefits the individual uses to purchase goods and services they need. 

Economically, Holyrood actually has a better plan than does the Conservative government of Cameron in Westminster. You can attempt to argue otherwise, but unless you're prepared to counter decades of proven Keynsian economics your effort would be pointless.


Does that include all the revenues that are generated as a result of "business" from south of the border? Including a disproportionate public sector and business that would need to have a presence south of the border if Scotland went independent?

I don't know if it does or doesn't, most people don't because there is nothing concrete. But you need to consider that all those public sector jobs for the UK would be placed elsewhere. Scotland would then need to set up it's own public sector and there would be massive military changes. Anybody thinking the status quo would remain post independence is severely deluded, especially as Salmond made it perfectly clear Trident wouldn't be welcome in Scotland, so all those jobs are clearly going south of the border.

The bedroom tax isn't a punitive tax, because it isn't a tax. It's a reduced payout. They are completely different. I can't say I agree with the way that it's been implemented, but I certainly agree with the principal for the most part.

I know a lot of Scotlanders have this believe that there will be a "progressive liberal haven" in independennce. But once the realities kick in, I really wouldn't be surprised if the outcome is worse than the worst that Thatcher ever imposed. Especially having had the bullyboy tactics of the SNP exposed in recent weeks threatening businesses to keep quiet on their honest opinions if they didn't tow the line. Scotland could well be sleepwalking into a dictatorship.



RIP Dad 25/11/51 - 13/12/13. You will be missed but never forgotten.