Scottish friends: Explain how this is fair...

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redcogs

You may be acquainted - he also receives care in the community.

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A rather nasty attack on the vulnerable in in our society. Welcome to the Tory Party. [:p]

Unknown · June 2007

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The report you quote is 10 years old and full of caveats about estimates.

One difficulty is in apportioning souces of tax revenue. Most companies are headquartered in London and their tax payments will be counted there. For example BAE Systems, Diageo etc have major Scottish presences, are their tax payments apportioned acrossUK or just counted as paid in England? M&S has lots of stores in Scotland but I bet all its taxes are paid in London.

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Actually you might want to look at the date of the second one, which was rather less than 10 years old. Do you think oil revenues have increased sufficiently since then to close the gap? Indeed, do you think the other factors you memtion are sufficient to close the gap? There are of course Scottish based businesses that trade in the rest of the UK as well.

The fundamental point here is that lots of people have been making the assumption that north sea oil justifies the greater level of public sector expenditure in Scotland. Yet so far, the only real figures anyone has found are the ones I've given above, which show England making a net contribution to Scotland. If you still insist otherwise, then fine, but please can we have some proper evidence to support it?

All that said, spire: the fact remains that how Scotland spends its funding is entirely up to Scotland. Personally I think Scottish voters really ought to question whether spending all that money on subsidising the better of half of society is good value in comparison with all the other things it might have been used for, but then that isn't my problem...
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A couple of points. Firstly, it's not all about money. If Scotland chose to be independent we may have less money but we would be totally free to choose how to spend it. We may decide not to have nuclear weapons, not to build new nuclear power stations, not to invade foreign countries, not to host the Olympics etc,etc,etc. This would help our finances considerably.

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Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

Saddle bum · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

If Scotland chose to be independent we may have less money but we would be totally free to choose how to spend it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

So would England. We would not have a Scots cabinet spending English money on Scotland in order to bribe the electorate.

BTW, you would also take your share of the National Debt.

Molon Labe.

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

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We may decide not to have nuclear weapons, not to build new nuclear power stations, not to invade foreign countries,<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This would be all very well, provided Scotland didn't rely on others to provide energy and defence. Would an independent Scotland leave NATO?

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">

BTW, you would also take your share of the National Debt.

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Absolutely, along with our share of national wealth/assets. Maybe a bit of the Elgin Marbles, a section of the Thames Flood Barrier[:)] etc

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Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">

BTW, you would also take your share of the National Debt.

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Absolutely, along with our share of national wealth/assets. Maybe a bit of the Elgin Marbles, a section of the Thames Flood Barrier[:)] etc

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Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)
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We'll let you keep your fantastic new palace at Holyrood. [;)]

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> We may decide not to have nuclear weapons, not to build new nuclear power stations, not to invade foreign countries,<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This would be all very well, provided Scotland didn't rely on others to provide energy and defence. Would an independent Scotland leave NATO?
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I think we'd be OK for energy, with existing nuclear power stations, hydro schemes, lots of windfarms and cleaner (carbon capture) coal-fired generators, and all the oil left in North Sea.

NATO - membership would be possible. I'm not sure how big our defence forces would need to be. Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Denmark, Portugal etc get by with small forces. Who is likely to attack us if we don't go invading foreign countries? At present UK relies on USA for defence to a great extent anyway. (Would we have invaded Iraq on our own?)

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Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

(Would we have invaded Iraq on our own?)

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No, the Buckies would have run out before you got there. [;)]

papercorn2000 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Patrick Stevens

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

(Would we have invaded Iraq on our own?)

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No, the Buckies would have run out before you got there. [;)]
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Its BUCKY you champagne-swilling oaf!

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by papercorn2000

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Patrick Stevens

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

(Would we have invaded Iraq on our own?)

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No, the Buckies would have run out before you got there. [;)]
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Its BUCKY you champagne-swilling oaf!

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/
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It's champagne swilling. You don't need a hyphen, you Scot. [;)]

spire · June 2007

Patrick, I hate to say this, but PC's grammar was correct, if not his sentiment!

papercorn2000 · June 2007

http://theruse.net/wp-gal/lostfiles/middle_finger.jpg

[:D]

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/

Noodley · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by papercorn2000

http://theruse.net/wp-gal/lostfiles/middle_finger.jpg

[:D]

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/
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[:D][:D]

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Patrick Stevens

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

(Would we have invaded Iraq on our own?)

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No, the Buckies would have run out before you got there. [;)]
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I understand that once Customs Posts are set up we will be banning Buckfast Tonic Wine, thus dramatically improving the health and life-expectancy of most of Lanarkshire and at the same time making a significant dent in English exports.[:D]

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Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

papercorn2000 · June 2007

But what will people in Coatbridge use to hit each other with?[:0]

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by papercorn2000

But what will people in Coatbridge use to hit each other with?[:0]

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/
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In a socialist Scotland, they'll have Glen Ellen bottles.

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by papercorn2000

But what will people in Coatbridge use to hit each other with?[:0]

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/
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We'll never know, I suspect many of them may relocate to Devon before the borders get shut.

_____________________________________________________________________
Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by papercorn2000

But what will people in Coatbridge use to hit each other with?[:0]

God told me to skin you alive.
http://www.ekroadclub.co.uk/
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

We'll never know, I suspect many of them may relocate to Devon before the borders get shut.

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Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)
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The mere mention of this and Scotland will have independence within the week with border controls that make the Berlin Wall look like an open border.

Scottish friends: Explain how this is fair...

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