Any Scots expats like me who are fretting about independence ? I went to the union rally in Trafalgar Square yesterday. There weren't that many people there and the whole event was a bit of a damp squib.
The thought of losing the union is very unsettling. I don't like change perhaps though in reality it won't effect me and I have very few ties with Scotland except friends there.
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Totally agree about the vitriol. I have close family and friends in Scotland and lived there all through the 70's when the SNP were known as the Tartan Tories and were responsible for Thatcher coming in 1979 as they voted for a no confidence in the then Labour Gov. So let's not kid ourselves that this is about social justice.
I am not Scottish but I'm definitely not English or Welsh either. I was born in England to foreign parents. Where are we in all this? I want social justice too. I want Cameron to leave too. I don't want to be ruled by the Tories in Westminster either.
That said, I can understand the sentiment in Scotland. The friend I am most engaged in on this issue says it isn't about Salmond or Cameron but about wanting to be independent whatever the consequences.
On a lighter note look at this - about 8 mins 45 secs into the video. This is John Oliver's (English satirical comedian) analysis on the American HBO programme 'Last Week Today'. It's about 15 minutes long and is researched well and in spite of the cliches and stereotypes there's some good stuff - and funny!
The complaints about BBC are not only justified but the BBC has becoming little more than a mouthpiece of a whole series of 'official' perspectives. All it comes out with are negatives. If I lived in Scotland I would def vote yes, and part of that is because the BBC is a shallow, shameless propaganda machine, which treats the license payer with contempt. Anyone daring to question the bias, or factual accuracy of its output is dismissed out of hand. We have absolutely NO control over it at all. The threat to deny it to Scotland is pathetic and petty. I wouldn't miss it at all.
As someone who will remain in England (English not Scottish) I'm pretty angry about our politicians suddenly offering Scotland a load of additional concessions if it remains in the union.
Voting for Independence - yes, that is fundamentally a Scottish decision, so I accept that if it happens we in the UK will all have to bear the costs of their transition although only those in Scotland took the decision.
However, having Scotland remain in the UK but with higher powers to raise taxes, spend and borrow? That is an ongoing cost and risk to the rest of us so we should have had a say. Plenty of us may well feel, as I do, that while I'd like Scotland to remain in the UK on the current terms, I don't see any benefit to keeping them if we have to pay/risk more.
It's a nice nation, but not THAT nice...maybe we can date Brittany instead ;)
I think there's been a spectacular mis judgement from all the main political parties who haven't engaged until the very last minute. Especially Labour who I would say have the most to lose with an independent Scotland.
http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/12/pro-independence-rickshaw-rider-taunt...
Also a good article here: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/having-an-obe-doesnt-m...
Had an interesting chat with my cousin today about how he'll vote. He's 18 and about to start uni. His take is he wants to be part of a country who don't need to spend billions on trident, who have a commitment to social justice and who will enable anyone to go to university not just the rich. For him it isn't about hating Westminster and England but to shaping a country with the values he respects.
He also commented that he and his friends do find the BBC biased towards the No campaign but that he gets all his news and info from social media and this seems to be an area where the SNP have really captured people's attention.
I think Westminster have taken their eye off the ball here and Wee Eck, Nicola Sturgeon and the rest of the SNP have been able to capitalise on this to their own benefit.
A pub I used to frequent many moons ago has a hilarious Facebook page and their straw poll revealed 126 comments, 125 Yes's and 1 No. It's gonna be interesting on Thursday...
I'm really hoping for a YES Karin.....I'm no fan of wee Eck or his sidekick, but Scotland have an opportunity here that many would like but don't have!
Here's another interesting perspective on this issue form The Independent.
I think the reaction to a Yes vote from people living in the north of England will be interesting. I grew up in the north east and Edinburgh was much closer than London and was where we went for, as my Mam called them, the posh shops. There was, and I think still is, little sense of connection with the southern part of England. Even though the idea of a north east regional assembly was rejected by voters a few years ago, I think a Yes vote will re-ignite interest in the north becoming a more devolved region.
Peeps may be waiting to celebrate as Max Keiser said 'you couldn't have a more peaceful revolution than just having to vote yes to independence' :)
Just in case you haven't seen it, Brown's barnstormer:
I did - truly impressive and wish that he'd got involved earlier
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