Chatting with a colleague on the phone today, the topic turned to the Scottish brouhaha that will come to its climax this week. He was pretty fed up with the situation, and went on to discuss the what-happens-next scenario.
Among his wilder ideas was a boycott of Scottish things. I offered to support him, and decided to boycott porridge, whisky and Aberdeen Angus. Rather than rush things I decided to start with porridge, and then see how things go from there.
I feel the momentum is heading towards a NO result, but in the event of a YES it could all get very messy indeed. I suspect that long before independence day in March 2016 the Scots would be regretting their decision.
ReplyDeleteAs the practical difficulties become apparent money and jobs would flow south and the Holyrood govt would be left with the pensioners, benefit recipients, students at free universities while the tax payers follow the jobs and money and jump ship.
Good idea. Every telegraph pole I see from now on will be perfectly safe. I vow to toss no more cabers.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely forsake the deep fried mars bar.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to a reduction of income tax here in England, hoping that the rump government actually has the guts to treat the Scots as non-EU foreigners and cuts off the annual £10 billion charity payment. Trouble is, the Scots will then shortly qualify for foreign aid like any other depressed Commonwealth country.
ReplyDeleteWhen I came to England from Scotland in 1988 my boss at the time said it was an opportunity to raise the standards of education in two countries at once. I have since chosen to ignore the implied insult to England and my own academic achievement. However, I did come to England as the beneficiary of a first class, state provided, education which I then went on to utilise in the service of the residents of England. The taxes from my (eventual) six figure salary went into the common UK pot. If some of that trickled back north of the border, then it was only to pay for my expensive school, university and postgraduate education none of which I paid a penny for.
DeleteI am a unionist, but am convinced that every utterance like the one above just adds another "Yes" vote by nature of its ill-informed economics. There is no £10B annual charity payment.
Kindly read up on the effects of the Barnett formula, and compare per capita expenditures in England and on the Scots.
DeleteWhen I studied in England, I paid handsomely for the same privilege to contribute to the UK treasury. Some of my taxes continue to 'trickle' north of the border disproportionately.
DeleteI have read lots about the Barnett formula and its effect on per capita expenditure in England and in Scotland (and Wales and NI). The economics are complex and both sides use selective analysis to bolster their case. Missing from the "disgruntled Englishman" case is the effect of a net export of skilled and educated citizens (not just "Scots") from Scotland to England. I am not sufficiently skilled in econometrics to fully analyse the data however.
DeleteAs regards paying for education in England: I too paid handsomely for two children to attend private schools (because the state provision was so dreadful) and then to attend English universities. They are now higher rate taxpayers in England. And I am very happy (as are they) if their taxes support the land of their birth.
I wonder why the three main political parties are spending so much time and effort trying to prevent the secession of Scotland if it is such a fiscal drag as implied.
But as the author of this blog says "Way, away off topic..."
Had not though of that. Cutting off the 'net export of skilled and educated citizens' from a non-EU Scotland will help the employment rates in England, too.
DeleteEven Lord Barnett is embarrassed by the disproportionate benefit his formula gives to the Scots, per today's Daily Telegraph.
DeleteI too suspect that the harsh economic reality that will hit home shortly after a Yes vote may well cause a lot of regret from those voting emotionally, rather than rationally.
ReplyDeleteAs a lover of Scotland, the whole thing saddens me, as whatever the outcome the Scots, and the UK in general, will probably pay a price. If it's a close No vote then investors will be thinking twice in case the whole thing comes up again in a year or two. If it's a Yes vote then Scotland faces a few years of economic hardship and the rest of the UK has to deal with a neighbouring state that will, inevitably, cast the blame towards Westminster (as blaming Westminster for everything is practically a national pastime North of the border).
I suspect Scotland will be a bit like Ireland for the first few years after independence, without the civil war and sectarian violence, and without the use of Sterling. It seems clear that the pro-independence lobby are deliberately ignoring reality when it comes to things like EU membership and currency union, so at the very least I can foresee cries of outrage if there is a Yes vote from those who believed the referendum propaganda.
Mind you, Westminster hasn't exactly covered itself in glory with the Better Together campaign, either.
"Mind you, Westminster hasn't exactly covered itself in glory with the Better Together campaign, either."
ReplyDeleteI think the moral of the story is, if you have a cause to sell (Better Together) don't have it led by someone devoid of a personality.
One thing we do not want is to share the pound. If it all goes wrong it could bankrupt the remainder of the UK.
ReplyDeleteJe suis désespéré de mes amis en Ecosse. There is enough trouble to deal with reather than piling on more to the poor ordinary citizen. There is one thisng that only history will be able to answer and that is was this whole process folly most grand, borne from the puffed up ego of A.Salmond
ReplyDeleteOne thing nobody seems to have touched upon is that England & Wales have a different justice system to Scotland, with a third verdict (not proven) available to juries. Juries number 15, and the criminal courts too are different - Justice of the Peace Court, Sheriff Court and High Court of Justiciary, So if it is a Yes vote, there will be little change to Scotland's judicial system
ReplyDeleteWill nae talk of the effect on Irn Bru?
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for the Union Jack, and IN BOCCA AL LUPO!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Union Flag? It has to lose the white cross and blue background. Astronomical changes wherever it is displayed.
ReplyDeleteActually, only the blue background has to go. While we are at it, let's add in something for the Welsh.
DeleteNothing has to go, after all. Well done, congratulations.
ReplyDeleteAnd there was I thinking there was a good chance that turkeys would actually vote for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteAh, well. You might found an english national party and press Mr Cameron to give *the English* a referendum to reclaim the union. Why not, after all? It takes two to tango.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile,thank God BS's porridge is safe .
And perhaps we can pay Scottish MPs to stay from Westminster - solving the West £othian question...
ReplyDelete