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The Referendum Thread


Lanarkshire_Bud

Scottish Independence Referendum  

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I'm a Yes voter, so to change me from a Yes to No, I need pointed in the direction of hard evidence which confirms my thoughts are incorrect. A daft analogy and a paragraph that some companies are ready to walk just now (with no mention of said companies or any evidence to back this up), isn't going to change my mind. But I do enjoy reading thoughts and opinions from the Yes voters and the No voters.

What I do hope is that the outcome of the vote in September ends up being the best decision in the interests of Scotland and our future.

I have already mentioned one company that has packed up and left. Petroleum Geo-Services - who have announced that despite profits of over $150m last year that they are leaving Scotland and taking key staff to Oslo and paying off the rest. Standard Life and TSB have also made it clear that they are making plans to relocate out of Scotland. Aggreko has also announced that they will quit Scotland if it becomes independent citing currency costs as a reason. Their boss Rupert Soames also accused Alex Salmond of phoning him the day after the story broke to issue him with threats about public contracts an allegation that was repeated by the CBI who claimed they've had a number of members who feel as though Alex Salmond has tried to intimidate them.

BP's CEO has raised concerns over currency issues, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons have all said they would face increased costs to supply an independent Scotland. That's just some of the many you'll find happily quoted in many articles available on the internet.

Edited by Stuart Dickson
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If we are not in a Currency Union, we won't be liable for the debt? Why would we start with huge debt owed to BoE?

As has been previously discussed the UK Treasury has guaranteed all bonds issued in Sterling, but the Scottish government would have to issue government bonds bought by the UK Government to take on their share of the debt. If they didn't then Scotlands credit rating would likely be hammered as would any individual who tries to walk away from a divorce without paying their debts.

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Brian, I totally understand where you are coming from with regards to the links of the Geordies being even worse off. Maybe I'm just not as nice as you, but my only concern is about myself and the people of Scotland.

That's nice of you Tam. Well, me and my two boys would like you to vote No. Hopefully your concern will see you willing to support the majority of Scots who want to remain in the Union. :rolleyes:

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PGS - Petroleum Geo-Services is the name of the company Oaksoft. I don't know if there is a web link of any announcement, I just know from a staff member - my Sister - that they are and that key personnel are being moved to Oslo while others are being made redundant on the 4th of April.

Companies do this all the time or hadn't you realised.

Total non story.

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I have already mentioned one company that has packed up and left. Petroleum Geo-Services - who have announced that despite profits of over $150m last year that they are leaving Scotland and taking key staff to Oslo and paying off the rest.

Yes but as usual you're a little short on the details of why they've pulled out - and you can't provide any proof either which is odd considering a stock exchange listed company would presumably have to do so.

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I won't persuade you... I won't try and wouldn't want to.

Personally... I'm floating but despite having a lot of understanding of the reasons behind the YES campaign... am veering more towards no.

My reason may well be helluva simplistic... but here it is...

I look at Google Earth... I see a big spherical planet... I look helluva close and I see a tiny wee island we call Britain.

Borders are man-made. It is one wee Island (go on... mention N.I.)

If I become richer as a result of independence, I assume it will mean that someone in Hull will become poorer as a result... I really don't want that.

I agree the power balance weighted towards London is wrong... but we are no different in our complaints from the Geordies... from the good folks of Leeds or even Manchester.

Surely devolved power throughout a united small Island should potentially be able to achieve more together than a divided small island?

Also... we resent being ruled by Westminster... but want to become a new member state in Europe... will Frau Merkle et al not exert more power over us that Ms Cameron ever could? That worries me!

Brian, if you are genuinely worried about how people in Hull would suffer then you should in all conscience vote No because I'm not sure what would persuade you otherwise. Sadly, with the UK government now taking a course of deliberately and recklessly trying to sabotage the economy of Scotland if we vote Yes, I can see years of division and hatred and resentment whatever the vote ends up being.

It's sad that Westminster sees this as a price worth paying.

Personally I think they should have simply kept out of it, honoured the Edinburgh Agreement and both sides could have worked together afterwards with minimum hassle.

Carnage is now inevitable and its Westminster ego (mostly males) who have caused it.

Either way you need to vote for what your heart tells you.

Probably best just to make sure you are not doing it out of fear though.

Edited by oaksoft
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Companies do this all the time or hadn't you realised.

Total non story.

Oh I know companies do it all the time. I totally understand that. There's plenty of companies that close down offices in politically unstable regions in order to protect their businesses. I'm surprised you think that it's a total non story that a multi national company is pulling out of Scotland but then I guess you are almost as unstable as the political future of Scotland at the moment.....:rolleyes:

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Easrlier Brian talked about why he was leaning towards a No vote. He spoke about feeling for people in Hull etc. which is fair enough.

I thought I'd post this as one reason me me deciding to vote Yes.

I want to protect Scots from this type of abuse which borders on criminal negligence:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-26377119

It's not so much the fact that she's in a coma. It's how she ended up in that state.

This is beyond horrific. Normal human beings simply should not be engaging in this.

The root cause of this is a Tory obsession, based in ego, with ensuring not a single penny in benefits goes to the wrong person. They hire a contractor to do the assessments and then pay them bonuses for every person they get off benefits. What results is highly incentivised staff who harass sick people who SHOULD be on benefits for bonus money. The hardcore offenders who are benefits cheats are more expensive to chase and so are left alone. How could this rather obvious state of affairs be made simple enough that a Tory toff can understand it?

Edited by oaksoft
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26381746

In a BBC interview, Mr Walsh said he was not worried about British Airways' prospects if Scots were to vote for independence from the UK.

"If anything, it [scottish independence] will be slightly positive, since we believe it will abolish air passenger duty," he told BBC Breakfast.

Why is this headline not BA Supports Independence For Scotland?

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Oh I know companies do it all the time. I totally understand that. There's plenty of companies that close down offices in politically unstable regions in order to protect their businesses. I'm surprised you think that it's a total non story that a multi national company is pulling out of Scotland but then I guess you are almost as unstable as the political future of Scotland at the moment.....rolleyes.gif

Its brilliant watching oaksoft destroy his own arguments! :lol:

Just going back to yesterday's point about SL pulling out of Scotland, someone mentioned about how SL said that before the devolution vote.

3 points.

1. SL were a mutual company when the devolution vote took place with folk running the company who had literally been there for decades. They are now a PLC and are run entirely differently.

2. The consequences of independence are far removed from devolution.

3. The landscape of the life assurance industry has completely changed since devolution due to takeovers, mergers, etc. Some famous names have disappeared altogether with some business moved down south. This would have been unthinkable pre devolution days as the industry had been unchanged in almost a century. Anything is possible now.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26381746

In a BBC interview, Mr Walsh said he was not worried about British Airways' prospects if Scots were to vote for independence from the UK.

"If anything, it [scottish independence] will be slightly positive, since we believe it will abolish air passenger duty," he told BBC Breakfast.

Why is this headline not BA Supports Independence For Scotland?

Because their head office isn't based in Scotland?

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26381746

In a BBC interview, Mr Walsh said he was not worried about British Airways' prospects if Scots were to vote for independence from the UK.

"If anything, it [scottish independence] will be slightly positive, since we believe it will abolish air passenger duty," he told BBC Breakfast.

Why is this headline not BA Supports Independence For Scotland?

Because he didn't say he supports independence. I watched his interview and he was very specific in what he said and it's a view I can't argue with. He's been told that an independent Scotland would scrap passenger duty and he sees this as a benefit to his company. Other than that he's not really concerned either way and why would he be? Their HQ isn't in Scotland and their business involves flying in and out of many countries

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Because he didn't say he supports independence. I watched his interview and he was very specific in what he said and it's a view I can't argue with. He's been told that an independent Scotland would scrap passenger duty and he sees this as a benefit to his company. Other than that he's not really concerned either way and why would he be? Their HQ isn't in Scotland and their business involves flying in and out of many countries

Seriously, could you and the Duke be any further off the pace?

There's a full page story on it now.

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As has been previously discussed the UK Treasury has guaranteed all bonds issued in Sterling, but the Scottish government would have to issue government bonds bought by the UK Government to take on their share of the debt. If they didn't then Scotlands credit rating would likely be hammered as would any individual who tries to walk away from a divorce without paying their debts.

You just made all of that up didn't you.

Edited by Maboza
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You just made all of that up didn't you.

Yes he did. Standard & Poor decide these credit ratings. The top rating is the AAA as underlined below in a direct quote from them.

S&P said Scotland's GDP indicated it could qualify for the top rating. "Even excluding North Sea output and calculating per capita GDP only by looking at onshore income, Scotland would qualify for our highest economic assessment," the report said.

It concluded: "In short, the challenge for Scotland to go it alone would be significant, but not unsurpassable."

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Yes he did. Standard & Poor decide these credit ratings. The top rating is the AAA as underlined below in a direct quote from them.

S&P said Scotland's GDP indicated it could qualify for the top rating. "Even excluding North Sea output and calculating per capita GDP only by looking at onshore income, Scotland would qualify for our highest economic assessment," the report said.

It concluded: "In short, the challenge for Scotland to go it alone would be significant, but not unsurpassable."

http://m.ft.com/cms/s/0/3866b10a-9fa8-11e3-94f3-00144feab7de.html

The report also stated that Scotland would be unlikely to get a AAA rating without currency union.

Edited by Stuart Dickson
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http://m.ft.com/cms/s/0/3866b10a-9fa8-11e3-94f3-00144feab7de.html

The report also stated that Scotland would be unlikely to get a AAA rating without currency union.

No they didn't. You'll not find a direct quote from them which says that.

Good luck finding it.

Admit it, you just read the headline didn't you?

I just wonder what you possibly have to gain by talking pish like this.

Edited by oaksoft
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