SCOTLAND by 10,Downing Street.

[Captain Kong]

I have just recieved this email from 10 Downing Street. [ we are pen friends, you know]
regarding the effects on Scotland if it goes it alone.
here it is.....................
.
.
The official email of the British Prime Minister


5 things to remember about the UK and Scottish independence
On 18 September, voters in Scotland will be asked the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?".

The UK Government is making a positive case for Scotland to stay in the UK - Scotland is stronger in the UK, and the UK is stronger with Scotland in it.

Get more information on GOV.UK.



With less than a month to go until the independence referendum, here are 5 things to remember about the UK, Scotland and independence.

1.Independence would mean Scotland leaving the UK permanently and starting again
The services and institutions we now share will stay part of the continuing UK, while the new Scotland will have to create much of its own infrastructure and negotiate its own terms and conditions with other countries.
2.The UK has a diverse and successful economy
The UK has a population of around 63 million people; Scotland’s population is around 5 million. This means far more people are paying tax across the UK, which is what funds public spending and ensures we provide for one another – whether that’s through the NHS or the State pension. Scotland benefits, as public spending is 10% higher per person in Scotland than across the UK as a whole. Being part of the UK means Scotland’s economy is better protected against the ups and downs of the global economy.
3.Being part of the UK is an important factor in that economic success
70% of Scottish exports, including 40% of all Scottish goods and services, go to the rest of the UK. Separation could see trade move less freely, affecting jobs and income.
4.UK has major international influence
As a major player in the UN Security Council, NATO and the EU, the UK carries influence through its international alliances and world class armed forces that protect us and generate jobs. The UK spends over £34 billion on defence each year, and 12,500 regular armed forces (8.8% of the UK total) will be based in Scotland by 2020.
5.Centuries of shared culture, media, sport and arts
The diversity of the UK enriches everything we do – from our academic research and technological innovation to our performing arts – and it means we can invest more in doing it. Scottish communities received one fifth of UK Government money spent improving broadband in rural areas. And the BBC, which receives just over £300 million in licence fees from Scotland each year, spends just under £4 billion on broadcasting in Scotland.
What you need to know
Four million people can vote in this referendum, but the result affects all 63 million people in the UK.

•The referendum takes place on Thursday 18 September
•The vote is open to Scottish voters over the age of 16
•If you live in Scotland, explore the You Decide tool to see how independence could affect your home, work and family life.
•Scotland. The UK. 10 Myths. 10 Facts
•What would Scottish independence mean for jobs and pensions?
•Make sure you have the facts when you decide Scotland's future
.
Does any of our Scottish Members have any views on this also other Members from around the UK.
Cheers
Brian.

[robpage]

I think the Scottish Independence sought by Alec Salmon is more rooted in Brave heart than Brain head , I think it will be bad for the whole of the United Kingdom , and strongly believe the yes vote is about history , not sensibility

[vic mcclymont]

The yes vote is about one man. Fish face. He wants to go down in history as the man the broke the Union.
Apparently he and his cohorts new about the problems at Ferguson shipbuilders 8 months ago, and have done nothing.
His government had the power to bring forward and place a Ferry order for Calmac, all the did was sit on their collective erses.
Fish Face interested in Scotland, I think not.

[robpage]

Very rarely do Cameron , Miliband , Clegg and the Bank of England agree , they all say NO! to sterling , Salmond says they are all bluffing , If I lived in Scotland , I would be worried about the future . First they will not be in Europe , Not be in NATO , the submarine base will move South . This all seems like a bunch of schoolchildren trying to live out a dream . Personally , I see no sense for the Scots in a yes vote . I personally think financially England and Wales may be marginally better off , but there is an old saying

The Bible says Mark 3:25 as "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand". But in the american Ciivil War Patrick Henry used the phrase in his last public speech, given in March 1799, in which he denounced The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Clasping his hands and swaying unsteadily, Henry declaimed, "Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs."

I wish Alec could read that !!!!

[John Pruden]

although I think Scotland will stay as a part of the united kingdom at least they are getting to vote as people and have a say in their own future not like us treated like children with people doing what they think {not us} is best for us? you only have to look at the state of the country to see what a job the powers that be are doing. I rest my case..jp

[John Callon]

My vote will be a resounding NO. Never have I heard so much rubbish being preached by Salmond and Sturgeon and the rest of his party. There was a debate a couple of weeks ago shown live on STV. I don't know whether it was aired down in England or Wales. The debate was between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling (for the No campaign). Darling wiped the floor with him. Another one is scheduled before the referendum.
God forbid that the Yes campaign wins.
Regards
John

[happy daze john in oz]

A survey was conducted in Melboure the other week amongst ex pat Scots. Overwhelmingly they said the idea is a no brainer and the country would be better off with some one like Billy the big yin rather than some of the ones there now.
If a yes did come up then surely a number of Whitehall politicians would loose their jobs?

[john sutton]

theres something fishy goin on in Scotland.Is it a coincidence that the 2 leaders are a type of fish?

[Louis the Amigo]

hi shipmates, The vote will soon tell us? if the yes vote win? can I have tax rebate from all the single malt, I bought over the years? or will the scottish give me the isles of jura?.

[Louis the fly]

No more disastrous U.K. wars, no more being ruled by Eton schoolboys, no more being the poodle to U.S. policies, no more wasting billions on nuclear weapons.
An independent Scotland run by Scots for the benefit of Scots.

YES, YES, YES.