We are all entitled to an opinion WW and a lot of members on this forum will not agree with mine , but frankly a lot of opinion I have read , from both sides of the SNP/Independence fence, is clearly not based on fact, but on emotion & urban myths .
Nicola Sturgeon is someone who comes across to me as hating the UK with a vengeance, as do most of the SNP MP’s and their independence dream presents all of us with the biggest threat to both the Scots and the rest of the UK’s way of life for many generations!
I have always thought that they were a bunch of anti establishment left wing lunes hiding behind a veil of respectability that a popular political party gives them.
But I am wrong, they are a lot more sinister and maybe crooked than that, and the nerve they have criticising the U.K Central Government!
They may hate us, but it is not , generally, reciprocated- we love Scotland and the Scots, they are part of our UK family , but Sturgeon has spent most of her adult life trying to tear our family apart-It doesn’t make any sense, whether on the emotional or the economic level?
Her continued attempt at the breakup of our United kingdom family is not only sad for all of us, but disingenuous- the SNP have cynically lied about the economic effect of a likely contentious divorce , and using their ‘Nationalist majority’, have given votes to just about everything that moves , to ensure they keep that majority!
However, and this is where the hypocrisy really comes to the fore – theirs is not a dream of Independence , but of a divorce from their hated English /Westminster.
Yet the rest of the UK is Scotland ‘s biggest trading partner ‘by far ‘, as well as the hated UK Government/Westminster being the money tree that the SNP conveniently pick the money fruit from whenever they find that even in Scotland they have to earn more than they spend, to get by.
As soon as the decree absolute comes through, hypocrisy 2., will come in to play, ie ‘the big one’ , in that they plan to jump into bed with another partner- The EU, so where is this ‘independence ‘ -this is the ‘big lie’, they just want more power for themselves, and for someone else to pay for it!
Sturgeon has sold and sold the scenario ‘ no longer’ ruled ‘ by Westminster, but underplayed the plain fact that Scotland would be ruled some other entity – Brussels, and has lied about the potential of losing thousands of defence and financial services jobs and as a consequence, untold millions in income, as well as potentially having tougher tariffs on goods crossing the border with the UK, therefore potentially losing even more income and jobs, coupled with no more subsidies from the UK?
Then, there are the huge Security implications for both an Independent Scotland and the UK which have been largely ignored by the SNP in the drive for Independence, especially ignoring or minimising the huge huge costs of acquiring equipment both for operations on the water and in the air, not forgetting ground operations and the ongoing running costs!
These costs alone could potentially bring an Independent Scotland to it’s knees very very quickly!
The economically illiterate SNP, cant seem to grasp, that Taxation from a working population of under 2.4 million & even fewer when those working in Banking & Financial Services move south to follow their quickly relocating employers, and we mustn’t forget the MOD personnel, resulting from the closure of The Trident Base, plus the personnel from the forces ,as well as voluntary , relocation of other defence bases and personnel, there is just not going to be enough income/revenue going to the Scottish treasury to cover the requirements of Running the country – so the current debt levels will pale into insignificance compared to whats to come !
The SNP say that the People living in a country are best placed to run it- well that’s a pretty puerile argument, as they want the EU to rule in Scotland!
Nearly forgot, the loss of subsidy as mentioned above ie the Barnett Formula –
Quote from Barnett himself –
“I have become more troubled by the so-called ‘Barnett Formula’ with every passing year. It is clear that what was then a short-term political fix has no place in deciding long-term government spending. It is grossly unfair tha Scotland should receive more money than the regions of England or Wales when that decision is not based on actual need.
At the moment, Scotland is given around £1,600 a head in annual central government grants more than England. That is manifestly unjust and allows the Scottish parliament to provide all sorts of things, such as free prescription charges and university education, that the English can only dream of. “
Unquote.
The removal of this funding alone will hit the Scottish voter where it really hurts ?
The Scottish economy is not in near as good a state as the SNP like everybody to think- lies and more alies coming out of Holyrood – and accordingly, taxes are rising etc etc, and after independence, who knows to what dizzy heights
The long lost hope of oil never running out, & prices rising and that Scotland will keep all the revenues and also that Scotland will be able to instantly rejoin the EU and instantly jump on the gravy train, is absolute nonsense of course, even if Scotland is eventually granted membership of the EU, and even if ,as the SNP want everyone to believe, “Scotland’s GDP rises”, then , the rules which they fail to inform the electorate are , that the EU subsidies will decrease and ‘ on top of this membership fees ‘ will increase, both facts. Rock and hard place comes to mind!