I have an idea...

[Rumble]

Long live the queen and may she live happily on the minuscule
percentage of my tax money that it costs to have her and her family in a position that would other wise be held by yet another whim of a politician.

Firstly, she has no actual power whatsoever. None.
Secondly, if she did, why on earth would you want that position to be held by someone who got it by virtue of who their parents were, rather than a democratically elected individual? If the "president" (or whatever) we chose turned out to be a rotter we just vote in another one in a few years, can't do that with the royals can we?

Anyway, she's not my queen, I didn't vote for her...

 

[highlandsflyer]

As for Scottish industry - there's a long life left in the North Sea - as much left down there as there's been taken out so far. Yes, it's getting harder to get to, but the rising cost of oil means that new resources are becoming profitable all the time. When it does run out the expertise will transfer to new technologies like carbon capture and storage.

Then there's renewable energy, we're moving towards a point where we are going to finally take advantage of the shitty weather we endure to become a net exporter of "clean" electricity from hydro and wind power (and maybe tidal, jury's still out there I think). This isn't a pipe dream, I work for a company at the heart of it, the technology and the figures stack up.

Scotland's also on the way to being a top datacentre provider, another advantage of our crap climate. Throw in the usual suspects like food & drink manufacturing, tech start-ups in IT, electronics and bio-tech spinning out of our internationally recognised universities, and tourism as well. Does that sound like it could support a population smaller than London's?

Just to support what you are saying, my cousin is a geo for a large oil company and he supports your point entirely. Besides, there are new close in exploitable areas.

If England had them they would already be exploited, given the easier access.

 

[highlandsflyer]

Why doesn't the Queen save up for her new boat?

She receives 7,900,000 of tax payers pounds every year, so it would only take a little over 10 years.

Or, she could just buy it herself with the billions she has stashed away. Also, the Scottish people may want Balmoral back when Scotland 'does one', and has a say in it's own affairs,without inteference from a bunch of rich Southern English political ponces. That may raise a couple of quid.


al.

One of the greatest posts I have seen anywhere on the internet, ever. (Although Balmoral is privately owned.)

 

[highlandsflyer]

Long live the queen and may she live happily on the minuscule
percentage of my tax money that it costs to have her and her family in a position that would other wise be held by yet another whim of a politician.

Quite agree with this. Foe queen and country.

Freudian slip revealing latent thoughts?

Agree. I'd love to f**k the Queen. Her and her kind have been f**king the people of this country since history has been recorded. Not just this country but the Scot's, Welsh & Irish have regularly been f**k by her fore fathers.

The country can live with out them. Position by birth is very wrong.

What is going on? Two of the greatest posts ever in one thread!

 

[suburbanreuben]

I'm all for it (heart ruling head again), but being English I probably won't get a vote. Who will?

 

[Rumble]

I guess in theory if there was enough desire for it then England could get it's own vote on leaving the union, but it's taken the SNP a long time to get to this point, and even now independance isn't a done deal by any means.

 

[Andy R]

As far as the 'exports' go, how about some of the greatest scientists/engineers and inventors of all kinds ever seen? How about a huge number of the people who actually create the wealth in the UK? How about a huge number of the respected media/politicians, business leaders in the UK?

You can be as patronising as you bloody well like, but Scotland has a hell of a lot more to offer than what you have mentioned.

Even bloody water.

We will be selling it to you as gold within my lifetime.

Apart from all that, of all places on a bleedin' mountain bike forum, I would have to remind you Scotland has the BEST mountain biking in all of the UK, run a close second by Wales but miles ahead of England.

We have a small population, highly technically advantaged and historically inventive. We have one of the most beautiful and desirable landscapes in the world to set our diamonds in.

We have demonstrated historically a huge ability in science, engineering, economics, politics, philosophy, art and just about every facet of popular culture.

What do we have to lose?

The real question is what does the rest of the union lose.

All very true - and if the Isle of Man ever sinks without a trace (under the weight of an rapidly increasing number of immigrant LOMBARDs and chavs) it's to Scotland that I'll be heading, in the hope that they'll let me live there.
Plus it's only 20 miles to Isle of Whithorn.

Put a good word in for me guys.......

 

[FST4RD]

Long live the queen and may she live happily on the minuscule
percentage of my tax money that it costs to have her and her family in a position that would other wise be held by yet another whim of a politician.

Firstly, she has no actual power whatsoever. None.
Secondly, if she did, why on earth would you want that position to be held by someone who got it by virtue of who their parents were, rather than a democratically elected individual? If the "president" (or whatever) we chose turned out to be a rotter we just vote in another one in a few years, can't do that with the royals can we?

Anyway, she's not my queen, I didn't vote for her...

I'm a bit of a royalist... and I live in New Zealand!
The old man got a British Empire Medal from the Queen a few years back for his 21.5 years doing chopper search and rescues as a paramedic in the Air Force all over the world.

But back on to why I quoted this... She does have some power yeah? Doesn't the newly elected PM for England have to go to the Queen to ask for permission to run the country, and if she says yes then once he's formed his government he then has to go back and ask for her permission again?
I know that this is generally a formallity, but I do know that the queen did Veto 1 PM in her reign...

 

[Neil]

But back on to why I quoted this... She does have some power yeah? Doesn't the newly elected PM for England have to go to the Queen to ask for permission to run the country, and if she says yes then once he's formed his government he then has to go back and ask for her permission again?
I know that this is generally a formallity, but I do know that the queen did Veto 1 PM in her reign...

I'm a bit grey (well charcoal, really...) on all the details, but although that may all happen as a technicality - it does mostly seem a formality, these days.

I can't see anything like that (ie the monarch refusing to allow a PM elect to form a government) happening in this day and age - and if there were an attempt, you'd have to boggle at the constitutional implications of an unelected monarch, interfering with democracy and denying the intent of the voting public.

 

[grahame]

Ji

Also, the Scottish people may want Balmoral back when Scotland 'does one', and has a say in it's own affairs,without inteference from a bunch of rich Southern English political ponces. That may raise a couple of quid.
al.

If the Scots did go there own way, could they afford to stay that way? Easy enough to begin with after all they already have had their hospitals, airport's, schools etc etc built with U.K's money. I mean will they depend on England for defence? will they use the £ or will they join the euro (snigger). I cant think of many scottish exports apart from whiskey, haggis and nessy. Cant see that paying for much. Would like to see it happen if only so we can see them come back a few years later cap in hand

I very much doubt they would need to?

Don't they have a shed load of natural resource (gas... oil?)

Actually no, they dont.

Well can't say as I'm an expert in it - it was just a throwaway comment from something I read at some point.

But, from wikipedia (yes, I know, not 100% perfect, but generally accurate...):-

"Scotland's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), including oil and gas produced in Scottish waters, was estimated at £137.5 billion for the calendar year 2009"

Now unless there's some huge controversy about whether the oil and gas can truly be annexed by Scotland, £137.5 billion seems a non trivial amount.

Well, if I was a Shetland Islander, the minute the referendum is over (and assuming Salmond wins), I'd petition for independence from Scotland, and take my oil revenues with me.

It's a slippery slope he's treading, I tell you.