Scottish Independence?

[Gus]

Like the north of England, it used to have a very big Coal industry, Steel Industry, Ship building industry, manufacturing industry, but Mrs Thatcher sorted that out.....

Hmmmm ... sounds like the Potteries. Used to have a vast majoirty of our employment in Coal, Steel, Pottery and Tyre production ... now its all call centres and UB40 (similar to Scotland?) ..... no way we've be self-supporting ... why do you think we've not tried for Devolution ourselves.

[SteveK]

Like the north of England, it used to have a very big Coal industry, Steel Industry, Ship building industry, manufacturing industry, but Mrs Thatcher sorted that out.....

Whether people like it or not, it's a global economy now (for example I'm English born, worked in Inverness for six & a bit years, but currently work in Brisbane, Australia). Naively protecting industries when they are uncompetitive isn't an effective way to run a country. (I still own a house up in Scotland, so I've an interest in ensuring the Scottish economy stays buoyant)

Can I recommend the Evan Davis blog on the BBC website:
BBC NEWS | The Reporters | Evan Davis
This seems a balanced assessment of whether it would be in Scotland's interest economically to be independent; being heavily reliant on the rapidly diminishing Scottish oil industry doesn't seem to be a prudent way to run an economy.

[Stuart M]

My biggest single concern about independence is that Scotland has always been Labour territory, and the thought of them holding power here just leaves me cold.

I would hope our growing up period would be over soon, and that we can get to some real politics.... not just, "My Dad voted Labour, so I'm gonna too..." stuff which is spectactularly ignorant.

On an optimistic note, perhaps a shift like this will persuade more Scots to take an interest in their political well-being and become better informed.

With you on this, CJ.

This parliamentary election showed some good and bad signs on that score. For the first time, we saw the SNP and LibDems take seats off Labour outside of one-off by-elections. On the downside, we saw a new generation of Labour apparatchiks appearing - people like David Whitton, who has strong media ties (worked for both Scottish television and the Daily Record for many years).

However, I actually think the real breakthrough is taking root in the councils. The Labour party has now only got 2 absolute majorities in the West of Scotland, and even there, large effective opposition groups have come into being thanks to PR. It will have to set up coalitions to continue in many former strongholds. The dreadful complacency and arrogance, which used to poison local government in the West of Scotland, will have to come to an end. I remember living in an area which had the temerity to vote for an SNP councillor in the 80s, in a by-election. It was left to rot as "punishment".