Alistair Darling outwitting Alex Salmond: sometimes you can underestimate the quiet man, whether for good or ill.
What worries me now is the break up of a nominally united kingdom as tax competition reduces the country to its knees.
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I’ve no respect for Darling who recently maintained the banks were in ‘better shape’ whilst promoting his book.
As you hint at, Richard, there’s nowt ‘united’ about this country it is largely carrion for global financial pickings does it really matter if Scotland sidles off given the former?
I admit I would probably vote Yes if in Scotland
But it would be an act of faith
My thoughts exactly Simon. Richard may welll be right about an independent Scotaland indulging in tax competition, much as Ireland has, and part of me regrets the possible break up of the UK. I don’t have any time for chippy Scottish nationalism any more than I do for UKIP’s English equivalent.
But if I was in Scotland I’d probably vote yes, to get away from rule by this vile government. It’s a question of values. I’d prefer to live in a country which is more egalitarian, doesn’t persecute the disabled or unemployed, and doesn’t try to destroy the NHS and state education systems.
Given the current state of British politics as reflected in Westminster, I’d like to get independence from it, wouldn’t you?
Now how about moving Hadrians Wall south !!
Can Norfolk join the North in that case? It is appropriately named…..
The people of the country need to decide what is best for their country.
The headline makes good rhetoric Richard but I’m not sure the Darling ‘win’ amounts to anything much other than he managed to keep badgering Salmond about the currency question and the chair of the proceedings began to lose control of the audience at that same point. The media seemed to be surprised that Darling actually had a bit of fight in him but I’m not sure how he would have managed to rise to the top of a political party without it.
I found the format very clunky and the time spent with experts in analysing the debate was a pointless copying of American formats. Some of the biggest rounds of applause were actually for things the chair said?!!
As for the ‘act of faith’..well aren’t all political projects somewhat of this nature? I think what is important is that Scotland now has a parliament which has some credibility and would use something near full powers well. It would be much closer to the people and would have a greater diversity of members. The recent SNP majority won’t be repeated again so it will be back to coalitions, formal or informal. The idea of continuing to be part of a union after the 2015 election ruled by a London elite of one shade of conservatism or another and largely for their own benefit makes me feel quite sick.
I very largely agree
“The idea of continuing to be part of a union after the 2015 election ruled by a London elite of one shade of conservatism or another and largely for their own benefit makes me feel quite sick.”
Me too.
I’m going to vote yes but I sometimes despair at the SNP’s timidity. It is perhaps understandable given the extremely biased, overwhemingly negative mainstream coverage we receive.
The ‘debate’ was pitched for Darling, Salmond certainly didn’t shine and the poll conducted showing Darling ‘win’ actually shows that Salmond did better with the don’t knows than Darling.
Which is sort of an important group in these ridiculous debates.
(The figures are here)
I can think of any number of reasons for yes, the public vs private NHS for one, the sterility and negativity of the Better together bunch is another.
Again, much to agree with you on there
My brother lives in Scotland and I hear about the debate quite a lot! He was born in Hong Kong and lived in Australia and Jersey as a lad, served 12 years in the Royal Navy, finishing in Scotland and marrying locally. he encountered a fair bit of Scottish racism-usually from those who had never left the country or didn’t know their history, e.g. insisted Bonney Prince Charlie was a Protestant. However, he has been there since the sixties. We both feel British first and then English/Scots second. I would not like to see the Union break up. Governments -even ones as bad as this one, pass. My judgement is an emotional one, and in the end, most are. I can appreciate the feelings about the governments of the last thirty years but I hope the distinction can be made between a nation and their leadership. There is the old adage -patriots love their country, nationalists hate everyone else’s. I hope that the Scots will be guided by the first.
More selfishly, England has a Tory majority because the loaded electoral system (which the Scots have had the sense to scrap in their non-Parliamentary elections)and any alternative will need them, as much as I would like to think we ‘southern British’ could do it on our own.
Why not let London be independent? That would solve a lot of problems. They can even have a seperate currency.
Because if it was we could not redistribute its wealth extracted from the rest of us in the first place
The idea that London somehow extracts wealth from the rest of the country is a childish sixth former’s argument. If London did not exist, the country’s standing -both economic and cultural – would be diminished considerably. Only a fool can deny that.
Stop playing to the gallery of your bitter provincial friends, Richard. You can do a lot better.
Respectfully, the argument is based on sound economic theory
The City does not create value. It is instead set up to extract rent from the rest of us
That means my logic is exactly right and yours includes the school pupil’s error
Well now that Bruce Forsyth has shown his hand, I’m not sure we should even have a referendum
Thankfully this wasn’t an article about the odious IDS: the other “quiet man”
Well, for what it is worth, over the past months, the tactic from this partiular little tax haven in the middle of the Irish Sea has been to snuggle up to Scotland, although there has been a recent suggestion that an independent Scotland might well become a competitor.
Don’t worry England, the Isle of Man is always here to help you. Erm, unless we decide we’re better off helping Scotland.
Maybe UK will have to butter up to Salmond win or lose
Fom the Isle of Man pespective:
“Scotland could become Island’s biggest competitor”
http://www.energyfm.net/cms/news_story_330712.html