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Independent Scotland will need big currency reserves - Bank of England

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Yet ANOTHER substantial negative consequence of independence which the Yes campaign has completely ignored and failed to take account of. No doubt they will argue that Carney is a government / Tory "stooge", who is merely "bluffing" and "scare-mongering", i.e. exactly the same tired and patronising response that they make whenever anyone points out the obvious, massive flaws in their plans.

Add to this no control over interest rates, enforced austerity (while the opposite is being promised, of course), a bank run, a flight of jobs and capital from Scotland, loss of EU membership benefits, declining oil revenues and an aging population, all of which are likely to happen, and Alex Salmond's socialist paradise starts to look like exactly what it is - a really bad idea.

A Yes win will be economic suicide for Scotland - I hope that the voters realise this before they get to the polls rather than finding out soon afterwards. The Scots are canny, so they probably will end up voting No.

And if they do vote yes - well, they can't say that they haven't been warned.

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Indeed it seems that anyone pointing out the need for fiscal responsibility is labeled a Tory stooge, and this kind of thinking isn't limited to Scotland. It seems other regions are sold on free health care, free higher education and a generous welfare system. Salmond would be like Homer Simpson in that episode where he becomes mayor and spends the year's budget in a couple of days. Maybe a yes vote is best now, better than "devo max" anyway.

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other regions are sold on free health care, free higher education

threatened by social mobility, are we?

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"which the Yes campaign has completely ignored and failed to take account of"

Presumably the No campaign have ignored it too, as this magic number of 130 billion has only cropped up so late in the campaign. I'm sure we will hear even wilder claims from both sides over the next week.

"economic suicide" The alternative being a slow lingering death as Scotland's resources continue to pay for the UK's high and mighty ambition of being high and mighty.

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Thanks! Minus votes validate the hypothesis that some are actually threatened by social mobility.

Best ensure the oiks - Scots or otherwise - get no ideas above their station.

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'It seems other regions are sold on free health care'

'Other' regions? Is Scotland a region? I was always under the impression it was a country. Live and learn. That aside, are there any regions in the UK not sold on free healthcare? Even Dave and Gideon are forced to give the usual 'the NHS is safe in our hands' platitudes when they have to address the great unwashed. I'm genuinely interested in knowing where these regions are.

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@Jimizo

From the first part of the Wikipedia entry for "Country": "A country is a region...". Live and learn. OK, you want to pick on just health care from what I wrote. Yes, the NHS is untouchable ideologically (although not in practice, no one still expects to get an NHS dentist, for example), but its not free, it has to be paid for, that's what I was getting at.

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aiming to join the euro - something Salmond has ruled out.

If the Yes vote wins, there will be a Scottish election to elect a Scottish Parliament. Surely that Parliament will decide whether or not Scotland should move to join the euro, not Salmond. Does he think Scotland will become his own personal fiefdom?

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@Davestrousers 'From the first part of the Wikipedia entry for "Country": "A country is a region...". Live and learn'

Hmmm...the words 'country' and 'region' are not generally interchangeable for me in this context. Are they for you? It was just that I've noticed many who oppose Scottish independence like to avoid using the word 'country' when referring to Scotland. It's a habit which has annoyed many Scots for a long time.

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"Does he think Scotland will become his own personal fiefdom?"

That's how the other side like to portray him. His deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, has openly said that if Scottish people want a Labour government, the quickest way to achieve it is to vote Yes. The referendum is not a vote for the SNP and its policies. Future policies are a matter for future governments. My own favourite as a future Prime Minister of Scotland is Ruth Davidson of the Tories. (I can dream.)

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Jizmo - Scotland is both a country and a region of the United Kingdom. Until 100 years ago, Scotland was often referred to as 'North Britain' (or N.B.), including within Scotland itself, showing a regional approach.

Let's put semantics aside - we all know what is being discussed.

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The referendum is not a vote for the SNP and its policies

Exactly, so how come Salmond thinks he gets to rule things out before anyone has cast a vote for anything?

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Salmond annoys the hell out of many people. I saw the Torygraph was bleating on about how he bullied one of their young reporters by offering him liquorice allsorts. It's usually fun to see this ridiculous paper taken down a peg or two but Salmond does grate. On the whole, I'd say Cameron is the most repulsive but it's a photo finish. In Scotland, Cameron gallops in for most by quite a few lengths.

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If Scotland secedes, they can keep 100 pct of the oil revenue, reduce defense spending to match no-standing-army Iceland's (who, having no air force of their own, have the NATO air forces on call, and invite them over to the island for a patrol deployment a few time times a year), and have loads of dosh available for national partying and whatnot.

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"so how come Salmond thinks he gets to rule things out "

When did he say that?

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When did he say that?

The article says he said it. And also from the horse's mouth - Mr Salmond's Scottish National Party has previously backed the idea of Scotland joining the single currency, but today he ruled it out. 'There's no prospect of them being members of the euro and currently and for the foreseeable future there's no prospect of Scotland, an independent Scotland, being a member of the euro,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263225/No-prospect-Scotland-joining-euro-Alex-Salmond-insists-boasts-EU-welcome-open-arms.html

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