Nor Scot

[ducati]

You are completely correct that the Scottish economy "is not all about energy". http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...-scotland-jobs My point being that an independent Scottish government, elected by the people of Scotland and working soley for the people of Scotland would be best placed to encourage global investment in Scotland. The Irish government appears to be attracting a lot of foreign (their word) investment into their economy in the last few months, as are other independent nations-Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland.....who do not have the throttling ligatures of "devolution" around their throats.
I don't believe i said that these areas of the UK were neglected by the UK government before the demise of heavy industry, but they have been since, and that is not argueable.

What you have to remember is that pretty much all the Scottish manufacturing industry was placed strategically in Scotland by the UK government. When it became obsolete, there was nothing to replace it until the digital and service industries started to fill the void. You can't blame the UK government for it's loss, and I'm sure you didn't thank it for the jobs etc. in the first place.

[Rheghead]

My point being that an independent Scottish government, elected by the people of Scotland and working soley for the people of Scotland would be best placed to encourage global investment in Scotland.

A powerful statement and primae facie very true.

However, the current devolved Scottish Government does have a duty to attract investment from all over the world as well as encourage domestic investment. I cannot think of one single scenario where independence would make any difference to that process.

[ducati]

A powerful statement and primae facie very true.

However, the current devolved Scottish Government does have a duty to attract investment from all over the world as well as encourage domestic investment. I cannot think of one single scenario where independence would make any difference to that process.

As I understand it, certain independentists expect to be able to tax business in such a way as to pay for much more in the way of socialist policies than is currently the case. This to my mind would make Scotland very uncompetitive when it comes to attracting new investment and is very likely to drive away existing investment.

[Oddquine]

A powerful statement and primae facie very true.

However, the current devolved Scottish Government does have a duty to attract investment from all over the world as well as encourage domestic investment. I cannot think of one single scenario where independence would make any difference to that process.

Maybe having the ability to access fiscal policy to help would be beneficial. As it is, everything spent from our sparse pocket money on attracting inward investment etc..at which they have admittedly done well....is money not available for other things which are just as important..like a faster start to the dualling of the A9 for example. The duty is a duty to maximise UK income...not Scotland's income, as, apart from the input to the local economy with a possible increase in service jobs...all taxes from the new business, personal taxes from the new jobs and taxes from the businesses in the local economy who have benefited from the new business in their area, hurtle down to land in the piggy bank in London..for the UK Government to spend as they will.

The scenario re a duty to attract inward investment and encourage new business starts won't change on Independence....bar the fact that we would keep the taxes produced by our own efforts to spend as we see fit....and not just add it to the UK pot to pay for the UK Government strutting the world stage as if they were as important in fact as they are in their own minds.

[ducati]

....and not just add it to the UK pot to pay for the UK Government strutting the world stage as if they were as important in fact as they are in their own minds.

Maybe if you moderated your pronouncments you wouldn't turn so many people off.

[ducati]

Anyone see the big debate on telly? Trust me I'm a politician.

[golach]

Anyone see the big debate on telly? Trust me I'm a politician.

Saw it and it has not made me change my mind from voting NO, in fact made my mind stronger

[ducati]

Saw it and it has not made me change my mind from voting NO, in fact made my mind stronger

It made my mind run out of my ears. The Yes gagies trotting out the same old pronouncements as undesputed facts, then all the No gagies er.. desputing them.

[Humerous Vegetable]

What you have to remember is that pretty much all the Scottish manufacturing industry was placed strategically in Scotland by the UK government. When it became obsolete, there was nothing to replace it until the digital and service industries started to fill the void. You can't blame the UK government for it's loss, and I'm sure you didn't thank it for the jobs etc. in the first place.

Yes, and so it might - the UK government was the only source of attracting employment then, and still has an influence over what can set up now. A devovled Scottish government (including the previous devolved governments) have been successful in bringing in new companies and increased job opportunites for the Scottish workforce. How much better would it perform with control over the fiscal and economic agenda?

[ducati]

Yes, and so it might - the UK government was the only source of attracting employment then, and still has an influence over what can set up now. A devovled Scottish government (including the previous devolved governments) have been successful in bringing in new companies and increased job opportunites for the Scottish workforce. How much better would it perform with control over the fiscal and economic agenda?

Well he'll have to be good at it because the first thing AS is going to do is throw all the peeps working for and supporting Holy Loch out of work followed closely by (as a result) anyone working on any UK defence contracts.

[orkneycadian]

Still no sign of Pirate Lassie coming back to clear up any misconceptions?

[Oddquine]

Still no sign of Pirate Lassie coming back to clear up any misconceptions?

Give it up...if you don't want to debate.....don't damn well post. One liners saying nothing connected to thrust of the OP is trolling..and this is your third go at it. It is starting to smack of harassment

[equusdriving]

Give it up...if you don't want to debate.....don't damn well post. One liners saying nothing connected to thrust of the OP is trolling..and this is your third go at it. It is starting to smack of harassment

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha you get funnier and funnier

[Humerous Vegetable]

Well he'll have to be good at it because the first thing AS is going to do is throw all the peeps working for and supporting Holy Loch out of work followed closely by (as a result) anyone working on any UK defence contracts.

Is Alex Salmond and the SNP going to be the first elected government after independence then? How do you know? I myself think it will probably be a coalition between Labour, the SNP and the Greens. It doesn't really matter who makes the decisions in my opinion, so long as they are basing their policy on what's best for Scotland and the people they serve. Next year's independence vote is not for a political party of any colour, it is for the chance of the people of Scotland to vote for the ability to chose our own way forward, without being tied to the UK political agenda.
Most of the current UK defence budget appears to be going overseas anyway.

[weezer 316]

Thats true but whenever I ask this question I never get an answer - why do people think that Scotland will be bankrupt after Independence. Secrets in Symmetry is fond of this point of view but never ever answers my questions - I think Im probably on ignore. What are people with the opinion that Scotland will be another Greece or Spain and bankrupt basing that opinion on? What have they read or heard that persuades them that Scotland will just crash completely? Is there anybody willing to answer this cos I dont get it.....

Scotland wouldn't be bankrupt. Any unionist that tells you we would is as ignorant as the nationalists that say we are poor (we are loaded) an exploited by westminster.

We would, actually, in 3 of the past 4 years, have had a much lower deficit than the UK, and in 2009/10 would almost have been in the black.

BUT

We would be greece mark 2 under the current plans. The biggest issue Greece has is that its currency in controlled from a foreign land which has bigger fish to fry, and printing money is off the table. No Political of fiscal union but there is a monetary one. Scotland with the sterling would be the same. Its a non issue now, it could be the single biggest issue we ever face if it happened. Infact it would be. Ive mentioned it before to you. £100bn of new cash from the BoE woudl be peanuts to England, if we really needed interest rates raised though it would cripple us, literally.

[sids]

it would cripple us, literally.

Now that is serious.

What would it to to people who are already of limited mobility?

[golach]

Most of the current UK defence budget appears to be going overseas anyway.

Oh is that so, the Daring class destroyers being bult on the Clyda at the moment, 2 of the biggest aircraft carriers being assembled in Rosyth and the Astute class submarines being built in Barrow on Furness, to mention a few,

[Humerous Vegetable]

Oh is that so, the Daring class destroyers being bult on the Clyda at the moment, 2 of the biggest aircraft carriers being assembled in Rosyth and the Astute class submarines being built in Barrow on Furness, to mention a few,

Yes, I think that is so. BAE systems, which has the major part of the current British government's defense budget (around £4 billion) appears to be a subsidiary of US arms suppliers. Armoured personnel vehicles are being supplied by India, the Eurofighter is being built in Germany and paid for by UK taxpayers..... The aircraft carriers at Rosyth might be being assembled there because of their deep water port, but where did all the bits come from? It is quite difficult to discover exactly where the MOD defence budget is going, but it's a fair bet that most of it is going to the US.

[ducati]

Yes, I think that is so. BAE systems, which has the major part of the current British government's defense budget (around £4 billion) appears to be a subsidiary of US arms suppliers. Armoured personnel vehicles are being supplied by India, the Eurofighter is being built in Germany and paid for by UK taxpayers..... The aircraft carriers at Rosyth might be being assembled there because of their deep water port, but where did all the bits come from? It is quite difficult to discover exactly where the MOD defence budget is going, but it's a fair bet that most of it is going to the US.

Regardless of your conspiracy theory, the fact is that fighting ships are never outsourced beyond UK borders. Make of that what you will.

[orkneycadian]

Orkneycadian? Can anyone please tell me on why they believe Scotland will be bankrupt after Independence?

I would love to see the figures to see if we will be or not. I remain ever hopefull when I see the post van going up the road to the house, that he will be bringing me the "Election Referendum Communication" that I have not received yet. But every day, when I get back to the house, I am disappointed to find only more bills. All I hear is that we'll be better off than we were before due to all this oil and gas, even though my fellow Highlanders and Islanders seem to be extremely concerned about the fracking processes we will have to deploy to recover it.

If anyone can point me in the direction of realistic projections for the economy of an independant Scotland that stretch as far forward as realistically practicable (and I mean longer than a couple of years), then I would be pleased to look them over.