Hs2

[Alrock]

Europe doesn't have a coastline...............

Where do the ferries go when they leave Dover then?

It might not totally circumvent the arbitrary area of land we call Europe, so we'd better include the arbitrary areas of land called by us Asia & Africa into the equation also.

[mi16]

In your opinion and probably of Yes voters.

I am a died in the wool unionist and think its ridiculous

[ducati]

Difference is that these projects are funded out of the money given to Scotland by the UK Government - take the commonwealth games there is NO money coming direct from Westminster to Scotland for the games. Despite the Olympics being a UK wide project and so taken out of the calcualtion. No extra money because the games are a UK wide project, no extra money because the trams may benefit the UK visitors to Edinburgh. These projects will have to be funded from Scotland's budget. Thats fine, and if I had been in charge we would still have contributed to Olympics because it truly was a UK wide project but you know - London Sewers????

Hmm.. I wonder how many Scots use the London sewers? I don't know, but a safe guess would be more than use the Inverness ones.

[squidge]

Coulda woulda shoulda......

The Uk is bigger, with the #1 heavyweight in is corner, the city of london. Broader shoulders and all that no? What does "Scottish" have to do with it? Brown was Scottish, so was Blair. Why does that matter?

Scottish doesnt matter - nor does English or Welsh or French as personal nationality but as Government it matters - it matters because the needs of Scotland and the Scottish electorate matters. The Union has done well but it no longer serves Scotland well enough. An Independent Scotland would reflect the needs of Scotland better - would focus on the priorities of an Independent Scotland because that is the point of it. Does the number one heavyweight actually stand in Scotland's corner? Or does it do what is best for the South east and London. I dont know. I think that Scotland will have the opportunity to do things differently in a way that we dont have today if it secures Indepedence; the opportuity to spend money in a different way and to raise money in a different way too. We will have choices which we dont have. Thats a good thing as far as I see. We do not have these opportunities in a United Kingdom

[theone]

Scottish doesnt matter - nor does English or Welsh or French as personal nationality but as Government it matters - it matters because the needs of Scotland and the Scottish electorate matters. The Union has done well but it no longer serves Scotland well enough. An Independent Scotland would reflect the needs of Scotland better - would focus on the priorities of an Independent Scotland because that is the point of it. Does the number one heavyweight actually stand in Scotland's corner? Or does it do what is best for the South east and London. I dont know. I think that Scotland will have the opportunity to do things differently in a way that we dont have today if it secures Indepedence; the opportuity to spend money in a different way and to raise money in a different way too. We will have choices which we dont have. Thats a good thing as far as I see. We do not have these opportunities in a United Kingdom

And by that logic the Highlands would be better out of Scotland, or Caithness out of the Highlands?

Where does that argument stop?

[mi16]

And by that logic the Highlands would be better out of Scotland, or Caithness out of the Highlands?

Where does that argument stop?

Perhaps a world governemnt would be the best bet, woudl stop all the wars and money could be spread evenly to all.

[squidge]

And by that logic the Highlands would be better out of Scotland, or Caithness out of the Highlands?Where does that argument stop?

It stops with nations. Scotland has a right to ask people whether they want an Independent Scotland because Scotland is a country within a union. Scotland is and has been a seperate and identifiable country for over 1000 years. The Union in 1707 did not change that. Scotland remained a nation in its own right. For me, thats where it stops

[theone]

It stops with nations. Scotland has a right to ask people whether they want an Independent Scotland because Scotland is a country within a union. Scotland is and has been a seperate and identifiable country for over 1000 years. The Union in 1707 did not change that. Scotland remained a nation in its own right. For me, thats where it stops

Remind me, where was Caithness in Scotland 1000 years ago?

[golach]

I am pro Scottish with a passion NOT anti English. Gulach what part do you nmot understand?

I dont understand your jealousy for all things English. I see no English people making a song and dance about the New Forth Crossing, the upgrading of the A9 to dual carriageway, and not for getting the Borders railway line, all being built at great expense, not to mention the £700,000 per year cost for two black and white bears to China, another one of Ecks personal projects.

[Maxx]

The zoo's charitable owners, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said its overall income jumped by more than £5m to nearly £15m last year, and the number of visitors leapt by 51% following the arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang in late December 2011.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/may/07/edinburgh-zoo-pandas-profits-increase

£700k for £5m is a bargain.

[sids]

And by that logic the Highlands would be better out of Scotland, or Caithness out of the Highlands?

Where does that argument stop?

The Federation of Planets.

[golach]

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/may/07/edinburgh-zoo-pandas-profits-increase

£700k for £5m is a bargain.

Thats good news. My next question is who is getting the £5m the Zoo or the Scottish Government? If it is the Zoo, then in my opinion they are ripping off their paying customers, two Orgers went to the Zoo on Monday paid the price, then found out that the paying public cannot see the pandas.....to me thats a rip off. If your main money making act cannot be seen I would think a reduction in the entrance fee would be in order.

[Rheghead]

By that logic the whole of Europe should be one country.

now there indeed is a question...

[Maxx]

Did they pre-book tickets as per the information on the website?

http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/visiting/panda.html

Edit: just to add, Edinburgh Zoo are paying for the Pandas themselves.

[sids]

Thats good news. My next question is who is getting the £5m the Zoo or the Scottish Government? If it is the Zoo, then in my opinion they are ripping off their paying customers, two Orgers went to the Zoo on Monday paid the price, then found out that the paying public cannot see the pandas.....to me thats a rip off. If your main money making act cannot be seen I would think a reduction in the entrance fee would be in order.

So how is it that I have seen the pandas?

[golach]

Did they pre-book tickets as per the information on the website?

http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/visiting/panda.html

Edit: just to add, Edinburgh Zoo are paying for the Pandas themselves.

Because of the pending pregnacy there is no viewing at the moment

[squidge]

No taxpayers money is being used to fund the pandas.

The Scottish government is funding the Rail Link, the A9 upgrade and the Forth Crossing. No extra money is coming from the rest of the UK to pay for these. So how come the HS2, sewers and the like are needing a Scottish contribution too? The Scottish projects mentioned are being funded out of the existing block grant that Scotland gets.

To say there is no song and dance from the rest of the UK about spending in Scotland is not quite true. There have been many calls to slash Scotland's budget from a variety of Westminster MPs and journalists. There remains an attitude that The rest of the UK subsidises Scotland because there is £1200 more per head spent on public services in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. This fails to recognise that there is £1700 more per head contributed from Scotland in the first place and also fails to recognise that we spend more on public services because we value them and see that this is money well spent.

Scotland pays in more than it gets back - this is quite clear. Only with Independence can we choose the priorities that suit Scotland and spend the money - the money raised in Scotland - on those priorities. Only with Independence can we do this without having to wait and see what Westminster gives us; without running the gauntlet of threats to reduce the budget and remove the powers we already have and therefore remove the opportunities of mitigating some of the Welfare reforms, or maintaining free higher education and prescriptions and personal care.

[Rheghead]

Reading from a script?

[squidge]

Meaning what?

[Rheghead]

Meaning what?

It's just that you seem to have all the answers.