No wonder they don't want us to have independence.

[Corky Smeek]

I did a wee bit of research today into the value of two commodities:- whisky and gold. What I found was quite interesting.


Whisky

The total amount of whisky currently lying in bond in Scotland is the equivalent of 12 billion 70cl bottles.

The duty on a 70cl bottle of whisky is £11.50.

Therefore, the total value to the exchequer of all the whisky in Scotland is £138,000,000,000.



Gold

The total weight of the UK's gold reserves is 310.29 tonnes.

The current price of a ton of gold is £41,517,000

Therefore, the total value of the UK's gold reserves is £12,882,309,930.


It is also interesting to note that the UK's gold reserves are not all that substantial when compared to other major countries. For example, France's gold reserves are nearly 8 times as great as the UK's and Germany's are nearly 11 times greater. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have greater gold reserves than the UK.

It is equally interesting to note that the value of all the bonded whisky in Scotland is 10 times greater than the value of the UK's gold reserves.


No wonder they don't want us to have independence. And no wonder some people refer to whisky as liquid gold.

[Goodfellers]

Dear me, you must be bored.

If you're bored tomorrow look up the value of the UK currency reserves compared to Germany's

[Corky Smeek]

Oh, very bored indeed. So bored, in fact, I took up your suggestion.

UK foreign exchange reserves - $176103 million.
German foreign exchange reserves - EUR 281258 million

[Goodfellers]

Oh, very bored indeed. So bored, in fact, I took up your suggestion.

UK foreign exchange reserves - $176103 million.
German foreign exchange reserves - EUR 281258 million

I did say 'currency' reserves. Try again. As we know the UK's bumbling Scottish chancellor sold off a large % of UK gold at the most inopportune time and converted it to foreign cash.

You claim not to be an SNP supporter, but you MUST have been a student at the SNP college of Economics, where 2 + 2 = anything the followers will believe. Try reading your own links properly. 85% of Scottish whisky is exported, now, does that huge figure generate the £11.50 per bottle you mention?

Why do you peddle SNP myths that are easily destroyed? I know you don't like 'msm' but this link to the Express sets it out in simple terms how the tax system works when it comes to Scottish whisky. I hope it sets your overactive mind to rest. https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co....g-nat-27758594

[Corky Smeek]

I will not read anything from the Daily Express under any cirumstances. I will not give their site the benefit of my web traffic. Even if I did read it I would not believe it. They are liars, plain and simple.

I know this is from a wee while back but it illustrates the extent to which the Daily Express lie to its readers. Two headlines from the same day: one from the English DE and the other from the Scottish DE.



So, I'm afraid I am going to take no lessons from someone who thinks the Daily Express provides reliable reportage.

[The Horseman]

CORKY SMEEK,
As a matter of National Scrutiny, could you please advise what this name means! Ty

[Corky Smeek]

@ Horseman. What?

[Fulmar]

Think he means your Forum name?

[Goodfellers]

Just out of interest, I googled 'Corky' & 'smeek' as separate words. I'm sure it's just a random made up name, but the search results were interesting!

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=corky


https://www.merriam-webster.com/dict...2C%20dry,smeek

[The Horseman]

Corky…..Cute and Dorky…..HUH?
Smeek…Fumigate by Smoke?

Wow……really! Comments from the holder of such name?

[Corky Smeek]

When you can't find any facts to support your arguments; resort to personal attacks.

[The Horseman]

When you can't find any facts to support your arguments; resort to personal attacks.

I am Joking…..pray tell us why you chose the name. It is somewhat unusual! That’s all.

There are Horses in my employment background.

[Fulmar]

Well, mine is Fulmar (as I love to watch them, both in flight and on the nest) but I wish to put it on record that I don't regurgitate and eject a foul smelling oil all over an opponent if I am attacked. Oh, hang on a minute, maybe at times? Must do better!

[Goodfellers]

Mine is already on record, chose name as it reflects my musical taste....plus I like to think I look a bit like the handsome lead!

The GoodFellers (goodfellersband.com)

[Corky Smeek]

OK.

Corky - Old Norse for "one who seeks freedom"

Smeek - Farsi for "from Westminster"

[Goodfellers]

OK.

Corky - Old Norse for "one who seeks freedom"

Smeek - Farsi for "from Westminster"

Looks like you'll be keeping that name a while longer.

[mi16]

Looks like you'll be keeping that name a while longer.

Pfffttt
Someone send a team round to Corky Smeek HQ to check on his wellbeing

[Goodfellers]

Pfffttt
Someone send a team round to Corky Smeek HQ to check on his wellbeing

Like Nicola Sturgeon, I'm sure he's secretly relieved. They can keep blaming Westminster for their failings for another few years! Good to see Gronuck's UN charter argument (different thread) blown out of the water with the same ruling.

[Goodfellers]

I think this from a former Supreme Court judge sums up today's events well.



Former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption says the response of Scotland's first minister to today's court ruling "is a political manoeuvre" and describes her as "a very shrewd politician".
Nicola Sturgeon earlier said she was disappointed in the Supreme Court's decision that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum without the UK government's consent.
"It enables her to blame everyone other than herself for not having a referendum," Lord Sumption tells BBC Radio 4's World At One.
"She's had plenty of legal advice - it's obvious that her own Lord Advocate, her top law officer, had no confidence in her own argument."
He says Sturgeon doesn't want a referendum right now because "she couldn't be sure of winning it but she's under pressure from her less realistic followers".
"[Sturgeon] would prefer to be stopped from having her referendum by Westminster than by her own innate caution."

[Corky Smeek]

Just wondering how much you have to hate Scotland to be doing cartwheels of joy over the SC ruling. It must be a strange feeling, professing your Scottishness, yet delighting in its subjugation to another country. And the really weird thing is that this blind and unquestionning loyalty to the UK has no real substance to it. In essence it means that if you are currently head over heels with the delight then what you are saying is that no matter how bad things are in the UK, and they are bad; really bad; I mean hopelessly bad, then you would genuinely rather hold on to a sinking ship than use the life-raft that Indy gives us. In another thread I asked for anyone to provide one positive, substantive argument for the union and nobody could.

So, the UK is in terminal decline with only Russia having worse economic prospects. The rest of the world is coping far better with the effects of the war; Covid aftermath and CoLC. That is because the UK became the only country ever to impose economic sanctions upon itself (Brexit).

And I really am mystified by all the UJ-waving that is going on. All the SC did was confirm the status quo. Nothing has changed except the fact that, from today, Scotland's subordinate role in the UK has been formalised by judicial decision. We wanted clarity. Now we have it. Scotland must come to heel whenever England demands it.

So, to those of you puffing out your chests and thinking you have won something, I suggest that you may regret this pyrrhic victory. It will have done nothing but galvanise the support for "Yes". No-one on this side of the argument is going to change sides and treating Scotland like a second-class citizen will not win your side any votes.

Finally, the latest Ipsos Mori poll shows 61% of Scots think the Union's coat is on a shoogly nail. Getting shooglier by the minute.