Taxi Driver Online

TBH, the only thing that worries me is being in the same camp as Dougie.....PMSL

Your missing the point

Im anti Europe but if thats the road we go down then id be happy with that but only if the reason was reasonable , Jasbar id rather Alex Salmond spoke within Europe on my behalf than the Westminster Government anyday, CC agrees Alex Salmond is a better politician than any current unionists.

Your being too patriotic to your English side youve been educationally brainwashed in to believe Britain is Great as one, i believe Britain would be greater as 4 independent countries of a United Kingdom ,

There's over 2 years until any referendum. Nothing is guaranteed as yet.
Let's hope a firm pledge of both are included as part of the Yes campaign.

And in case there is any doubt. We would have to apply for membership of the EU. We are not automatically members.

'incoherent and ridiculous' threats to scare Scots into line
Monday, 06 February 2012 03:43

It was revealed last night that the Westminster Foreign Office believes that the rump-UK could veto Scottish membership of the EU. In a leaked memo, the Foreign Office raises the possibility that a vengeful David Cameron could prevent Scotland taking up EU membership as a means of scaring Scots into line prior to the independence referendum.

However the Scottish government believes that Scotland is already a member of the EU, and upon independence would remain so. The position of the Scottish government is that the UK was formed by a parliamentary union between Scotland and England, and therefore upon Scottish independence both Holyrood and Westminster would inherit equal status as the parliaments of successor states. The UK Foreign Office insists that this would not be the case, as Scotland would be treated as an entirely new state and would have to reapply to join the EU.

However this stance causes Westminster serious problems in other aspects of its arguments against Scottish independence. Were Scotland to be considered an entirely new state, which does not inherit any of the obligations or rights of the UK, then neither would Scotland inherit any portion of the UK national debt as the debt would remain with the rump-UK, the sole successor to the UK's obligations. Although international and constitutional law is a notorious minefield, it is remarkably clear on this point.

In effect, Westminster has just told Scots the country could walk off without taking on a penny of the UK's £1 trillion national debt. Were Scotland not to be considered a successor state to the UK, Scotland would inherit only those UK assets which are on Scottish soil or in Scottish waters, naturally these include the oil and gas deposits in the Scottish sector of the North Sea and off Scotland's north west coasts.

However the picture is even worse for Westminster. Since a recent report from the Ministry of Defence highlighted Westminster's fear that new storage facilities for Trident warheads and missiles could take 10 years to construct, an energy rich Scotland would find itself debt-free and in sole possession of the UK's nuclear deterrent, as Westminster would be forced to leave this behind in Scotland. Scotland would be prevented by nuclear non-proliferation treaties from selling the missile system to any other country, including the rump-UK, so this would spell the end of Westminster's pretensions to be a global power. Westminster's threatened veto would come at a very heavy price.

In yet another apparently contradictory position, the Foreign Office memo then raises the possibility that Westminster would raise frontier barriers to prevent free movement between Scotland and the rump-UK, citing the need to prevent illegal immigrants from using Scotland as an entry point. The memo claims this could be necessary as Scotland would become a member of the Schengen Free-Travel area, which the UK has opted out of.

However this would only occur if Scotland was a part of the EU, which Westminster claims Scotland would not be, and if Scotland chose to sign up to the Schengen accords guaranteeing passport free travel. The memo also assumes Scotland would withdraw from the common travel area currently consisting of the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not members of the EU.

The Foreign Office document, entitled An independent Scotland and the EU, discussed the fear that the UK's voting strength in Europe would be reduced after Scottish independence. The memo also raises questions over whether what it terms the "remaining UK" would be forced to renegotiate its membership of the EU. The UK's much prized "EU opt outs" could be at risk.

The Westminster report also claims that Scottish membership could be vetoed by Spain, Belgium or Italy.

However Spanish Foreign Minister José García-Margallo recently denied reports in the British media that Spanish officials had told their British counterparts that Spain was considering vetoing Scottish membership of the EU. Mr García-Margallo said that the reports were "absolutely false" and stressed that in the eyes of the Spanish government, the constitutional settlement within the UK and the possibility of Scotland becoming an independent nation has "no parallel" to the Spanish situation. Spain's constitution defines Spain as a single nation and denies that the Basques or the Catalans are nations with a right to self-determination. The UK constitution clearly defines Scotland and England as distinct nations within a parliamentary union.

The Foreign Office memo also insists that Scotland would be forced to adopt the euro as its currency. This position is contradicted by the experience of the Czech Republic, which joined the EU in 2004, after the adoption of the euro as the common currency of the 11 EU members which formed the original Eurozone. The Czechs have expressed their unwillingness to join the single currency, but unlike the UK and Denmark do not have a specific opt-out guaranteeing non-membership of the Eurozone.

In January this year, Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas stated that the country did not require a special opt-out in order to retain the koruna as its currency, as member states cannot be forced to join the ERM II mechanism, a prerequisite for later adoption of the euro. Candidates for euro membership must sign up to ERM II for at least two years before adopting the euro as currency, however it is entirely up to the discretion of each individual member state when to sign up to ERM II and member countries can legitimately delay this indefinitely. Mr Nečas said: ""No one can force us into joining the euro ... We have a de facto opt-out."

This approach has also been adopted by the government of Sweden which has likewise declined to join the Eurozone but has no negotiated opt-out.

A spokesperson for the Scottish government said: "All the claims these inept Whitehall sources are making against an independent Scotland would apply equally to the rest of the UK – and they are equally ridiculous.

"The cast-iron position is that an independent Scotland will continue to use the pound – even the Scottish Secretary in the UK Government has said that, so the Westminster coalition is totally incoherent."

http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/sc ... -into-line

Lord Love’s

DAVID Cameron has promised to consider more powers for Scotland if voters reject independence in a referendum.

“This doesn’t have to be the end of the road,”

“When the referendum on independence is over, I am open to looking at how the devolved settlement can be improved further.

“But that must be a question for after the referendum, when Scotland has made its choice about the fundamental question of independence or for the United Kingdom.

“When Scotland has settled this question once and for all - and ended the uncertainty that could damage and hold back Scotland’s prospects and potential.”

The First Minister had been due to greet Mr Cameron outside the main door of St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh.

But the Prime Minister went in by another door because of a demonstration by anti-cuts protesters outside.

Earlier, Mr Cameron began his keynote speech by saying it was his “hope and wish” for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom.

Mr Cameron said: “I come here today with one simple message: I hope and wish that Scotland will vote to remain part of the United Kingdom.”

Describing the UK as more than “some sort of deal”, he added: “It’s a precious thing. It’s about our history, our values, our shared identity and our joint place in the world.”

He also ranged over Scotland’s part in the formation of the UK,

He went on: “From Waterloo to the Second World War, our servicemen and women have fought and won together.

Mr Cameron said ties were thicker now than ever, referring to his own mixed British heritage.

“So, more than a little humility is called for when any contemporary Tory speaks in Scotland. In fact, some say it might be wiser not to speak at all.”

Scots betting on Independence yes vote
William Hill have cut their odds from 3/1 to 5/2 that the Scots will vote in favour of independence when they get the opportunity to do so in a Referendum. And Hills offer 4/11 that the Referendum will take place in 2014 - and 7/1 that the country will become independent by 2020.
‘Although the betting suggests an ultimate ‘no' to independence at any Referendum, the money we have taken is almost all for a ‘yes' vote- and every bet struck since David Cameron spoke on the issue has been for ‘yes'.' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Independance.......Dream on.