No, I’d rather be poor and independent, than be a wealthy sponger. As much as I love the English, we are a totally different people here, and must decide our own future instead of hanging on to a union forged three hundred years ago, after Culloden.

Fair enough, but I don’t know how many Scots would view it that way when facing the cold reality of the situation, with huge cutbacks and job losses.

One more question, again playing devil’s advocate I’m afraid; say Scotland were independent and the Orkney and Shetland Islands held a referendum over independence from Scotland, an independence that would take 75% of the oil revenue with it, do you think the rest of Scotland would welcome or even allow such an independence?

Only because all Scotland’s oil revenues have been squandered by Westminster since exploration began. Thatcher used it to rebuild and modernise much of the south east, while Labour gave it away in benefit handouts.

So, to play devil’s advocate for a minute, Scottish independence is based on Scotland being ‘better off’ because of oil revenue? Would Scots want independence if the was no oil, had never been any oil, and what happens when the oil runs out (which it will)?

Well according to these results only one-in-five Scots want independence (and I know that many will have voted tactically since it wasn’t a referendum on independence)…..but almost as many Scots voted Conservative.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/region/7.stm

Irrespective of the emotion of the issue it seems clear that Scotland would be poorer, much poorer, if it was independent.

Well, maybe not that bad, but England would have a Conservative government now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/region/48.stm

…under PR the BNP would have about 30 seats at Westminster.

More like twelve seats (563,743 votes) actually…

…but that’s more than the Green Party (285,616 votes), who got a seat, and more than the SNP (491,386 votes) who got six seats.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/

But who is to say with PR how people would vote?

Yes, a tragedy like that really puts my little difficulties into perspective.

…it does amuse me that none of my adverts EVER get onto this thread…amused I am!!!

…but yours is the good stuff that people hope other bidders haven’t spotted! 😉

Yes, that amused me too! If they really wanted PR why not introduce it after their landslide victory in 1997? With Lib-Dem backing then who could have stopped them?

But no, Labour only started talking about PR when it looked like they’d lose the general election. :rolleyes: