Can we have Berwick upon Tweed back now?

@Tom

The main difference between Scotland and Quebec is that Scotland has substantially more in terms of natural resources. The big three include: -

- Oil and Gas revenue from the north sea
- revenue from whisky exports
- Renewables

It is a more accurate to compare Scotland to Norway. Two countries, similar population, similar resources. The difference is that Norway actually has control of its own resources.

Also, to address a myth, as a result of these revenues Scotland pays more into the UK treasury than what it gets back via the Barnett Formula (the pocket money for the Scottish Parliament).

Scotland would and could flourish as an independent nation. However, the facts are so obscured by the scaremongering and fear tactics employed by those who vehemently oppose it, you would think Scotland would become a post apocalyptic abyss if independence happened! It reminds me of the Goebells quote “If you tell a big enough Lie, and keep on repeating it, in the end people will come to believe it.”

Given the extreme self-hatred of the guilt ridden British "intellectual" there will hardly be any UK in the future, nor any England, just some "Celtic"homelands performing folk "traditions" (i.e. 19th century imports from various parts of Europe) and an urban waste land, probably governed by some fascist troglodytes.

@Alig and Tom
In a global world facing climate change European trade to and from the emerging markets of the Far East will go through container ports in the deep water ports of the North of Scotland and Norway.

The Artic route is 6,000km shorter, saves time and money and has no pirates. The Chinese and Koreans are already building the new generation of ice breaking container ships.

While the British-Westminster-Military Establishment builds aircraft carriers with nae planes. How smart is that. In Scotland we are envisioning an entirely different economy. Salmond is not just a canny politician but his previous trade was an energy economist.

In the 21st century Scottish INDEPENDENCE is all about the ECONOMY and GEOGRAPHY and what your nation aspires to do in the future.

Westminster can keep its economy of wars, Royal weddings, hedge fund casinos, credit cards and filling new houses with stuff. Where's the country's aspiration and future economy it that.

My DAVE aren't you the big boy, you can blog in capital letters well done.

Why is it that embittered people like you constantly come on here complaining about the "Majority" who do not want an independent Scotland and who I assume "Live mainly south of the border." to quote your words.

The vast majority of the English who come on here are a damn sight more polite than you and the chip on shoulder brigade, see Ehtch Tee post above yours, who see us as some sort of oppressors. The sure fire way to Inderendence for you Scots is to allow the English to take part in the referendum, you would win by a landslide!

I would go further, let's have a nationwide referendum for the complete breakup of this past it UK!

Collosus is overdoing the post election gush a bit - but the man does have a mandate. So Alex - Scotland has spoken - let's have the referendum now. The Union? W'ere modernising (AKA destroying) the NHS - what's so sacred about an outdated Union? We'll still all be Europeans together and there's at least an element of democracy in that. What's your plan to keep the Union together Dave? "Silence" - came the stern reply

Swatandra, what the hell is wrong with becoming like Denmark? How are we going to become like Papua New Guinea? Is our physical and social infrastructure going to disappear overnight?

"The scots need to be told the truth". What truth is that: that we need to be looked after by someone else?
Go on, defend your statement-for once. Otherwise, you're tacitly admitting that your posts are, for the most part, pompous noise.

Alex Samond, and SNP. fuck England, and then go from there. Redivert oil wealth to a new Aberdeen oil exchnage that you should set up, with advice from the norwegians how they run things. ENGLISH ARE BLOOD SUCKING Sunts. Song,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ajHezlJq-A

You sound like a bitter wee man, Alan.

Try coming at it from another angle. The Union is merely a piece of broken, worn out software. England as well as Scotland (but not apparently Cameron) can see its in ruins.

Alex Salmond may relish the idea of a battle for independence, but he will never win it if pitted against the forces of the establishment, their media allies, and all of those, like the BBC, who profit from keeping the sinking hulk afloat a little longer..

What is more likely to happen is that the union will fall apart of it's own accord, and all sides will come to the table to negotiate something better, a new federation of sovereign countries who voluntarily decide how much, if any, of their powers to pool to the common advantage.

What Cameron wants to resist with every fibre of his being is the redundancy of the Westminster boss class, with it's post imperialist delusions. We can do without any of these.

Thanks for the advice, Stuart Eels. I've challenged Swatandra a couple of times to justify his ill-informed ramblings, but no response, alas. The law of probability says that he must get something right sometime, though. Maybe tomorrow, Swatandra.

What Labour needs are some really big hitters in Holyroode, if it is ever to recover its strength. People like Alastair Darling or Jim Murphy or even Gordon Brown. If seats can be found for them there then they would make a substantial impact in Scotland and better serve Labour there than at Westminster.

Not to sound like an evil rightwing talkradio preseneter. But if Scotland was independent, how would they function? What's the strongest part of their economy?

Isn't this a bit like Quebec wanting independence from the rest of Canada? It's one thing to have Sean Connery doing adverts for Scottish independence. But that doesn't exactly pay the bills once and if you get that.

There is fight brewing between the Scots and this Tory led coalition. If the Scots see that they are being stuffed as they were under Thatcher then opinions will change and they will go for independence. As net contributors to the UK economy they can make it work. There are small nations like the Swedes who do OK and the Scots can as well. I would love to see a nation run on social democratic lines on our northern borders. A nation that rejects nuclear weapons and wars without end.

TO THE "MAJORITY" WHO DO NOT WANT AN INDEPENDANT SCOTLAND AND WHO I ASSUME "LIVE MAINLY SOUTH OF THE BORDER" I WOULD ASK A SHORT QUESTION, WHICH IS...........IF WE ARE SUCH A POOR NEIGHBOURS, GETTING MORE THAN OUR FAIR SHARE OF THE "CAKE" WHY ARE THE SO DESPERATE FOR US TO REMAIN IN THE UNION AND TO CARRY ON SUBSIDISING US ??.

I am sentimental about the Union, however, Scotland is now a lala land living off an unsustainable public sector economy (ditto some of northern England & Wales.) It seems to have escaped the laws of economics that apply to the rest of us. It could be viable as a separate unit, although a lot poorer without the Barnet formula, and safely within the euro I am sure the EU would turn it into a northern Greece with small subsidies and draconian spending reforms. Overrepresented in Westminster and with its own assembly its removal would bring about some much needed equity in the British polity.