The Great Scottish FREEEEEEEEEDOOOMMMMM!!!!1!!! vote

[Bereta_Eder]

Could you explain it a bit further?
There was some sort of provocazia by the federal gov? Royal Trust is a bank I guess. And Toronto was/is in the part of Canada that wanted to recede or not?

[Fake Boris]

1) The Royal Trust was a financial services firm (not a bank I believe)
2) The Parti Québécois (Quebec separatists) was doing well in the polls and had a shot at winning the provincial election
3) The Liberal federal government (staunchly anti-separatist) staged the coup with their friends at the Royal Trust (and The Gazette, a newspaper typically associated with the Liberal party) to spook voters and tilt the provincial election
4) Montreal is in Quebec, Toronto is in Ontario. The idea was to show that capital was fleeing Montreal.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

To the attention of Scots: "Le Coup de la Brink's"

In 1970, a week before the provincial election, the federal cabinet, fearing a separatist victory in Quebec, staged a coup with the Royal Trust. They had them load valuables and titles on trucks - presumably to have them moved to Toronto. The Gazette was warned in advance and sent a photographer. The picture made headlines and the story that capital was flowing out of Quebec circulated around the world. The whole thing was eventually revealed to be a complete fabrication.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]176775[/ATTACH]

The referendum got rejected 60/40. Let's not pretend this story made much difference.

[Fake Boris]

The referendum got rejected 60/40. Let's not pretend this story made much difference.

Well, some precisions. 1970 was just a provincial election, which the PQ (separatists) lost. They lost again in '73, but won in '76. This put them in a position to organize a referendum, which they did in 1980.

The coup had a major effect on the 1970 election. The PQ was polling at 26% and the provincial Liberals at 28%. A week after, the election result turned out to be 23% PQ and a whopping 45% Liberal.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's also French Canadian bollocks - everything I've seen indicates that the Royal Trust did send vast amounts of money from Montreal to Ontario. Though, the present of Royal Trust says it was purely coincidence that it happened close to provincial elections:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19740223&id=UnowAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zKEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5285,1885240

[Fake Boris]

Sure Imran.

The Gazette was warned a day in advance to go and take pictures. This is what armored trucks companies do all the time - send notice to newspaper of their trucks' schedule.

Talk about a "coincidence".

[Imran Siddiqui]

Considering your propensity to believe various conspiracy theories, I'm just going to go ahead and not believe you.

[Fake Boris]

What a great, convincing argument.

[regexcellent]

Jet fuel can't melt steel

[Fake Boris]

Right wing politicians using fear tactics

[N35t0r]

Jet fuel can't melt steel

If it could, then aeroplane turbines wouldn't be made out of steel, don't you think?

[regexcellent]

It's funny you mention that because they're actually not made out of steel; they're made out of nickel-cobalt superalloys.

[ricketyclik]

Would that be the Republic of Eire, currently getting over its own financial crisis, head of state President Higgins, the Prime Minister being the Taoiseach (pronounced teashock) ?

Ireland had tea shock? Shouldn't that be in a thread of its own?

[pchang]

Why would anyone assume that an independent Scotland would be able walk way from their share of the National Debt? Why would anyone assume an independent Scotland would automatically be in the EU? Why would anyone assume that independent Scotland would enjoy NATO protection? What legal precedents is Salmond claiming?

[Fake Boris]

Who the **** would invade Scotland?