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

[Dauphin]

I really hope they vote yes.

[Lorizael]

it or them ?

Aye.

[Dr Strangelove]

What will they call their currency? I hope they call it "the Wallace" or "the Claymore".

Are they absolutely retaining the Windsors as their monarchs? Why?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

They are desperate to retain sterling. And the monarchy of Scotland and England were unified 100 years before the nations were.

[Ben Kenobi]

One has to admit that for Ernst August the position as ruler of Scotland would be perfect ... after all he would then wear a Kilt, which greatly facilitates public peeing

Actually, the heir would be

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Fitzalan-Howard,_18th_Duke_of_Norfolk

Going from the Dunkelds via the Balliols. Their claim still has primogeniture.

[regexcellent]

Wait, so if they vote to secede, it doesn't actually mean they secede, right? This is just an intention to secede or something?

Still totally confused as to why Scotland wants to secede. They don't gain anything, except the opportunity to subject themselves to abject poverty with fairy tale economics.

[Hauldren Collider]

What the **** is everyone in Scotland smoking? I haven't seen a country vote for such obvious self-destruction since 2012.

[Bereta_Eder]

I think they claim that the sea oil fields are on their side (don't know if they are exhausted though) and since this is an idle day I lazily searched youtube and found this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3C_hLpH2vA

After the 30 first seconds it's utter desperation and I can understand almost nothing but I don't know if what he says has any merit. (or indeed who he is)

I also found this that has subtitles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa0nXC6SzPM

it seems populist with some good ideas thrown into it

[regexcellent]

Their economic plan promises the moon. It's hilariously stupid.

[kentonio]

Wait, so if they vote to secede, it doesn't actually mean they secede, right? This is just an intention to secede or something?

No, if this passes they go independent in March 2016.

Still totally confused as to why Scotland wants to secede. They don't gain anything, except the opportunity to subject themselves to abject poverty with fairy tale economics.

Because too many of them believe idiotic Braveheart nonsense about how they've been oppressed by the English (despite our last 3 prime ministers being respectively Scottish - Scottish - half Scottish). They now also believe Alec Salmonds barefaced lies about how Scotland has apparently been 'funding the UK' for half a century, and that they'll all live in a utopia where everyone will be rich and looked after for all time.

Unfortunately if it passes they're going to lose vast numbers of jobs very quickly. The large financial institutions have to obey regulations which say they have to be based in the country where they do the bulk of their business. This means groups like Royal Bank of Scotland are going to have to relocate south, taking tens of thousands of jobs with them. Apparently many huge companies are also already moving assets and money south to avoid any problems with currency issues. It's going to be a horrible, horrible mess.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

The large financial institutions have to obey regulations which say they have to be based in the country where they do the bulk of their business.

That doesn't mean to say they couldn't retain their main employment centres in Scotland.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Actually I think it'd be hilarious if Scotland leaves and then realizes that the British aren't going to be in any mood to allow them to keep the pound as their currency (or any of the other stuff that SNP wants to mooch off of).

[regexcellent]

No, if this passes they go independent in March 2016.

Which dumbass in Parliament decided to make it legally binding? Was this to appease the Lib Dems or something? I'm so confused, the UK is a unitary system, can't it just say **** you Scotland whenever it wants?

They now also believe Alec Salmonds barefaced lies about how Scotland has apparently been 'funding the UK' for half a century, and that they'll all live in a utopia where everyone will be rich and looked after for all time.

I've been under the impression this whole time that ever since the North's industry collapsed inward on itself, Southeast England has been funding the entire UK.

Actually I think it'd be hilarious if Scotland leaves and then realizes that the British aren't going to be in any mood to allow them to keep the pound as their currency (or any of the other stuff that SNP wants to mooch off of).

Yeah they also want to kick out all the sub bases but still mooch defense off of NATO.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

We can't stop them using the pound in a sterlingised economy should they choose to, but that's a bit of a 3rd World approach to running things.

The SNP's response is that if they can't have full credit union, they will walk away from the existing UK national debt. That's fraught with issues, of course. I can't see it helping their credit rating, and it's not a great idea to seriously piss off the nation that is (by far) your biggest trade partner.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Which dumbass in Parliament decided to make it legally binding? Was this to appease the Lib Dems or something?

No- the LibDems don't support it. It's because power was devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and the Scots elected the SNP into government. That's democracy.