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Posted: 03-07-2013 01:43 Post subject:

I wasn't having a go at anyone personally, so much as having a bit of a gentle rant. Smile

Posted: 11-07-2013 08:42 Post subject:

Faslane Trident base could be in UK after Scottish independence

Ministry of Defence officials are exploring the idea of retaining a Scottish naval base as sovereign UK territory if there is a yes vote in next year's independence referendum.
Faslane, in Argyll and Bute, is home to the Trident nuclear missile submarines.
A government source told the BBC the idea was "interesting" because of the huge costs of relocating the base.

The SNP reacted angrily to the suggestion, accusing Westminster of trying to bully Scotland.
Voters in Scotland will decide whether or not to remain part of the United Kingdom in September 2014.
Nuclear weapons are a key point of division for the two sides of the independence debate - with the SNP promising to abandon Trident.

Reports in the Guardian newspaper on Thursday suggested the UK government could give Faslane - where 6,000 people are employed - a status similar to that of British military bases in Cyprus, designated as sovereign territory.
The move would be designed to maintain access for the Trident fleet to the open seas via the Firth of Clyde, the newspaper said.

An MoD spokesman said it was confident Scotland would remain part of the UK and that the scale and cost of relocating the base in the event of a yes vote would be "enormous".

"No contingency plans are being made to move Trident out of Scotland," the spokesman said.
A government source added: "It would cost a huge amount of money, running into tens of billions of pounds, to decommission Faslane.
"Those costs would be factored into any negotiations on an independence settlement. The sovereign base area is an option - it is an interesting idea because the costs of moving out of Faslane are eye-wateringly high."

But the SNP said the idea was "an extraordinary attempt" to bully Scotland.
Angus Robertson, the party's leader at Westminster, said: "Neither the people nor parliament of Scotland want nuclear weapons dumped here, and we are clear that Trident would have to be removed as quickly as possible."
He said only a vote for independence would empower Scotland to remove the submarines.

One former armed forces minister, Liberal Democrat Sir Nick Harvey, told the Guardian re-designating Faslane on a "Cyprus-type arrangement" was the most practical and likely outcome should Scotland leave the UK.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23265886

Posted: 11-07-2013 08:43 Post subject:

Naked colonialism, if true.

Trident: the impotent politician's Viagra. Or better, the impotent politician's monkey glands and rhino horn. £+ billions that could be better spent on the NHS and Britain doesn't even get to keep the remote control, that's still in US hands.

Posted: 11-07-2013 20:26 Post subject:

The Scots will get billions in rent for it, so little to whinge about.

Posted: 11-07-2013 20:52 Post subject:

Posted: 22-07-2013 22:54 Post subject:

Posted: 09-09-2013 08:24 Post subject:

Lord Ashcroft poll: Independence near bottom of Scots' priorities
Scots want Alex Salmond to end his government’s obsession with independence, according to an opinion poll, showing opposition to breaking up the UK at its highest level yet.
By Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor
12:01AM BST 09 Sep 2013

The survey of more than 1,000 people, conducted last month, found that by far the largest number think leaving the United Kingdom is the Scottish Government’s main concern.
However, only three per cent replied “independence” when asked what should be top of the SNP administration’s agenda, with nearly half of voters responding that the economy and jobs should be taking top billing.

The suggestion that Mr Salmond is out of touch with Scotland was buttressed by another part of the survey, conducted between February and May, finding only 26 per cent of voters back independence compared to 65 per cent who were opposed.

Labour said the poll showed that Scots are angry at the SNP for putting Scotland “on pause” while the referendum takes place, but its findings also raised questions about the Unionist parties’ promise of further devolution if independence is rejected.

Six out of ten respondents predicted that taxes would increase in Scotland if all financial powers were transferred to Holyrood, while only 29 per cent thought public services would improve as a result.

Few Scots admitted having a “very good idea” about MSPs’ current powers, while almost half either could not name a major achievement by the Scottish Parliament since its creation in 1999 or replied that there had not been any.

Three surveys of the views of more than 12,000 Scottish adults were commissioned by Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire businessman and former Tory deputy chairman, and conducted between February and August this year.
“I found a majority of Scots thinking the Scottish Government had got its priorities wrong. Many in our focus groups worried that the prolonged, repetitive debate over independence damaged the economy by creating uncertainty and deterring, or at least postponing, much needed investment,” the peer said.

“I also found many voters deeply sceptical about the idea of giving the Scottish Parliament more powers. While all the newly free services are welcome, they wonder what this would mean if Holyrood had to raise the money as well as spend it.”

Although his office would not confirm which company conducted the surveys, they said it was a member of the British Polling Council and their results properly weighted to be representative of all Scottish adults.

The final survey of 1,013 adults was conducted between August 2 and 9 and asked voters’ views of devolution and Alex Salmond’s administration.
Asked what they thought was top of the Scottish Government’s agenda, 49 per cent of voters replied independence. The economy and jobs, the second most popular answer, scored only seven per cent.
When asked what the main priority should be, 41 per cent replied the economy, 15 per cent the NHS, seven per cent each schools and welfare reform, and only three per cent independence.

On the Scottish Parliament’s main achievements, 27 per cent replied free prescriptions, 16 per cent free university tuition and 13 per cent free care for the elderly. However, 31 per cent said they did not know and 13 per cent replied ‘none’.

Although voters said MSPs are more likely to do a better job representing their communities than MPs, 44 per cent said they only had “some idea” what Holyrood does and 40 per cent admitting to having “very little idea”.

etc...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10294377/Lord-Ashcroft-poll-Independence-near-bottom-of-Scots-priorities.html

Posted: 09-09-2013 08:29 Post subject:

Posted: 23-09-2013 17:39 Post subject:

I only realised the other week or so that these polls aren't actually conducted on the street randomly. Apparantly you need to register an interest online to be polled.

Its all a bit self selective really.

I would love to hear an actual poll of people stopped in the street.

Posted: 23-09-2013 18:19 Post subject:

Interest in the referendum would probably be registered even lower. Recently only about 60% of those asked said they were going to vote, makes you wonder why they bothered having an opinion.

Posted: 23-09-2013 20:51 Post subject:

For something so important, everybody has to vote.

Posted: 14-10-2013 12:04 Post subject: