Society & Culture1 min ago
I Though The Scotts Wanted Independence?
35 Answers
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It seems that they are desperate to be ruled by the EUSSR!
It seems that they are desperate to be ruled by the EUSSR!
Answers
I am a Scot. I do not want independence and I want out of the EU. (who in their right mind wants independence from Westminster but wants to stay shackled to unelected nitwits?) My unicorn is quite happy grazing in my back garden.
16:38 Fri 30th Nov 2018
//every time they climb aboard the Virgin service from Euston to Glasgow Central?//
if Scotland become independent, there will be no virgin trains, or indeed any through rail service. the Rump UK DfT's mandate over franchised services in Scotland will end with independence and trains from London will end at Carlisle and/or Berwick. the Scottish government might permit an English franchise to operate to Glasgow or Edinburgh, but since the SNP is committed to nationalisation this is unlikely.
if Scotland become independent, there will be no virgin trains, or indeed any through rail service. the Rump UK DfT's mandate over franchised services in Scotland will end with independence and trains from London will end at Carlisle and/or Berwick. the Scottish government might permit an English franchise to operate to Glasgow or Edinburgh, but since the SNP is committed to nationalisation this is unlikely.
Maggiebee - I'm totally with you. I want independence for Scotland as well.
The only difference between you and me is that I'm English and live in England.
I'd love it if we could keep our money - the Barnett formula is a disgrace.
Scotland would be in Penury within a year. It is naive to think Scotland would become an EU member automatically.
The only difference between you and me is that I'm English and live in England.
I'd love it if we could keep our money - the Barnett formula is a disgrace.
Scotland would be in Penury within a year. It is naive to think Scotland would become an EU member automatically.
Im puzzled as what currency Scotland would use should they gain independence.
The scottish pound.....Not a legal currency
The Euro, tied to a currency with fluctuations and rates they can't control, hardly independent
the English pound, again they want independence and they need something to back it up.
The scottish pound.....Not a legal currency
The Euro, tied to a currency with fluctuations and rates they can't control, hardly independent
the English pound, again they want independence and they need something to back it up.
//Don't trains operate across borders elsewhere in the world, mush? /
yes they do, but the situation is unique in Scotland, what at present both train company and infrastructure controller are managed by English agencies. plus in its strategy for independence, the SNP completely ignored the railways. thus the above will prevail unless accommodations can be agreed on both sides (and the cybernats will be in no mood to negotiate).
//they need something to back it up. //
the SNP strategy for independence had the currency backing as "ooor oil". however at present oil's on its backside, and the SNP conveniently overlooked "ooor decommissioning costs", an expense of billions which rapidly approaches as the oil runs out.
yes they do, but the situation is unique in Scotland, what at present both train company and infrastructure controller are managed by English agencies. plus in its strategy for independence, the SNP completely ignored the railways. thus the above will prevail unless accommodations can be agreed on both sides (and the cybernats will be in no mood to negotiate).
//they need something to back it up. //
the SNP strategy for independence had the currency backing as "ooor oil". however at present oil's on its backside, and the SNP conveniently overlooked "ooor decommissioning costs", an expense of billions which rapidly approaches as the oil runs out.
“…what at present both train company and infrastructure controller are managed by English agencies.”
I’m not sure that’s correct, mush. Since 2015 the “Scotrail” franchise has been in the hands of Abellio. This is a Dutch company with its headquarters in Utrecht. Network Rail (NR), which runs the infrastructure in Scotland is a UK (rather than English) government owned company. Since the infrastructure crisis in the early 2000s (which resulted in the government taking control of Network Rail) the model used to administer the maintenance of the network has been changed. In most areas Network Rail now shares responsibility with the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and there are six regional NR/TOC centres, with the one for Scotland being in Glasgow.
Of course should Scotland gain its independence a lot depends on how silly they want to be. On paper at least it looks as though the Scottish Parliament will have to make provision to buy the rail infrastructure from the UK government though some of this cost could be deferred if running rights were to be granted to the four (I think) franchises that currently run services into Scotland from England. It’s often a rash assumption when politicians are involved, but one would assume that pragmatism might prevail and that a newly independent Scotland would want to retain its communications structure with the rump of the UK. I assume this because I believe they will have enough problems to contend with without worrying whether people can get from Glasgow to London (and vice-versa) easily.
As far as currency goes I believe the Scots have suggested they may continue to use Sterling (until they join the EU and are compelled to adopt the euro, that is). Launching their own would be a complete non-starter as they have no central bank of last resort and are unlikely to have the reserves to form one. This means that many aspects of their “independence” will be in the hands of the Westminster Parliament and the Bank of England. Most of the others will be subsumed under the control of Brussels when they join the EU leaving their “independence” as that brief (under the SNPs plans) period between their leaving the UK and joining the Euromaniacs - and even then they will not be fiscally independent.
I’m not sure that’s correct, mush. Since 2015 the “Scotrail” franchise has been in the hands of Abellio. This is a Dutch company with its headquarters in Utrecht. Network Rail (NR), which runs the infrastructure in Scotland is a UK (rather than English) government owned company. Since the infrastructure crisis in the early 2000s (which resulted in the government taking control of Network Rail) the model used to administer the maintenance of the network has been changed. In most areas Network Rail now shares responsibility with the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and there are six regional NR/TOC centres, with the one for Scotland being in Glasgow.
Of course should Scotland gain its independence a lot depends on how silly they want to be. On paper at least it looks as though the Scottish Parliament will have to make provision to buy the rail infrastructure from the UK government though some of this cost could be deferred if running rights were to be granted to the four (I think) franchises that currently run services into Scotland from England. It’s often a rash assumption when politicians are involved, but one would assume that pragmatism might prevail and that a newly independent Scotland would want to retain its communications structure with the rump of the UK. I assume this because I believe they will have enough problems to contend with without worrying whether people can get from Glasgow to London (and vice-versa) easily.
As far as currency goes I believe the Scots have suggested they may continue to use Sterling (until they join the EU and are compelled to adopt the euro, that is). Launching their own would be a complete non-starter as they have no central bank of last resort and are unlikely to have the reserves to form one. This means that many aspects of their “independence” will be in the hands of the Westminster Parliament and the Bank of England. Most of the others will be subsumed under the control of Brussels when they join the EU leaving their “independence” as that brief (under the SNPs plans) period between their leaving the UK and joining the Euromaniacs - and even then they will not be fiscally independent.
//Since 2015 the “Scotrail” franchise has been in the hands of Abellio.// indeed, and the Scottish government themselves tendered and let the franchise. the issue is cross-border services, with franchises let by a rump uk government over territory of another sovereign power. already the scots are spoiling for a fight because they have only a consultative role in who gets to operate services from England into Scotland.
another issue is regulation. with Scotland independent, there will be 2 ORRs for train companies to deal with, and 2 regulatory frameworks to comply with, which will increase costs.
at present, train operators can cross-subsidise anglo Scottish services from profitable London to "northern powerhouse" destinations; if independence rules that out, cross border services might end up being unsustainable.
another issue is regulation. with Scotland independent, there will be 2 ORRs for train companies to deal with, and 2 regulatory frameworks to comply with, which will increase costs.
at present, train operators can cross-subsidise anglo Scottish services from profitable London to "northern powerhouse" destinations; if independence rules that out, cross border services might end up being unsustainable.
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