The SNP would now be doing well on North Sea oil revenues

[PaulT]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30525539

[Frederick]

I remember their promises of a land of milk and honey

if they won the vote was all based on an oil price that stayed at about $113 ....

A lot of their supporters today must be glad they lost as they would be facing tax increases and more job losses .

[Quillan]

I remember ages ago trying to find out when the oil would run out in general. It would seem and which this article and events in America are proving to be correct is that there is plenty of oil still around but the issue is the technology to get at it. We see the date 'set' for when it will run out change all the time. We were getting towards the end when they invented fracking which has put another extension on the day it will run out. The problem is that the technology comes at a price and the price of a barrel of oil needs to be at a certain level to make it economic to extract.

The current problems in Russia and Putins rant at 'the west' for dropping the price of oil of course is utter rubbish and ironically the drop in price is nothing to do with Russia. What we are seeing is OPEC taking on the fracking companies in the US. They need, or so I read, a price of €80 a barrel to make it economical for them to frack. At €70 a barrel they break even, below that they can't justify fracking. America is OPEC's biggest single customer and it is in OPEC's interest to stop the fracking and thats what all this is about. Russia, well Russia is just a 'road kill' casualty that just happened to be on the road when OPEC went after American fracking. The same can be said for the Scotish Nationalists.

[NickP]

No matter what happens or who causes it, the Scottish Nasty Party will continue to blame Westminster. I see that Salmond has now said he thinks he will hold the balance of power in our parliament, I imagine there will be a revolution in England if that were to happen.

[Pickles]

I, and I think a substantial number of people living in England, were very saddened to get the impression that a significant part of the SNP's strategy for the independence issue was to foment hatred of Westminster and the English in general. And "hatred" was not too strong a word to be used in this context.

This has created two issues:

1) having irresponsibly stirred up antagonism against the English, the SNP has created something that it cannot direct or control

2) Because those of us south of the border heard the language that was being used and heard anecdotes from across the border about what went on, it has guaranteed that in the event of an eventual independence for Scotland by whatever back-door methods are proposed, there will be an inexorable pressure on any organisation which serves English customers from Scottish locations to move south. In the event of a "yes" vote in the independence referendum, Scottish-based financial institutions were going to have either move south or face massive withdrawals. I for one would not have wished to hold assets in an organisation staffed by people who I felt despised me (OK, so why bank in France, you might say?!) or have dealings with Scottish-based suppliers in such an event.

In the event, the voters in Scotland voted by a significant majority to stay in the Union, and on that basis I continue to hold accounts in banks and other financial institutions headquartered and with service centres in Scotland, and to deal with energy suppliers based there.

[Quillan]

I have somewhat lost the plot with what is now going on with Scotland, the SNP and Salmond. Seems Scotland lost the referendum for independence but got it anyway as the Tories gave them almost everything they wanted. Salmond gave up being leader of the SNP but will still run as an MP hence will get a seat in the UK parliament. The SNP, well I don't have a clue what they are really up to.

Personally speaking I don't give a toss about Scotland but I do believe that there was a lot of lying going on during the referendum from both sides and that the Scottish people deserved better.

If Scotland gets the right to create its own laws, tax it's own people etc, etc, then so should England although I don't think this is the real direction to go.

I would have prefered to see a federalisation of England, Scotland, Wales and NI along the current lines of Australia. I do believe that the old 'union' as such is really way out of date which is why it should be replaced.

I personally consider myself European first, British second and English third and really what Scotland and the SNP get up to is of no concern of mine. However I get this feeling that it will somehow all end in tears.

[PaulT]

As a UK resident living in England what a shame the SNP did not win the referendum. Why? Because they are going to go on bleating until they get a referendum that they win by which time a vast fortune will have been spent and constantly in the news.

[Frederick]

Alex Salmond is a bad loser . He was convinced he was going to be President of Scotland Having failed to pull that off .

Now he is seeking to cause as much disharmony as he can be it in or out of the Houses of Parliament by winding up the English to a point they they tell him and the troublesome Scots to P.Off .

[Quillan]

[quote user="Frederick"]Alex Salmond is a bad loser . He was convinced he was going to be President of Scotland Having failed to pull that off . Now he is seeking to cause as much disharmony as he can be it in or out of the Houses of Parliament by winding up the English to a point they they tell him and the troublesome Scots to P.Off .[/quote]

Funny realy as I am watching House of Cards and I am at S02E03 at the moment. [6] Mind you Salmond is not that clever. [;-)]

[Rabbie]

Frederick,Alex Salmond  was never convinced he was going to be President of Scotland. He made it clear that despite the wishes of some in Scotland he wanted An independent Scotland to be a monarchy with our present Queen as head of state. You really should get your facts straight before falsely accusing someone however repugnant you find his views.

[NickP]

I think the the "President of Scotland" quote was tongue in cheek. Although yes; I did find Salmond and his pipsqueak assistant totally repugnant. Still we should have a little sympathy for the awful duo as the weight of those massive chips on their shoulders must be a terrible burden.

[PaulT]

Wonder what the outcome would be, especially the latest outpourings of Salmond, if England now had a referendum with the question 'should Scotland be removed from the Union'.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Rabbie"]

Frederick,Alex Salmond  was never convinced he was going to be President of Scotland. He made it clear that despite the wishes of some in Scotland he wanted An independent Scotland to be a monarchy with our present Queen as head of state. You really should get your facts straight before falsely accusing someone however repugnant you find his views.

[/quote]

But wasn't that a form of assumption on his part i.e. the Queen would want to stay the Queen of Scotland or indeed if parliment allowed her to? Bit like his assumption that Scotland would have remained part of the EU. Still a pointless debate really as we will never know. If she does indeed announce her 'retirement' in the new year and Charles does become king his loyalty outside of England is to the Welsh I would have thought, being the prince of Wales and all. Just a bit of light seculation is all as we won't know what would have happen now, the moments been and gone and parliment will not allow another referendum on the issue.

[JSKS]

I'm sure that anyone who had staked their reputation and goodwill on achieving a certain political outcome (Scottish Independence in this case) would, having signally failed in that endeavour, quietly retire. Yet Salmond now pops up with his desire to represent a constituency of the parliament he was dead set on his country leaving.

Is there no limit of egoistical, messianic, self-righteous, power-seeking chicanery beyond which politicians in general, and extreme ones in particular, will not venture?

[Quillan]

[quote user="JSKS"]I'm sure that anyone who had staked their reputation and goodwill on achieving a certain political outcome (Scottish Independence in this case) would, having signally failed in that endeavour, quietly retire. Yet Salmond now pops up with his desire to represent a constituency of the parliament he was dead set on his country leaving. Is there no limit of egoistical, messianic, self-righteous, power-seeking chicanery beyond which politicians in general, and extreme ones in particular, will not venture?[/quote]

No

[PaulT]

Perhaps, Mr Salmond thinks that the pay and perks as well as the fact that an MPs hours can be short is the best job he is going to get. Plus if he is controversial he will get lots of TV appearances (= appearance money) plus being asked to write newspaper articles (more money),

[Frederick]

I imagine he is hoping for a hung parliament So he can put together a bunch of MP's he can control . Then make it so difficult to pass any bill unless he gets another in out referendum for Scotland He will make it impossible for the government to work .

He is already saying that there should be no vote on EU membership as Westminster cannot speak for Scotland on the matter and they should have their own referendum on that alone and has not got into Westminster yet He has changed his mind about there NOT being another referendum for Scotland in a generation and is now saying he will see one . If he gets into Westminster all we will hear about out is Scotland Scotland Scotland .