Scottish Politics

[brian f]

Alex Salmond has decided to stand for the Scottish Parliament elections later this year as a member of the ALBA party.

https://www.albaparty.org

[meekan]

I’m scared that independence will interfere with my comfortable life style. Ie pension, nhs. I know that there are plenty of others who reckon it will be good. I look at Brexit and the problems of untangling that mess is. How much more of a problem would it be to untangle hundreds of years of interconnection. If it happens then so be it but not in my name I like the idea of a United Kingdom.

[exile]

I'm not sure if separatism is driven by economics, i.e., that Scotland will be more prosperous, but surely the upside of separating has to be not just OK - but huge - given its colossal upheaval & one-off cost? The 2014 referendum economic case, said by Salmond to have the support of Nobel laureates, took less than 5 years to look very shaky.

A group that could be a good indicator of national attitudes, e.g., patriotism vs. pragmatism, could be the Scots in the British armed forces, particularly how many would leave for the proposed "Scottish Defence Force".

[stivis]

I’m scared that independence will interfere with my comfortable life style. Ie pension, nhs. I know that there are plenty of others who reckon it will be good. I look at Brexit and the problems of untangling that mess is. How much more of a problem would it be to untangle hundreds of years of interconnection. If it happens then so be it but not in my name I like the idea of a United Kingdom.

Your pension is not a a problem, Very simply put You paid into it via the UK, the UK has the liability.That's it
I really don't want to go with this.
Consider it's a contract, and If you moved to say Italy, You still get the pension
To refuse would be a breach of your Human Rights
Incidentally the UK pension is far lower than any in Europe

Meekan
And the NHS ?
Johnson is going to sell it off,

Answer me this one question,

How old is the Scottish NHS?

[Kittywake]

A group that could be a good indicator of national attitudes, e.g., patriotism vs. pragmatism, could be the Scots in the British armed forces, particularly how many would leave for the proposed "Scottish Defence Force".

exile, if you're actually suggesting that a poll of Scots serving in the UK armed forces would give a fairly accurate indication of the entire nations views on Independence then maybe I need to go and have a wee chuckle to myself.

[stivis]

Kittywake I just decided to give the question a pass, using the armed force as a barometer is very unwise,

Scot in the forces take their idea from their regiment if they are army,
The Coldstream Guards were is their country that are affiliated to Scotland or England,They have the St.George's cross in their badge
The Black Watch the same question applies
It's part of Royal Regiment of Scotland, but not English , it's associated with Welsh,Irish and Scots
The HLI was a Scots regiment
Most of the Scottish regiments were merged and reduced by cuts
One of those cuts was the Argylls (The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) it still exists but much reduced I assume it is still Scottish

Until there is a realisation that the UK is not a World Power and doesn't need to be in what ever club it is, A small country like Scotland doesn't need subs floating about Millport and parking at Helensburgh (ish), and we pay for it

Personally I find the Johnson idea of folding the Union flag to show as St.George offensive, Johnson has it always done it like that
The man without a comb , got the flag painted on a Plane ...upside down at the cost of a Million pounds
Maybe I just find Johnson offensive? Applies equally to the Dreghorn Dumpling as well

So much for giving it a pass then!

[exile]

If so, I respect your opinion, but even though I've previously read what I thought was a load of political balderdash at the time, that one might just take the biscuit.

Serving Scots will be faced with choosing between their opportunities & prospects in a globally-significant Military and in a local self-defence force, and is one of the clearest examples of the upsides & downsides of independence being very real to the individual voter, while the rest of the population wades through the balderdash. Having already shown readiness to put lives on the line, and facing a starker choice than most, I'd suggest you could do worse than take a cue from them, and the thought they put into it, whichever way it goes.

[stivis]

And the NHS ?
Johnson is going to sell it off,

Answer me this one question,

How old is the Scottish NHS?

Anyone have answer?
Even a guess
Or I'm I just a smartarse?

[Kittywake]

Serving Scots will be faced with choosing between their opportunities & prospects in a globally-significant Military and in a local self-defence force, and is one of the clearest examples of the upsides & downsides of independence being very real to the individual voter, while the rest of the population wades through the balderdash. Having already shown readiness to put lives on the line, and facing a starker choice than most, I'd suggest you could do worse than take a cue from them, and the thought they put into it, whichever way it goes.

I'm sorry but I can't align myself at all with what you seem to be saying there. Over the years I've known some good folk who had Military careers for a period of time - including 3 of my own Brothers, 2 were RAF and 1 Army - but I've also known people who served in the Forces who were, to say the least, not the nicest.
I think talk of them having to face starker choices than others, so therefore they should be listened to more, is just another tactic designed to suit an agenda.

[Meg]

And the NHS ?
Johnson is going to sell it off,

Answer me this one question,

How old is the Scottish NHS?

Anyone have answer?
Even a guess
Or I'm I just a smartarse?

Ok, was it formed in 1948 - or was there a different but similar health care system in Scotland before that?

[stivis]

1913
35 years before Aneurin Bevan and 30 plus years before the Beveridge Plan,
The first HNS hospital was supposedly built in Manchester circa 1948/9 , but Scotland again were years ahead
some of the early ones still exist as ruins.
One of the more obscure ones near the 3 towns is in Dalry
If you travel up the A737 from Dalry Cross to Beith before you go under the railway bridge , take a left
It was a Fever Hospital

See I am a smartarse

It pisses me off that it is never recognised , I walked away from an Idiot Labour Councillor when I pointed out Bevin stole the working concept of the idea from Beveridge

[John Donnelly]

We Scots can be awful proud of our health- and social-care history.
If my memory serves me correct, another feather in our cap is the Erskine Hospital for handicapped (war-wounded) ex-servicemen.
In England, their establishments were operated and financed by the Royal BRITISH Legion. Erskine was a fully Scottish establishment and financed in Scotland.
Roll on independence.

JD.