JohninMK Sat Mar 06, 2021 12:58 pm
I want Scotland to gain its independence, mainly so that the rump of the UK, EWNI, start acting in the World as what we are, a second rate power.
However, Westminster seems to be doing a pretty good job against it with the actions of its puppet, wee Nicola. She is currently bringing the governance of the Scottish Parliament by the SNP into question with a clear demonstration of how, after over 10 years in power, the politicians have been able to bring the Civil Service, Crown Prosecutors and Courts to heel, Stalin would have been proud.
Given that it is all being exposed in a Parliamentary Inquiry under 8 weeks from an election no-one now has any idea how that election will pan out. In particular, will the realisation hit the electorate that the Scottish Parliament is just as corrupt as the Westminster one so what's the point of huge upheaval when in reality very little will change in the lives of the majority of the population?
In fact much would have to change as the Scotland changes to be more like Norway. Great you say but the job mix will be very different. Gone will be the 10s of thousands of clerical jobs subcontracted out by England, those jobs don't exist in Norway. In will come lots of more highly skilled Civil Service jobs, many of which will be taken by those affected by the shrinking finance industry or even by already skilled Scots returning home. This will not be a bed of roses. Norway survives in part because it is a high tax country.
As to oil, its not the last century anymore! There may indeed be oil and gas under the Atlantic west of the Western Isles but who is going to go out there into those wild seas to find it, and lay the undersea infrastructure? The major oil companies are either borrowing money to pay their dividends or moving 'green' as fast as they can. If they walked away from the prospect before when there was loads of capital around for investment why, when they have none would they put money in now? That only leaves the Scottish Government as a source of finance and it won't have any spare cash either. This is not in anyway to be compared to the start of North Sea oil.
As to defence, well Scotland isn't Norway, it doesn't have a border with Russia or have its waters astride a major route for RuN submarines. Instead it needs to replicate Iceland on a bigger scale, fishery protection aircraft and ships. Mind you if it joined the EU it wouldn't need many of those either as the fish would be the EU's.
Interesting times.