From most of the press it looks like all three major parties are going to tell the Scots that they cannot keep the pound if they vote yes.

BBC - Scottish independence: George Osborne to 'rule out currency union'

Independent - George Osborne likely to rule out currency union with independent Scotland

Guardian - Party big guns to rule out currency union with Scotland

Britain's main political parties are drawing up plans to deliver a powerful message to the Scottish people that the remainder of the UK will refuse to form a currency union with Scotland if voters endorse independence in the referendum in September.

Amid strong polling evidence that financial matters have become the decisive factor in voters' minds, George Osborne, Danny Alexander and Ed Balls are each planning to deliver an unequivocal warning that an independent Scotland could not keep the pound.

More bad news for Salmond, Independent Scotland 'would find it extremely difficult to join EU'

It would be "difficult, if not impossible" for an independent Scotland to become a member of the European Union, the European commission president, José Manuel Barroso has said.

More bad news for Salmond, Independent Scotland 'would find it extremely difficult to join EU'

Not one member state would raise an objection to a newly independent
Scotland joining the EU. So what's this all about? Nothing more than Brussels
trying to dissuade other member countries from becoming fractals of there
former selves, Spain for one.

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The Kite Fliers

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Kite fliers: An imaginary club of solo members, those who don't yet
belong to a formal team so "fly their own kites" - as the saying goes.

More bad news for Salmond, Independent Scotland 'would find it extremely difficult to join EU'

Not one member state would raise an objection to a newly independent
Scotland joining the EU. So what's this all about? Nothing more than Brussels
trying to dissuade other member countries from becoming fractals of there
former selves, Spain for one.

Spain doesn't want Scotland getting a free pass to join the EU, because it has its own region wanting a divorce, Catalonia.

And in Spain, Catalonia, capital Barcelona, is the powerhouse of growth, and is fed up of subsidising the rest of Spain.

Let's hope fish-head doesn't see this or he'll be bragging about how Europe loves Scotland and give them a free pass into the EU......

Scottish Isle named top island

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Well David Bowie wants Scotland to stay in the UK, so that's the matter settled.
Brit Awards 2014: David Bowie wins best British male trophy
I expect the SNP are already making plans to disband knowing that the battle is lost.

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Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

useless.scot
drunk.scot
fat.scot
mad.scot

...for starters, looking good for independence...........

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An independent Scotland? Why not?

It is up to the people in Scotland... Only. If the Scots decide they want to exercise their democratic right to self-determination and be independent, let them. Or is it that you don't really support the rights of The People to determine their own destiny when it is too close to home? I repeat, it is nobody's business but the Scots if they wanna go their own way. Don't be a hypocrite.

They already have a devolved parliament at Holyrood, and behave almost like an independent nation anyway. This Independence business seems to be at the behest of the politicians more than the people.

Personally, i haven't met a single Scot who thinks independence is a good idea (and yes i have met more than one), it seems quite unlikely to happen at the moment.

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Life on earth is the global equivalent of not storing things in the fridge.

The only reason I want Scottish independence is that is would, under the current proposals, give me dual citizenship - ah the fun at Dover....

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

My grandfather on my mother's side was from Scotland and I remember a saying he used. It's called "cutting off your nose to spite your face" and that is what Scotland will be doing if they vote to go their separate way.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

My grandfather on my mother's side was from Scotland and I remember a saying he used. It's called "cutting off your nose to spite your face" and that is what Scotland will be doing if they vote to go their separate way.

My 7xgreat grandfather was born in Scotland. He got sent as a child to 'Northern Ireland' because his parents were not exactly the 'right religion' for Scotland.

Not really fitting in there, he got in a spot of legal trouble and got sent to the 'colonies' in North America as a young man, arriving in 1704.

But regardless of that, once again I say the decision is up to the Scottish people... only. If the Scots want to remain in the UK, no problem. If the Scots want to go their own way, again, no problem. It is the Scots' decision... only. IMO, everyone else needs to stay out of it, and let the Scottish people work out their own destiny by themselves.

But regardless of that, once again I say the decision is up to the Scottish people... only. If the Scots want to remain in the UK, no problem. If the Scots want to go their own way, again, no problem. It is the Scots' decision... only. IMO, everyone else needs to stay out of it, and let the Scottish people work out their own destiny by themselves.

...? for that's exactly what's been happening.

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The Kite Fliers

--------------------
Kite fliers: An imaginary club of solo members, those who don't yet
belong to a formal team so "fly their own kites" - as the saying goes.

My grandfather on my mother's side was from Scotland and I remember a saying he used. It's called "cutting off your nose to spite your face" and that is what Scotland will be doing if they vote to go their separate way.

My 7xgreat grandfather was born in Scotland. He got sent as a child to 'Northern Ireland' because his parents were not exactly the 'right religion' for Scotland.

Not really fitting in there, he got in a spot of legal trouble and got sent to the 'colonies' in North America as a young man, arriving in 1704.

But regardless of that, once again I say the decision is up to the Scottish people... only. If the Scots want to remain in the UK, no problem. If the Scots want to go their own way, again, no problem. It is the Scots' decision... only. IMO, everyone else needs to stay out of it, and let the Scottish people work out their own destiny by themselves.

Shouldn't the remainder of the UK have the right to say what they think of Scottish Independence?

Here's one view, and although I think it is a bit English centric, there are some points I agree with.
A Point of View: Should the English have a say on Scottish independence?

And if you read that article it might get you wondering what is the right religion for Scotland. Presumably your ancestor was an Ulster Scot during the "Plantation of Ulster".

Are you sure of the 7x bit, with a generation usually being about 30 years this would suggest 7 * 30 = 210 years ago, which is 1800ish.

My grandfather on my mother's side was from Scotland and I remember a saying he used. It's called "cutting off your nose to spite your face" and that is what Scotland will be doing if they vote to go their separate way.

My 7xgreat grandfather was born in Scotland. He got sent as a child to 'Northern Ireland' because his parents were not exactly the 'right religion' for Scotland.

Not really fitting in there, he got in a spot of legal trouble and got sent to the 'colonies' in North America as a young man, arriving in 1704.

But regardless of that, once again I say the decision is up to the Scottish people... only. If the Scots want to remain in the UK, no problem. If the Scots want to go their own way, again, no problem. It is the Scots' decision... only. IMO, everyone else needs to stay out of it, and let the Scottish people work out their own destiny by themselves.

Shouldn't the remainder of the UK have the right to say what they think of Scottish Independence?

Here's one view, and although I think it is a bit English centric, there are some points I agree with.
A Point of View: Should the English have a say on Scottish independence?

And if you read that article it might get you wondering what is the right religion for Scotland. Presumably your ancestor was an Ulster Scot during the "Plantation of Ulster".

Are you sure of the 7x bit, with a generation usually being about 30 years this would suggest 7 * 30 = 210 years ago, which is 1800ish.

Well, his family was Presbyterian.

Prehaps I didn't state things clearly, let me restate.

By 7xgreat grandfather, I meant to say great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. That's 9 generations, not 7.

So, without giving away too much personally identifiable information:

I am on the high side of 50 years old. My Dad was born in the early 1920s. My Grandfather was born in the mid 1880s. Using your figure of around 200 years for the next 7 generations that puts my 7x great grandfather's birth at around the mid 1680s. And that agrees remarkably well with the genealogical research that my dad, a cousin of his, and I did around 30 years ago. Pouring over all those census (and other government and church) records we got it all nailed down. My 7xgreat grandfather arrived in North America in 1704 at age 20, he was born in Scotland in 1684, and his family was moved to as you say Ulster in the mid 1690s. And the rest is, as they say, history.

The ship has started sinking......

After 189 years in Scotland, Standard Life may quit

"Its annual report said Scotland had been a great base for the company, but added, "if anything were to threaten this, we will take whatever action we consider necessary - including transferring parts of our operations from Scotland - in order to ensure continuity and to protect the interests of our stakeholders."

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Sean Connery urges fellow Scots to vote for independent Scotland

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Sean Connery urges fellow Scots to vote for independent Scotland

Sean states, "He says independence would galvanize the film and creative industries, creating new jobs in Scotland."
Fair point, yet if he's that interested in the film and creative industries
then why is he not living there and backing these industries with his own money?

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The Kite Fliers

--------------------
Kite fliers: An imaginary club of solo members, those who don't yet
belong to a formal team so "fly their own kites" - as the saying goes.

If the EU enforces Council Directive 95/26/EC of 29 June 1995, then Lloyds and RBS will have to move to England if Scotland votes Yes. The directive implies that the Financial companies must have its registered head offices in the country where it does its main business.

EU law may force RBS and Lloyds to become English

It is also pointed out that if these banks were HQ'd in Scotland and were to collapse, Scotland would not have the money to bail them out.

Here are the stats: Lloyds' and RBS's loans and investments are £1.9 trillion collectively, or between 13 and 15 times the value of Scotland's annual output or GDP (depending on how it's measured) - which suggests that Scotland would be bankrupted by the implied costs of rescuing these two banks and their depositors.