Westminster ‘confusion and concern’ on Scottish 6
WESTMINSTER’S Scottish affairs committee says there is widespread “confusion and concern” about the shape an independent Scotland would take.
In a report published today, the Labour-dominated group argues there are a series of questions which need answering by the SNP government ahead of the referendum.
The MPs identify six areas they say merit scrutiny: banking regulation; pension payments; the currency; membership of international organisations; defence; and the costs of independence.
Committee chair, Glasgow Labour MP Ian Davidson said: “Questions that may seem trivial at first actually show just how this issue permeates through every aspect of life: from the television you watch to how you travel round the world.”
He said the committee would be holding a series of further evidence sessions on the key issues raised by the initial findings.
The report comes after First MinisterAlex Salmond used a speech in Liverpool on Monday evening to argue that people on both sides of the Border would notice little difference from independence, apart from political control moving to Edinburgh.
Mr Davidson said: “Although the Scottish Government wants to establish its independence from the rest of the UK, the wider social union – the ties of family and friendship, which link people across these islands – would continue.
“In particular, Scotland would continue to act as a friend and partner to its neighbouring countries.”
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Comments
There are 19 comments to this article
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LondonReader
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 03:21 PMAbridged to Far ..... you have been busy. The Select Committe want the details of independence to be made clear. I think that is only fair to the Scottish electorate. There should be time between now and the referendum to spell out the mechanisms of independence. They could out source the task to you at this rate. The assertions about currency, EU membership, etc. could then be verified in a matter of fact way, leaving the onsequences of the referendum choice as the only matter for public debate.
Otto Bàn
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 09:42 PM"The MPs identify six areas they say merit scrutiny... " Did they worry about stuff like this in the Post Office? In the Singing Revolution?
Auld Twa
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:03 PMOur present UK Government is unable to predict what will happen in the next few weeks, let alone months or years, but the SNP is expected to produce down to the penny details of the outcome of every issue now. As a pensioner I can say that things are not too bright at the moment, but the SNP Government's frozen council tax, frozen water rates, free prescriptions, free care for the elderly and free university education are helping my extended family in Scotland get through this period of austerity in a manner that is not available to those who are living in England.
Marga
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 05:22 PMAbridged too far - arms-length bodies - good point about so many of our "public services" in fact being already provided by contracted agencies. This should be explained to people who worry about Scotland ending up like some kind of desert island after independence. One great and unexpected benefit to Scotland of the widespread privatisation during Labour governments.
joewood
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 04:07 PM#11. I have checked the history book as you requested and see that the only mistake I made was that they came under the Scottish crown in the 15C, and not the 14C as stated. Regardless. The point is that Salmond cannot at the same time demand Scotland's right to self-determination and at the same time deny it to the Isles, though the Nats prefer to pretend that the problem does not exist. He is putting them in a very strong negotiating position which is unlikely to be to the benefit of Scotland or rUK. Take a look at it in 5 years and see if my prediction was right . You always have to worry about the Law of Unexpected Consequences.
Abridged too Far
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 02:32 PMBefore I'm slated for suggesting in my post #13 that existing UK agencies could take on administrative work under Scottish government contract, I would like to point out that it is not unknown for governments to employ external agencies in this manner. The Bank of England, for example, no longer print their own money having outsourced the work to a private company, De la Rue (if my memory serves me correctly). That same company also prints notes for other countries throughout the world, some in the Middle East, as they have the expertise and facilities. Also, would companies and agencies based in the remaining UK refuse Scottish business based on some sense of being jilted by the Scottish people? Of course not, but the Westminster Scottish Affair's Committee wants to sell you the lie that they would.
Abridged too Far
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 02:18 PMReading, yesterday, of planned strike action by Scottish DVLA staff against the the Tories plans to chop the 120 DVLA posts on Scotland's regional offices, got me thinking on an effect of independance. Reading, today, on the (impartial?) BBC web-site of their take on this story they mention the issue of Scottish passports, and my conclusions from the DVLA story also apply here......... Independance will, of course, result in a change in status and design of many of the official forms currently in existence. However, these documents are not administered, produced and controlled by government, they are administered, produced and controlled by agencies on behalf of government, such as DVLA and the UK Passport Agency (UKPA). When you require a driver's license, pay your annual car tax or have a passport issued then you, the customer, pay either the DVLA or UKPA for that service. After independance there may be a phased change in order to adopt the new national identity, but that work will, surely, still be carried out by the existing agencies based within the new UK structure under contract with the government of Scotland. And here's the crunch - as there would then be a requirement to have a body within Scotland to assist the administration of such a system, it is vital that we maintain the expertise of of those who administer our regional centres at this time. The plan to axe those 120 DVLA positions now seems to me to be a tory ploy to undermine a smooth handover of power, so derailing the referendum process.
Abridged too Far
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 01:44 PMThe Scottish Parliament publish the paper 'You're Scotland, You're Referendum' which outlines in clear, intelligent and non-inflammatory language the mechanics of the referendum process and invites the participation of the people to consult and comment on the issues. By contrast, the puppet Jocks of Westminster's Scottish Affairs's Committee shout non-productive and poisonous sound-bites of "confusion and concern". Dis-ingenuous diatribe with no clear message which is trumpeted by the Uk's predominantly right-wing authoritarian press. The same press who spread fear throughout our society, encouraging us all to find fault and blame, insidiously encouraging the proletareate that we need to surrender our own freedoms to save ourselves from the imagined fears that they create to control our thoughts........Have the ordinary participants on either side of the political compass taken the time to read the consultation paper and given their views , as invited? Probably not....... You can read then comment in an official capacity here http:www.scotland.gov.ukPublications2012011006downloads
Finnzz
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:41 PMThe frightening thing is the ignorance now being displayed by this so-called Scottish affairs committee. This deliberate ploy of deigning confusion is beginning to wear thin mainly due to the fact that Labour politicians are now known to be slightly short of brain cells.........................#7 Joewood, I suggest you read a history book to find out the background to the Northern Isles and their links to the Scottish crown.
freeesian
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:35 PM“confusion and concern” about the shape an independent Scotland would take- Well let me see...It will be kind of flat along the top, then it will go down and inwards for a bit, then there is a big sticky out bit below that, then another smaller sticky out bit, then a sort of curvey bit don to the border where it goes across to the other side( this will have barbed wire and towers with guns on it, and up the other side it will go in and out lots of times before it gets to the top again.... That kind of describes the shape Scotland will be...pretty much as it is now.
Biscuit McVittie
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:47 AM#4 Good point! Many of us in the borders consider ourselves to be neither Scottish or English. We are borderers and will not have an alien culture imposed upon us by a load of accountants, lawyers and failed economists sitting pretty in Holyrood. They are JUST as bad as Westminster.
Biscuit McVittie
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:42 AMThere's no point in asking such questions. We loyal Scots trust our great leader in the sure knowledge that he has all the answers. For God, Fatherland and Alex!
joewood
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:42 AM#5 Too right I wasn't. What about those areas with ancient Norwegian affiliations which were annexed by Scotland in the 14C and may wish to go it alone than have Salmond's hands on their resources, which just happens to include most of the North Sea Oil. It would be very much in their interests to play hard whichever way the fight goes. The fight scrap between Edinburgh and Westminster is alerting the Shetlanders to the fact they are sitting pretty. They could be the ones to win out. See http:www.shetlandtimes.co.uk20120206decision-time-for-shetland-ruairidh-kerr for an interesting viewpoint. You might find that the forward slashes get removed by my web server, but take a look through the Shetland Times anyway. One idea is to go back to Norway! As they point put the right to self-determination applies to them as well.
Jimson
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:05 AM"...WESTMINSTER’S Scottish affairs committee says there is widespread “confusion and concern” about the shape an independent Scotland would take..." Unionists should be aware that the "widespread confusion" etc was based on 47! I repeat, YES 47! replies to a survey by the committee in Scotland on Independence concerns. (According to report in Scottish Sun). Do these people realise how stupid they are?
billalba
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:40 AM#4 Don't panic ...the vote is for the whole of Scotland so if Fife voted against I think Fife wouldn't want to be separate from Scotland so they would take the democratic view and remain as part of Scotland. There will be no Scotland Light and trying to regurgate the NI rubbish is just unionist scaremongering at its worst. (of course you weren't thinking of Fife were you???)
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