| Topic: IPPR Scotland — Rebuilding Scotland`s “New Politics”: a constructive parliament to build trust in Scottish politic |
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| 41. Author: jake89 Date: Mon 14th Sep 2026. 16:32 Personally, I`d have Scotland back in the EU in a heartbeat. I couldn`t care less about being governed from Westminster. Holyrood can be dodgy but Westminster is another level. Reply |
| 42. Author: NMCmassive Date: Mon 14th Sep 2026. 18:04 wee eck, Mon 14 Sep 11:54 You ignored all 5 cos it’s counter to your ideology COYP Reply |
| 43. Author: wee eck Date: Mon 14th Sep 2026. 19:26 No, I missed them. I was hoping someone might enlighten me. Reply |
| 44. Author: jake89 Date: Mon 14th Sep 2026. 19:46 I remember someone else who used to post on here telling people to look it up 🤔 Reply |
| 45. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 01:13 wee eck, Mon 14 Sep 19:26 No point Eck I already know your response. You’ll ignore where the figures come from then blame Westminster. I’d likely for independence as well but I’m not doing it without considering the consequences. COYP Reply |
| 46. Author: wee eck Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 07:32 I would treat any economic forecasts with a healthy dose of scepticism. It`s a very inexact science, especially in the current world situation. Economists rarely get right what`s going to happen in the next month, far less years ahead. How long did they say the oil would last at the time of the last referendum? There`s a lot of scaremongering goes on. Sometimes you`ve got to trust your instincts and take comfort from the fact that lots of countries with fewer resources than Scotland have prospered on their own. Reply |
| 47. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 13:44 It’s not an economic forecast. It’s a report on what’s already happened COYP Reply |
| 48. Author: wee eck Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 14:17 No doubt it will be used as a precursor of doom. If it`s already happened it`s happened under the Union but that will.be glossed over. The Union isn`t designed to spread prosperity throughout the UK, as Andy Burnham has pointed out, so it`s not a good basis for predicting how the constituent parts would do if independent. Reply |
| 49. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 15:59 As much as I agree to a point, it still doesn’t detract from the economy, finances and what we would do for a currency will be some of the the biggest questions and we knew that because it was the biggest question last time and they’ve never bothered to address it. COYP Reply |
| 50. Author: wee eck Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 16:17 I think they probably have been addressing them. Various papers have been published but it`s been pretty low-key because no referendum is imminent. If they made a song and dance about it they`d be criticised for doing it at the expense of more pressing problems. That`s the way the media works in Scotland. Folk are always going to favour the status quo and look for guarantees under independence when, in fact, there are never guarantees on economic matters whoever is in charge. Post Edited (Tue 15 Sep 17:47) Reply |
| 51. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 18:25 No they haven’t otherwise you’d be able to find it. We are past the day and age where you can get away with that. All the required information is in your hand. COYP Reply |
| 52. Author: wee eck Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 18:55 There`s plenty stuff on the SNP website including a 112-page paper from Oct 22 `Building a new Scotland` and updates since. Fill your boots. Reply |
| 53. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 19:14 wee eck, Tue 15 Sep 18:55 Already know about it Eck. Raises more questions than answers. It actually talks about a fiscal deficit of 11.6% so I’m confused about how you didn’t know about it yourself now that you’ve referenced a paper that talks about it? I’m pretty sure the IFS made public comments about the current deficit and where the extra £20bn that the SNP propose to spend it would come from. COYP Reply |
| 54. Author: Indiapar1 Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 19:20 I think where I am on this is that this is such a big decision that if the SNP want independence then there has to be a contract with the people of Scotland in terms of their policy and delivery. I appreciate the arguement that you cannot predict the future, but there has to be some accountability on what you are selling. Its not like buying something in a shop such that you can take it back. I think economically Scotland has a credit rating of AA, but that is within the fiscal framework of the UK as a whole. I wonder how that will be impacted by an idependent Scotland and that period where you are setting up your own banking system, tax collection system and currency. This is on top of the current fiscal defecit of approximatel 11% of GDP. Granted that this may be adjusted but its not clear what tge existing UK liabilities are. A drop in credit rating from AA to say BBB would increase the cost of borrowing. The SNP would need a clear negotiated debt settlement, credible currency regime, strong fiscal institutions etc. You would also need to factor in the cost of transition to independence such as defence costs, foreign service, intelligence services, customs and immigration services etc. Scotland also trades with England, so how would that be impacted. With a separate currency, there would be an exchange rate mechanism , possibly border controls etc. Importantly, this is also within an environment of reckrd UK debt levels, way above the debt levels we had during the last recession. If we do not create growtb and get debt levels down, there could be very challenging times ahead. G Wardrope Reply |
| 55. Author: wee eck Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 19:28 If you knew about it why did you say they`d produced nothing? Can we expect the Unionists to prepare a paper showing how Scotland will perform in the next few years if it remains in the Union and how much credibility will it have if they do? What`s our share of the UK National Debt going to be? Reply |
| 56. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 19:31 wee eck, Tue 15 Sep 19:28 If you knew about the deficit, why did you say you didn’t know anything about it? COYP Reply |
| 57. Author: NMCmassive Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 19:47 Folk have to realise that leaving the UK would make us poorer, especially over the short to medium term. It won’t magically create more money and wealth. If shrinking our economy by leaving the EU via Brexit was bad, what do you think shrinking it from 60millionish to 5.5millionish would do? We won’t instantly be accepted into the EU. Our finances are still miles of it and there’s political will against us getting in from countries bigger than us. Any nation that has internal independence movements won’t want to see us waltz into the EU. Spain is the obvious country that would be against it but also Belgium, France and Italy have areas/territories they don’t want an uprising in independence talks-which automatically entering us with our economy would do. COYP Reply |
| 58. Author: jake89 Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 20:31 The economics are filled with a lot of unknowns. Neither side can project the future but can make semi-informed guesses. Spain said last time they wouldn`t stand in the way. No other EU country has passed comment on letting Scotland in. My main concern on Scottish independence will be who will start fights on the streets once all the Rangers fans follow through with their threats of leaving. Reply |
| 59. Author: wee eck Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 20:32 That`s funny I`m sure we were told the UK leaving the EU would make us richer! Who knows who to believe? With a negative mindset like that we`ll struggle to prosper whether we`re part of the UK or independent. The Unionist parties must love it. They don`t have to change anything, just stumble on as before from one shambles to the next one. Reply |
| 60. Author: Dave_1885 Date: Tue 15th Sep 2026. 20:46 NMCmassive, Tue 15 Sep 19:47 We’ve already been made poorer…..and it’s not going to get better by remaining part of the Union. We wouldn’t need to enter the EU to make a trade deal with them, would we? 🤔 Reply |