scottsdad Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 we had been independent from 1979. Would we have had: Reductions of the top level income tax in 1979, 1988 and 2012? The rise of VAT in 1979, 1991 and 2010? Selling off every national asset from trains and energy to the royal mail to a few wealthy businessmen who return with big profits and poor service? Closure of the coal mines and the legacy of devastated mining villages across the country? The rising number of people who are working and poor? The poll tax? The bedroom tax? Our soldiers in foreign wars? The ending of heavy manufacturing and skilled labour? Just wondering what the country would be like had we been independent from '79. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
git-intae-thum Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 we had been independent from 1979. Would we have had: Reductions of the top level income tax in 1979, 1988 and 2012? The rise of VAT in 1979, 1991 and 2010? Selling off every national asset from trains and energy to the royal mail to a few wealthy businessmen who return with big profits and poor service? Closure of the coal mines and the legacy of devastated mining villages across the country? The rising number of people who are working and poor? The poll tax? The bedroom tax? Our soldiers in foreign wars? The ending of heavy manufacturing and skilled labour? Just wondering what the country would be like had we been independent from '79. Bearing in mind we never got the chance to vote for independence in 1979, hypothetically I think we know the answers to most if not all of the above. The onus is on the current generation not to repeat the epic fail of our forebears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p&b is a disgrace Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Would we be paying 20p in the pound in income tax - or still the 33p in the pound that we paid back then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I think it's safe to say that the SNP would never have evolved in to its present form. They would still be the tartan Tories they were under Gordon Wilson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 There is no industry as everyone has moved out of Scotland, those remaining are out of business due to looting etc as people struggle to afford the basics in a bankrupt country with mayhem in our streets. Those that can afford to pay trade in chocolate coins and birds are a thing of the past due to every skyline in the country being dominated by windfarms. We are also be under occupation due to our a small and nuclear-less army not being able to fight the foreigners who have control of our oilfields. Something like that anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confidemus Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I think it's safe to say that the SNP would never have evolved in to its present form. They would still be the tartan Tories they were under Gordon Wilson. You really need to seek some medicine to help you in your SNP/ Salmond obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookies Love Me Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 North Korea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney21 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Scotland might just be free of a political system of politicians that are to the core corrupt that tacitly give the nod to a whole bunch of perverts yet still we trust them to do what,s best for us,aye right!,we can up here get rid of all politicians and parties and elect a body of proven noteworthy citizens to run our affairs,we are after all a nation of circa 5mil people roughly the size of greater Birmingham with our vast resources we could be the envy of the world,I have noticed that the Norwegian blueprint is conveniently kept out of the argument,they only have 500billion tucked away and live off only the interest,you hear very little of this from the NO camp I wonder why,probably the same old same old we wouldn,t/couldn,t do it,what a bunch of wimps in the NO camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reynard Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Scotland would look pretty much the same as it does now. Hopefully with less windmills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I mean this in a serious way: There would almost certainly be fewer residents from the rUK due to the mental barrier of having to 'emigrate' rather than just move to another part of their own country. Agreed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tio Pepe Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Scotland would look pretty much the same as it does now. If an independent Scotland had joined the EU then you are probably correct. The other similarities are that politicians would be taking credit for and getting blamed for policies that emanated from the EU. This helps maintain the current pretence about where power lies in most areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky88 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 I don't think there would be anything wrong with the country whatsoever. We'd all be driving around in Lamborghinis (apart from those nasty rich people) and using banknotes as toilet paper. There's no doubt in my mind that we would have been the only country in Europe to have not imposed austerity measures, especially if John Swinney was in charge of the purse strings. I think it's because once you cross over into Scotland, you get an entirely different kind of people who are just profoundly better than everyone else. #freedom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 You really need to seek some medicine to help you in your SNP/ Salmond obsession. So you think the modern SNP would have developed in any case? As for your jibe - I have contempt for most political parties especially the serial liars in the SNP and the Labour Party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reynard Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 If an independent Scotland had joined the EU then you are probably correct. The other similarities are that politicians would be taking credit for and getting blamed for policies that emanated from the EU. This helps maintain the current pretence about where power lies in most areas. Pretty much right. A lot of the blame for stuff aimed at "Westminster" should be getting aimed at the EU, the control large chunks of everything done by government. The miraculous decision not to go into the Euro has allowed us some semblance of control, but we have ceded an awful lot since "79" most of it since "97". Interesting that Germany went through a double dip recession there. Looks like the Eurorot is even going to affect them now. The heavy industry was dead at that stage anyway. Thatcher actually did chuck plenty of money at it all in her first term before finally letting it compete properly (and die). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Bystander Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Pretty much right. A lot of the blame for stuff aimed at "Westminster" should be getting aimed at the EU, the control large chunks of everything done by government. Could you qualify "large chunks", as Westminster's own statistics state that only 7% of UK legislation is effected by EU rulings. Interesting that Germany went through a double dip recession there. Looks like the Eurorot is even going to affect them now. Interestingly the problems that Germany went through in the 80's is the very reason they are doing so well now. In the 80's with lots of free credit the DE population did what the UK did in the 90's and shift payment away from personal reserves to debt generation. When the shit hit the fan and the Deutchmark dropped like a stone the public were warned they couldn't live on credit. This message was taken up and it's pretty ingrained in the public psyche of modern Germany not to rely on money you don't have. In terms of the UK, and with hindsight (although hindsight wasn't really needed as it was obvious what was going to happen with the credit "bubble"), all flavours of government should have reeled in the credit culture and they didn't. It's something our grandparents adhered to but the youth of the 90's and 00's seemed to think money would grow on trees and so long as you had a bit of plastic then you would never be in the need of revenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyal-blue Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Running water would only be available for a few hours a day imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinkinFighter Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Similar to Panama imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyal-blue Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Majority would have emigrated to England. Scotland's population would be similar to Malta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casual Bystander Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Majority would have emigrated to England. Scotland's population would be similar to Malta. And people claim I "try too hard". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Just like Mad Max IMHAHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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