Scottish refendum - why not?

[Malcolm_Stewart]

So, Wendy Alexander is hoping to smoke out the SNP by getting in first with a referendum. What I want to know is why we in England and Wales can't have a referendum on whether we want to keep the Scots in the UK.

Doesn't seem fair to me!

[LargeFormat]

Right on. With a name like Malcolm Stewart I was apprehensive about what you might say.

[SqueamishOssifrage]

From the link:

...while Downing Street distanced itself from the plans.

A fairly obvious reaction, as it might appear strange to have a PM from an independent foreign nation....

[Barney]

What I want to know is why we in England and Wales can't have a referendum on whether we want to keep the Scots in the UK.

Doesn't seem fair to me!

You're not wrong either. By birth my father and brother are both Scottish. If there has to be a refendum, why can't they have a say in what happens? And what about everyone esle in the UK it will affect i.e. everyone.

It say something that Italy and Germany combined ages are still less than that of the Union and yet we have politicans seriously considering Scottish independence now.
What I think the problem is that the Scots (and to some extent the Welsh as well) think that they're the only disaffected ones when the North isn't exactly showered with rose petals by our home counties brethren.

[mjc7uk]

Well just what they gonna to dae with me as am half scot!

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Right on. With a name like Malcolm Stewart I was apprehensive about what you might say.

As far as I know, my father's grandfather was a John Stewart who moved, with his wife, from Dundee to work on the Manchester Town Hall as a carpenter. Their son, my grandfather, married a Londoner, and my father married my mother whose family was from the south Lancashire and/or Manchester area.

Anyway, I think that makes me 1/4 Scots - and if Scotland was truly independent, I'd probably visit so as to get some duty free Scotch.

[sey]

[....................and my father married my mother..............

phewwww!!!!!

[beejaybee]

Well just what they gonna to dae with me as am half scot!

You're going to have to stand astride the border [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Bawbee]

One step at a time Boys, one step at a time. The first thing to determine is the will of the Scots for a breakaway. From there it can be decided what you lot want to do. I mean if England wanted to go independant, fine go away and do it, just don't come whining to us when you do. (Old Aussie joke, how can you tell if a flight just landed had originated in England? You can still hear the whining after the engines have stopped ). I digress sorry.

Anyway, personally, I'm proud to be born Scottish and I am as equally proud to call myself British. I voted No-No the last time we had a referendum and nothing has changed my mind since then.

Friendly rivallry is all well and good but Britain has far more important matters to attend to before cutting the strings of what has been a wonderfully mutual and beneficial alliance.

[Barney]

One step at a time Boys, one step at a time. The first thing to determine is the will of the Scots for a breakaway. From there it can be decided what you lot want to do. I mean if England wanted to go independant, fine go away and do it, just don't come whining to us when you do. (Old Aussie joke, how can you tell if a flight just landed had originated in England? You can still hear the whining after the engines have stopped ). I digress sorry.

Anyway, personally, I'm proud to be born Scottish and I am as equally proud to call myself British. I voted No-No the last time we had a referendum and nothing has changed my mind since then.

Friendly rivallry is all well and good but Britain has far more important matters to attend to before cutting the strings of what has been a wonderfully mutual and beneficial alliance.

Wise words Bawbee, apart from that aussie joke that is, never came a across a whinier nation than the bread stealers myself.

[Bawbee]

bread stealers

I had to Google that one (your post was ranked second). I didn't know that phrase, how was it originated?

"Australia
We are so good, that we even exported our lowest form of dead beats, murderers, rapists, and bread stealers and made a country out of them"

[Burgy]

It comes from the fact that many of the convicts that were deported were sent on very minor crimes, theft of something worth more than a few pence would lead to a sentence of death by hanging, whereas the theft of a loaf of bread would get the sentence of deportation for 7-10 years.

[Bawbee]

It comes from the fact that many of the convicts that were deported were sent on very minor crimes, theft of something worth more than a few pence would lead to a sentence of death by hanging, whereas the theft of a loaf of bread would get the sentence of deportation for 7-10 years.

So, let me get this straight, as you lot are stealing the bread from our mouths (Scotland's Oil), does that make you Aussies?

[huwevans]

Surely it's Aberdeenshire's oil - what claim does the rest of Scotland have on it?

[Burgy]

Surely as it was developed by (originally english companies) and subsidised with Southerners Tax money it should be London and Surrey Oil and Gas fields??

[Burgy]

So, let me get this straight, as you lot are stealing the bread from our mouths (Scotland's Oil), does that make you Aussies?

Yeah, but we let you keep the deep fried Mars Bars and Pizza

[Bawbee]

So, let me get this straight, as you lot are stealing the bread from our mouths (Scotland's Oil), does that make you Aussies?

Yeah, but we let you keep the deep fried Mars Bars and Pizza

Yum-Yum! Have you tried deep-fried-battered Haggis? Wonderful stuff

[Bawbee]

Surely it's Aberdeenshire's oil - what claim does the rest of Scotland have on it?

Nah, in reality we learned everything about oil from the Ham Shanks - and then improved on their theory, honest.

Besides, if the truth be told, geographically, most of the oil belongs to Shetland (but they're too busy with their sheep ).

[Garry McNamara]

Sometimes I get a bit confused on here - is it Mount Board in Scotland where you are meant to breast feed in order to get brighter kids? And I didn't even know Typhoo was China tea - I thought it was Indian.

By the way I have this theory that if you take all the oil out the surface will eventually collapse to fill the space - gravy abhors a vacuum you know. Personally I just don't like them Dysons - yellow and grey plastic- ughhh!

Anyway, I walk out of Edinburgh station on my first visit to Scotland and a Scottish sounding chap approaches me and tells me, I assume in jovial and affectionate manner to F*!K OFF! Is this traditional or part of a new heritage scheme? If it was it was very efficient as I'd only been there two minutes.

I do hope any Scottish people visiting London and not receiving the same kind of service don't take offence. As far as I know Londoners have not been informed of the custom.

[Barney]

bread stealers

I had to Google that one (your post was ranked second). I didn't know that phrase, how was it originated?

I've no idea where I first heard it but I've used it for years. And if I'm feeling particularly annoyed with them it's "Chain rattling bread stealers". I tend to lump them together with New Zealanders, South Africans, Americans and Canadians and just use the generic term "colonial" as that winds them up the most.