Alex Salmond’s independence fairytale won’t serve Scottish voters well August 26, 2014 SIR JAMES Mirrlees is one of the mere handful of British recipients of the Nobel Prize in economics. And as his fine old Scottish surname might suggest, he has been active in the debate on independence. His latest intervention, which has attracted considerable publicity, is to pronounce that an independent Scotland should be willing to [...]
Salmond wins: Last Scottish independence debate sees SNP victory August 25, 2014 Well, that's it. The last debate on Scottish independence ended with a victory for the SNP leader Alex Salmond, according to a snap ICM poll for the Guardian. 71 per cent of those polled thought Salmond clenched it while only 29 per cent gave it to Darling. Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond clashed over issues [...]
Independence referendum debate: What to watch out for August 25, 2014 As Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling prepare to face-off for the last time on whether Scotland should withdraw from the 300-year-old union both sides will be readying their arsenal of facts and figures to make their case. There are a host of issues that will come up in tonight's debate, but three have become central [...]
Scottish independence snubbed by John Menzies as aviation and distribution giant backs No vote August 19, 2014 Edinburgh-based airport services and logistics firm John Menzies says it hopes that Scotland does not split from the United Kingdom as Scottish companies will have more opportunities if Britain is not split up. “We don’t actually think Scotland should be independent,” said John Menzies finance chief Paula Bell. “We’ll be so glad to get back [...]
Independence for a healthy Scotland: Yes campaign focuses on national health service August 19, 2014 Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond is focusing on the benefits that an independent Scotland could bring to the country's National Health Service. Saving the Scottish NHS from the effects of an increased private sector role in the English health service is now a top priority for Salmond, according to the FT. The fact [...]
Yes to independence would see Scotland leave the UK forever August 18, 2014 If Scotland votes “Yes” to independence on 18 September, it will be leaving the UK forever with no opportunity to rejoin, Danny Alexander has warned. The chief secretary to the Treasury and head of the UK’s effort to persuade Scots to stick with the United Kingdom, told The Sunday Telegraph: “It is not like a [...]
Bank denies Scottish independence currency union talks with John Swinney ever took place August 14, 2014 The Bank of England slapped down a Scottish minister yesterday, after he claimed talks were underway over the future of the sterling. “The Scottish government has had technical discussions with the Bank of England regarding our proposal for a currency union and we welcome their continued acknowledgement that the Bank will introduce whatever the politicians [...]
Would a vote for Scottish independence significantly harm the UK’s security? August 13, 2014 Professor Malcolm Chalmers, research director at RUSI, says Yes. We won’t know how serious the consequences are until we know the separation terms. But if Scotland insists on expelling Trident by 2020, as is promised, the UK would not be able to rebuild nuclear bases fast enough to remain a nuclear power. We could see [...]
Scottish independence currency contingency plans in place, says Bank of England’s Mark Carney August 13, 2014 Contingency plans have been made by the Bank of England ahead of the Scottish referendum in response to uncertainties over the country’s currency if it becomes independent. Bank of England governor Mark Carney said the body had "a wide range of tools and plans" to deal with any financial issues arising from the referendum, regardless [...]
Scottish independence debate hits US: Congress backs No campaign with pro-union resolution August 7, 2014 The Scottish independence debate has burst on to the US political scene again. Twenty-seven members of the US Congress, including both Democrats and Republicans, have signed a resolution in support of the union, saying that "a United Kingdom, including Scotland, would be the strongest possible American ally". The focus of the resolution, which was tabled on [...]