( From " Private Eye " )
Regardless of how many watched the Independence debates, there’s much more interest now – not just in Scotland – about the outcome of the September 18 referendum.
I’ve already made the case for exempting OUR NHS from any further changes, should there be a " Yes " vote next week. NHS systems have been different across the UK since devolution 14 years ago, but there is still union - in the sense that patients may be treated wherever is best for them without fear of cost. There are excellent healthcare workers and hospitals in all four countries.
Nationalists have set a date of March 2016 to separate from the UK. It’s highly likely, IF there was a " Yes " vote, that this time scale is too ambitious ! Expect long and wide-ranging, probably ill-tempered, negotiations, and changes which would affect all of us.
Robert Burns, born almost 200 years before Alex Salmond, was a Scottish Nationalist! In the event of a " Yes " vote, I guess I will have at least 18 months to spend this note after last week’s visit to the city where I was born, studied, and worked as a young doctor – Glasgow !
I’m no expert, and usually avoid political debate on this Forum, but it does seem that currency is one major issue to be resolved. Of the four options ( currency union with the UK; " sterlingisation " ; separate currency ; joining the euro ) many experts seem to favour union. Independence would be bad for Scotland’s economy and could disrupt the UK’s recovery.
I can’t vote – I chose to live in England. But I very much hope that the Union will be saved. Devolution … yes!
Quote Reply
Originally Posted by Win2Win
... 
... as 
(as well as a straightforward hand~waving 
) gesture ... so it's 
... right now,
's
... 
... 
