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Queen's leads Commonwealth Day celebrations with a peace, respect and understanding message
Queen Elizabeth has highlighted respect and understanding between nations as the key to peace in her annual message to the Commonwealth. The Queen's address to 2.4 billion citizens promotes this year's Commonwealth Day theme of “a peace-building Commonwealth”. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesGosh don't we do things well, watch and learn Argentina.
Mar 13th, 2017 - 11:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0Sturgeon just asked for another referéndum for a free Scotland. If it lands, Northern Ireland might follow sue.
Mar 13th, 2017 - 05:02 pm - Link - Report abuse -3So jokes on the old lady
Good idea. May should insist that Scotland get custody of NI in the divorce. They'll both be in the EU so it'll solve the border problem, and they can use the oil money to pay for it all.
Mar 13th, 2017 - 07:37 pm - Link - Report abuse -2It would be great to see some reforms in the Republic so that the NI Prods could feel comfortable in an Irish State.
Mar 13th, 2017 - 08:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Lukedig
Mar 13th, 2017 - 08:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The UK Government is under no obligation to hold another referendum. Scotland had their chance.
Sturgeon is one of those politicians who doesn't believe in democracy, demanding referendum after referendum until the people vote the 'right' way. I personally don't care if Scotland becomes a vassal state to the EU instead of an equal partner in the UK, but the people of Scotland will.
Because it's certain that the EU won't be welcoming Scotland with open arms, because all they'll be is a drain on their resources...at a time when one of the biggest contributors to the EU has left (the UK).
Scottish people would have to say goodbye to free higher education, healthcare and many other things.
Sturgeon is a typical politician, she'll tell the people anything to get them to vote for her, including the lie that an independent Scotland would be exactly as it is now but somehow 'better', when in reality they'd be bankrupt in about 5 years (if not less) as the SNP have proved time and time again that they are not financially responsible.
Scotland has a tiny population, only about 6 million people, it's main export is whiskey. Sturgeon tells the Scottish people that the North Sea gas and oil belongs solely to Scotland, conveniently ignoring the many fields that lie off the coasts of England and Northern Ireland.
But even IF Scotland got it all...they'd be finished because within a few decades it'll all be gone, and they'll have nothing.
In 1707 the Scottish Parliament bankrupted Scotland, and England, Wales and Ireland had to bail them out, hence the Act of Union.
I doubt the rest of the UK would be so generous a second time, and independence means just that...independence. They'd be on their own...really on their own, as the EU has already, and repeatedly told them that they're not welcome without the rest of the UK bankrolling them.
But if it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling to believe that Scotland will cede from the UK, so be it. It's probably all you have.
Oh lad, so the scots are children who cannot survive or hace a decent country without the english.
Mar 13th, 2017 - 09:08 pm - Link - Report abuse -2I wonder what a scot would say at that.
The irish seem to be doing quite well right now, so why not Scotland
Happy Imperialist Colonialism under a euphemistic title day!
Mar 13th, 2017 - 09:23 pm - Link - Report abuse -2Things moving towards a Untited Ireland now though. I think they are talking about a referedum on Irish unity.
Mar 13th, 2017 - 10:51 pm - Link - Report abuse -3@LukeDig
Mar 13th, 2017 - 11:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Yeah, that's rubbish, of course they could survive, just like the UK can survive outside the EU - we just won't be as well off. I think the transition would be hard; Ireland was very poor for a long time but are doing well now, mostly, and IMO the EU would let Scotland join, not sure if immediately though.
It would be most difficult for the (very large number of) Scots who live and work in the rest of the UK, and vice-versa. Since the UK is determined to end free movement they would suddenly be facing the same uncertain future as the EU workers are now. I imagine the rUK would want to allow free movement and an open border with Scotland, but would the EU allow that? Having the rUK out of the EU and Scotland in it really creates a lot more complications than were considered in the last referendum.
@LEPRecon
England did not 'bail Scotland out' from generosity, but to persuade the Scottish Parliament to agree to the union and compensate them for having to take on paying part of the English national debt.
@AustrOllOpithecus
Happy Commonwealth day. Most empires in history have ended considerably more unpleasantly than with a club of countries that doesn't do a whole lot except hold games every 4 years.
Lukedig
Mar 13th, 2017 - 11:18 pm - Link - Report abuse +1It isn't about England, its about economics pure and simple. Scotland could survive as an independent country, but what it won't be is rich. What it won't have is free healthcare and a generous social security programme.
Why? Because Scotland has a tiny population for its size. It has no manufacturing base. It has an ageing population that will require old age pensions, so the smaller younger population would have to foot the bill for them.
I know that, being from Argentina, you don't understand economics. You can't bully the economy into doing what you want. You can't make a political decree to make it do what you want. Market forces are completely independent from politics, hence why countries who try to make the economy do what they want, politically speaking, usually end up in deep trouble.
As for the Irish doing quite well, then you obviously haven't got a clue about Ireland. Ireland spends a lot of its time teetering on the brink of financial collapse. In fact if it wasn't for the UK loaning them £7 billion, they'd be in a worse state than Greece right know. It was only the UK loan, with no of those EU strings attached, that saved Ireland from financial ruin.
EscosesDoidao
Your lack of understanding about NI and Ireland is apparent. It's unlikely that would unite as the majority Protestant north don't want to be ruled by a bunch a fascist Catholics who live in the dark ages. They also don't want to be in the same financial boat as Ireland.
As for Ireland, they couldn't financially support NI, and couldn't give them the same things that they currently enjoy, such as free healthcare and one of the most generous social security systems in the world. Ireland can barely support itself as it is, giving them the burden and expectation of people from the north would bankrupt them completely.
The Republic of Ireland don't want the headache that the North would bring them, and the North don't want a religious state dictating what they should do.
Whatever, - Untited! Best typo ever!
Mar 13th, 2017 - 11:28 pm - Link - Report abuse -1LEPRecon
Mar 13th, 2017 - 11:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Spot on -couldn't have said it better - I doff my cap to you sir.
If Ireland did unite and Scotland left, that would simplify the UK/Ireland border, reduce English taxes and bring shipbuilding and many other industries and government offices back reducing unemployment in the North. The EU could then make up the subsidies. Result - everyone happy!
Mar 13th, 2017 - 11:39 pm - Link - Report abuse -1@The Voice
Mar 14th, 2017 - 12:00 am - Link - Report abuse -1Well, the SNP would be very happy, and Think would be crowing. In reality it would mean our country would no longer even exist, it would be a disaster for the economies of everyone concerned, there would probably be renewed violence in NI, and you're dreaming if you think this government would lower your taxes. How do you like them breaking their manifesto promise not to raise NI?
@LEPRecon
Ireland's economy is nowhere near the disastrous state of Greece's. They have higher GDP per capita than the UK and could probably have managed without the loan, with a bit more difficulty.
Gotta love para.37
Mar 14th, 2017 - 12:48 am - Link - Report abuse -1https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/79408/Annex_A.pdf
Nice one Roger. Lets look at that document again after the coming Scottish Independence referendum. No spite, no malice intended here, but genuinely curious as to why so many Brits want to hold on to Scotland.....
Mar 14th, 2017 - 03:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0I often wonder. As for 'coming' - first the SNP require Westminster's permission. I suspect they'll find that hard to gain.
Mar 14th, 2017 - 05:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0@EscoSesDoidao
Mar 14th, 2017 - 08:12 am - Link - Report abuse -1I wrote a reply to this same question from another poster a while ago:
If Scotland left, the rest of the UK would be diminished in almost every way. What country wants to lose nearly 1/3 of it's territory and over 8% of it's population?
We'd lose the Scottish talent and large cultural contributions. We'd lose the military bases and other infrastructure (and Scotland would lose the jobs they provide). Looking at history, Britain has been a lot more successful as a country than England or Scotland ever were alone.
In addition, without Scotland the political and economic balance of the country would shift even further towards London and the South East, which already have too much influence. A lot of the North of England is more similar in some ways to Scotland than to London.
Plus leaving would create big problems for the many people from the rest of the UK who live in Scotland, and the many people from Scotland living in the rest of the UK. It would be bad for the economy (which is already going to be suffering from leaving the EU), it would create an international border, and it would cause a lot of unnecessary work and headaches for no benefit to us.
While it's true that Scotland receives more in public spending than the rest of the UK, a lot of this is due to the low population density and more rugged terrain, which makes providing services harder. Plus there are a lot of Scottish people working and paying taxes in England who are also helping to pay.
I don't think there is any benefit to keeping Scotland in the union against its will though. I'm pretty sure May will agree to another referendum, but probably not until Brexit is complete.
@DT my country is England what's yours, it's never clear? As for the manifesto promise that was made by the failed Cameron administration. I'd rather see Social Care boosted whatever it takes even a hike in income tax. A lot of the ire is coming from TV presenters who are paying themselves mainly in tax free dividends and who are now furious. But..some are just to naive to realise that.
Mar 14th, 2017 - 08:15 am - Link - Report abuse -1@The Voice
Mar 14th, 2017 - 09:50 am - Link - Report abuse -1No love for the hard working entrepreneurs and small business owners? But of course you are a pensioner and will get the benefit without ever paying the costs. And why does a change of leader let the Tories off their manifesto promises? It's still the same party ruling us, May does not have a mandate from the people to change those policies. I don't object to the rise itself, but I do object to the government breaking the promises they were elected on.
And I am puzzled how you can be unclear as to my country; unlike some people I have always been honest about it on here. I'm British, and I am English like you.
Having been a hard working entrepreneur for over 20 years I paid myself mainly with dividends. Some paid their non working wives like that too. It was a perfectly legal way of avoiding tax. These loopholes are gradually getting blocked off to raise more tax. I will be affected by the tax on dividends but there are ways to avoid some of that. Cameron's stupid policy promise had to be broken for the greater good which is fine by me.
Mar 14th, 2017 - 03:05 pm - Link - Report abuse -1@The Voice
Mar 14th, 2017 - 06:55 pm - Link - Report abuse -1That was more reasonable than I expected. Is there anything else in the Tory manifesto you'd like to see them break? Austerity perhaps? Or raise income tax too? I think they should get rid of the triple lock on pensions, because pensioners are now better off than working people and we won't be able to afford it without immigration anyway.
Pensioners are better off than working people, that's a laugh! Plenty of really poor pensioners here on just basic pensions and benefits. I drive them around. And this is the promised land! There are wealthy pensioners of course but still plenty of poor ones scraping along at the bottom. Immigration won't be stopped, it will just be controlled like in any normal country. Bulgaria has been totally devastated by emigration. It's not all sunshine.
Mar 15th, 2017 - 04:01 pm - Link - Report abuse -1It's true:
Mar 15th, 2017 - 08:23 pm - Link - Report abuse -1http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38957903
It's after housing costs, but they are exactly one of the biggest problems for young people today. And consider that the vast majority of pensioners have no dependants, while people my age are trying to raise children on a lower average income. My generation is the first to be poorer than the preceding ones at the same age, and we know we will never get the kind of benefits today's pensioners enjoy.
Now as a result of Brexit we are facing more years of economic uncertainty, and probably being significantly poorer as a country for the foreseeable future. Thanks a lot.
Oh, and I don't think immigration is sunshine. It can indeed have bad effects on the source countries too, but I don't see Bulgaria asking to end free movement. Having people leaving to work abroad is still better than having them unemployed at home.
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