The Scottish Independence referendum

[LJay]

Devo-max sounds like a rock band? What is it really?

Sorry, I should follow UK politics more assiduously, but I am busy enough with the wackos in the US and Virginia in particular.

[palbert]

Devo-max sounds like a rock band? What is it really? ....

Devo-max, as I understand it, is basically full fiscal autonomy for Scotland; it stands for devolution max. Instead of getting a block grant (as it does now) to spend, Scotland would have control over taxes, income, NHS, education etc.; it would be very much like an American state. It would reimburse UK for "national" type things, such as defense. (Although defense is an odd one because UK's nuclear subs are berthed at Faslane, Scotland.)

I understand many regions of England are now looking for their own version of devo-max; Manchester is one example.

[palbert]

LJay, my reply to your earlier post is undergoing review.

I forget to mention that devo-max retains the Barnett Formula whereby Scotland is allocate $1.19 (in our terms) for every tax dollar collected. Wales similarly participates in the Formula but not sure the % return. Anyway, many MPs are fried about this, and about the fact that Scottish MPs can vote on English matters but the converse isn't true.

Party leaders will need a bulldozer to pull all of their promises off.

[spilovn]

Well……… that was tense.

I wanted scotland to stay but after all of it and how close the vote was if it happened again, i dont think i will care.

Its been interesting following it online and debates and how other countries view the english and scottish as so vastly different because apart from the tell-tale accent we are no so different on this island, there are things we share in our manners and other things but if you get all your "knowledge" of us from Mel Gibsons searing portrayal of William Wallace then…… thats all you have. Rob roys another good one, tim roth is a sublimely wicked pampered english devil in that one, against liam neesons heroic rob roy. Mind you back in those days my great, great, great, grandfather was scottish, why i have a scottish surname lol

[palbert]

Well……… that was tense.

I wanted scotland to stay but after all of it and how close the vote was if it happened again, i dont think i will care.
....

I have some friends in Edinburgh - NO voters - who were really biting their nails over the outcome. One of them is with NHS so he was really concerned.

Hope you do get devo-max. And let's not have another referendum for some time.

[LJay]

Please keep up the discussion. I have no immediate relationship to hand, but am, under the guise of a Scandinavian name, related to Scots and English. As I age, I have more time to be interested in these things.

[palbert]

I still don't get it, but at least it is over. Entertaining that Salmond is bye-bye. Apparently, unlike the USA, Scots politicians are not guaranteed their job when they fuck up.

I don't think Salmond resigned because of the loss. He got what he was initially after: devo-max. When he and Cameron were negotiating the referendum questions Salmond wanted devo-something as a middle option; Cameron insisted on a straight Yes or No. I don't think Salmond ever expected for Yes to reach the high point it did right before the election. That high point is what made party leaders Cameron, Clegg and Miliband offer devo-max to swing some fence sitters who wanted to stay UK but also really wanted to free Scotland from UK shackles.

I think Salmond quit to give his deputy Nicola Sturgeon time to take over the party reins. (He had quit before but returned in 2004 because of dissatisfaction with the way the party (SNP) was being run.) At 10 years he had had good innings.