Like
many of you, I have been following the Scottish Independence Debate from
various media sources, and I think we in the United Kingdom of Great
Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland need to ask
ourselves and our political leaders some questions about the future shape of
our country ?
Personally
I feel that Alex Salmond is an astute politician, however his desperation for
self promotion from the First Minister of Scotland to the President of
Scotland, (although he has stated that
the Queen is the head of state, I feel
there is a possibility at her Majesty’s passing, some voices in the Scottish
National Party will call for Scotland to be a republic.) Mr Salmond economic arguments
for Scotland to be independent quite simply don’t add up, for the last few years, the revenues from
North Sea Oil have been decreasing year on year. His latest interaction to say that Scotland
will keep the pound and if they’re not allowed to keep the pound, a newly independent Scotland will not pay it’s
share of the UK National Debt is more
like the politics of the playground,
where Mr Salmond is telling everyone if I don’t get my own way, I will throw my toys out of the pram.
Brian Wilson: Show us the money, Mr Salmond
Brian Wilson: Show us the money, Mr Salmond
Currently
under the Barnett
formula, the Scottish Government receives it’s income from the United
Kingdom Treasury , and is generally
allowed to spend this at it sees fit, Mr
Salmond’s dream of creating a Nordic
Model of a Free Market Economy with a Welfare State (Social Democracy) is reliant on the UK Taxpayer, if Scotland did vote for Independence on the 18th September 2014, after any successful negotiation by Scottish
and United Kingdom Governments, Scotland
even if it decided to keep the Pound, it
would either have to enter a time of austerity or drastically increase
taxation, the Nordic Model of Social
Democracy does mean high taxation to pay for it’s welfare state, on it’s current tax revenues and because it
receives more back from Westminster that it pays to Westminster, The Scottish Social Democracy model would not
be sustainable long term after 2016.
Read this important report to see why an Independent Scotland doesn't add up
Institute for Fiscal Studies , Fiscal sustainability of an independent Scotland
Scotland also would have to negotiate to join
international organisations such as International Monetary Fund, The United Nations and The European
Union, although because of Spain facing
issues with both the Basque Region and Catalonia wanting independence,
the Spainish Government could
veto an newly independent Scotland
joining the EU Club.
The
Westminster Government and the Opposition,(
The Conservatives, The Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party) have
recently offered that if the people of Scotland if they vote to remain part of the United
Kingdom this is known as the Devo Max
option, that Scotland would be more responsible for its income and expenditure
, this would see a decrease in the money from the Barnett Formula and the
Scottish Government would see either Tax raising or Tax varying powers, if the
people of Scotland are given the option, it’s my opinion that both the Welsh Assembly Government and
the Northern Ireland Assembly Government
should also be given the option of having their own equilvalent versions
of Devo Max depending on their needs and
requirements, for example the Welsh Assembly Government could use some of it’s
income and perhaps borrow on the international finance markets or from the
European Union or the Westminster Government
for capital projects such as improving North – South Wales transport and
infrastructure links.
Before the 19th Century many of the
United Kingdom’s largest cities such as Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle were
virtual city states it was due to the rise of
Railway Networks that a fragmented country came together, if the people of Scotland, Northern
Ireland and Wales are given their own versions or types of fiscal federalism, the people of the English Regions should also be given
fiscal federalism .
The United Kingdom needs to move away from
a centralised London and South East of
England system of Government and Economic Management and the people of the
English Regions, Scotland, Northern
Ireland and Wales should be given greater autonomy, and responsibility to run their own affairs
although agree with a centralised government for larger picture issues s such
as defense, legal issues, foreign relations and currency.
I
also believe that the British Overseas Territories such as the Falkland Islands
and Gibraltar should be represented in a
more United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Further Reading:
Further Reading:
Blair
Humphreys
8th
August 2014
Southport,
Merseyside, England
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