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Fine. I'll start. Some benefits of the Union: • Completely free market between the nations of the United Kingdom • Economic cooperation rather than competition between UK nations • Competitive advantages in being part the World’s 5th largest economy • Fiscal flexibility: flows of treasury resources; shared risk and revenues • Economies of scale: shared defence, embassies, trade missions etc • Inward investment: UK attracts more than any other European country • Stability: part of diversified economy not overly dependent on oil & gas • Lower taxes than Nordic countries. Better services than Ireland • Britain is an inspiring example of how nations can work together • Shared achievement: writers, poets, composers, inventors, engineers • Shared history: Industrial Revolution, Trafalgar, World Wars I & II etc • A shared culture that acknowledges and celebrates distinctive elements • Scots can settle anywhere in the UK without being “abroad” • Other Britons can live in Scotland as easily as moving to the next town • Huge influence in the EU due to our population and economic clout • Britain has the muscle to be a strong force for good internationally • Continued membership of NATO and the G8 – playing our part globally.

This must be the best news that the SNP have had since Wendys many bendy UTurns. However if we ever get to hear the economic, social and political case for the union that will be the first time we will have heard it. More £5000 tax bills border posts etc I think will be more like what we hear. Brown has even less credibility in Scotland that Alexander, as Cameron said the two most despised politicians on the planet. Mind you it is wishful thinking on his part to think that he will be anything other than an former prime minister come the referendum. See Douglas the Labour press release guy is not letting us comment on yet another opinion poll which does not ask the question that will be put to the vote. Douglas it will be a two question referendum which will ask do we want to be ruled by Cameron and Boris, just like the 18 wonderful years we had under Thatcher, or do we want a free and fair Scotland. Roll on 2010.

How is beano going to defend the union after being turfed out on his thick ear by his beloved middle Engerlund!Looking forward to see that trick!

AM2, Scotland, UK I see you haven't found a cure yet.

AM2, that’s all very well but can you back it up with some statistics.

Free EU market,UK redundant cooperation versus competitionisspeciou s nonsense economy growing smaller and more exposed on global scale fiscal rigidity aspolicy determined by needsofcity,andSE england ludicrous andcostly nuclear weapons which are wholey dependent on US per CAPITA investment below EU average debt based economy exposed toglobal money market shifts, joke currency higher taxes than Ireland,lower benefits thanscandinavia I could go onbut the funniest assertion is on EU influence. Compared to France or Germany UKis a non player. Verywishfulthinking of true little englander proportions.

Who thought the U-bendy looked relieved that she could hide behind the hooligans today? And i am not talking about the labour back benches although with their terrible behavior at FMQ's they could easily give the hooligans a run for their money!

John Leven @ 9:45pm It was only after last May’s election that the nationalist cyber-activists started spreading the misinformation that Labour’s £5000 estimate had been referring to an SNP executive within the UK rather than the cost of independence. Such a claim enabled them to sneeringly say things like: “Ha! Where’s my promised £5000 tax bill. Another unionist lie”. But of course the false claim about Labour is just another piece of nationalist propaganda. Firstly, there is no mechanism to even levy such a tax. The Scottish Parliament can raise the basic rate of income tax by up to 3%. At the time of the election, that band ran from £2,231 to £34,600 of taxable income. So an additional 3% could yield nowhere near £5000. In fact, it’s only £971. Secondly, the fact that Labour’s ill-fated slogan was “Break up Britain. End up broke” should have provided a very simple contextual clue as to what their £5000 (actually £5,242) figure was all about. It was the Labour Party’s estimate of the starting balance sheet not for an SNP executive within the UK but on day one of an independent Scotland, had that occurred at the end of the fiscal year 2004-05, for which the last available data was then available.

AM2 • Utter tosh! Everything is London centric. All Scotland’s wealth is absorbed by London. • Scotland is second class citizen in this sham of a ‘union’. England always comes first. • Scotland has no advantage within the UK. RE: Lanarkshire housing schemes. • Fiscal clap-trap! The private banking scam props up the London Establishment. • London Establishment and Labour start horrendous murderous wars killing over 1.3 Million. • All the serious inward investment is in London. This is self-evident. • The London Establishment steal Scotland’s oil and Gas. London produces nothing but vapourware. • Norway is better. Ireland is better. • Britain is a cesspit and a dump governed by clowns and criminals. • England takes. Scotland gives. • Trafalgar? What has this got to do with Scotland? The truth of THAT battle is not known. More historic lies. • World Wars? Scotland’s men were cannon fodder for bungling Establishment generals. • There is no shared culture. Invented padding. • Scots can settle anywhere in the world. This will be unchanged when Scotland is independent. • Immigration will be defined under Scots law. • Scotland’s fishing rights have been decimated by the ‘UK’. Shame on London. • Britain is a war mongering murderous entity. The vast majority of Scots want nothing to do with it. • Nato and G8 are artificial structures. Nato is a precursor to a world army and G8 is duplicitous at best, that is it delivers NOTHING.

Any defence of the union by Labour will have to be, of necessity, peppered with lies and obfuscation.

[quote][bold]Free Thinker[/bold] wrote: AM2 • Utter tosh! Everything is London centric. All Scotland’s wealth is absorbed by London. • Scotland is second class citizen in this sham of a ‘union’. England always comes first. • Scotland has no advantage within the UK. RE: Lanarkshire housing schemes. • Fiscal clap-trap! The private banking scam props up the London Establishment. • London Establishment and Labour start horrendous murderous wars killing over 1.3 Million. • All the serious inward investment is in London. This is self-evident. • The London Establishment steal Scotland’s oil and Gas. London produces nothing but vapourware. • Norway is better. Ireland is better. • Britain is a cesspit and a dump governed by clowns and criminals. • England takes. Scotland gives. • Trafalgar? What has this got to do with Scotland? The truth of THAT battle is not known. More historic lies. • World Wars? Scotland’s men were cannon fodder for bungling Establishment generals. • There is no shared culture. Invented padding. • Scots can settle anywhere in the world. This will be unchanged when Scotland is independent. • Immigration will be defined under Scots law. • Scotland’s fishing rights have been decimated by the ‘UK’. Shame on London. • Britain is a war mongering murderous entity. The vast majority of Scots want nothing to do with it. • Nato and G8 are artificial structures. Nato is a precursor to a world army and G8 is duplicitous at best, that is it delivers NOTHING. [/quote] Well said and well worth repeating.

Ah, the benefits of the Labour party and the Union. What a bunch of dirty, thieving, lying ******** they are. When are they going to stop stealing from the poor? How can the Labour party justify stealing £230 from the poorest people in this country? Is this one of the benefits of Scotland being in the Union? Is being dragged into an illegal war a benefit of the Union? How do the Labour party Unionists think that the most vulnerable and needy are going to cope with less money whilst dealing with increases in food costs, gas bills, electricity bills, council tax bills, water rates bills, etc, and still be able to live? Of course, this won’t trouble Wendy Alexander too much as she is one of the people who will benefit from Gordon’s £120 giveaway. This will no doubt help her pay for her army of nannies, cleaners, weekend help and private hairdressers, but it won’t really help some of her constituents in Paisley North who face another year of poverty and despair. I think Scotland is beginning to realise that the Labour party have kept people in poverty for their own political gain. Gordon’s and Wendy’s wee thieving party has been outed and the sooner we get rid of them and gain our independence the sooner we can tackle some of the root causes of poverty and despair. I'm afraid that the rallying cry to defend the Union has fallen on deaf ears.

''Prime Minister sought to get back on the front foot by declaring how he would personally lead the defence of the Union.'' In other words . Its curtains for britain. Huzzah !!

[quote]All the serious inward investment is in London. This is self-evident.[/quote] "The UK was the most successful country in attracting inward investment in Europe in 2006 winning 684 projects. Scotland won 62 of these, placing it in second place in the UK behind London and the South East of England. Of particular note, based on the available EIM data, is the number of projects of scale that Scotland has secured, winning over 25% of all projects coming into the UK which individually created 250 jobs or more. Scotland also won more R&D projects than at any time over the previous six years. In 2006 Scotland secured 12 R&D projects out of a UK total of 47, equalling the number won by first placed London and the South East for the first time." Source: tinyurl.com/3emxqf

[quote] Britain is a war mongering murderous entity. The vast majority of Scots want nothing to do with it.[/quote] Fascinating. So if it’s not the Scots it must be the English, Welsh and/or N.Irish who are the warmongers. Which is it?

AM2 You are trying to re write history. Bendy Wendy said at a press conference before last years budget that a vote for the SNP would mean a tax bill of £5000 for every family in Scotland. Care to comment on a supposedly socialist party in Scotland voting against the following, Building council houses Lowering prescription charges Voting against arguing for the return of money withheld from their flagship policy, free personal care, by Westminster. P.S. I am glad to see you have resurfaced, you were conspicuous by your absence when Wendy was doing all her U turns. You must have learned that from Brown.

[quote]Free EU market,UK redundant[/quote] The SNP’s “independence in Europe” policy is a dead duck, for one simple reason – that the EU isn’t a “free market” to anywhere near the same extent that the UK is. Britain has a common language, regulatory regime, tax system and currency. How many English people do you think have savings accounts with the French Banque BNP Paribas? How many Welsh people do you think have their mortgage with National Irish Bank? How many Scots order car parts direct from Sweden or Germany? Now ask yourself the same questions, but for UK-based companies. How many English people have an RBS mortgage, for example. Getting the picture?

The First Minister must be jumping for joy. The most unpopular and least successful Prime Minister ever, is going to lead the fight against independence. I would magine that there will be people who will vote for independence just to spite him. Watch out though. He is a devious duplicitous lying scoundrel. When he finds out that fair means won't work, he will happily resort to foul. On top of being the worst prime minister ever, he doesn't want to be the one that oversaw the break-up of the UK.

[bold]unionists defend the union[/bold] Government running out of cash (because it's wasted it on wars) + Oil at record prices (and rising) =save the union

AM2 Re inward investment. By my reckoning on your figures min jobs 250 X 63 projects, Scotland must have gained 15500 jobs minimum from EU investment in 2006. I must have missed these, care to name them?

[quote][bold]AM2[/bold] wrote: [quote]Free EU market,UK redundant[/quote] The SNP’s “independence in Europe” policy is a dead duck, for one simple reason – that the EU isn’t a “free market” to anywhere near the same extent that the UK is. Britain has a common language, regulatory regime, tax system and currency. How many English people do you think have savings accounts with the French Banque BNP Paribas? How many Welsh people do you think have their mortgage with National Irish Bank? How many Scots order car parts direct from Sweden or Germany? Now ask yourself the same questions, but for UK-based companies. How many English people have an RBS mortgage, for example. Getting the picture?[/quote] So who said they won't be able to have their mortgages with the RSB any more? Incidentally I have an account with a French Bank, and many people I know have accounts in France, Germany and Spain. Not everyone is mono-lingual.

[quote][bold]AM2[/bold] wrote: [quote] Britain is a war mongering murderous entity. The vast majority of Scots want nothing to do with it.[/quote] Fascinating. So if it’s not the Scots it must be the English, Welsh and/or N.Irish who are the warmongers. Which is it?[/quote] Establishment.

AM2 Labour used the £5000 tax propaganda in a TV election broadcast against the SNP, Independence will not prevent the continued free trade and movement across the border, which you know, although i dont agree with much that you post, you are consistent and its good to see you back contributing to debate.

John Leven @ 10:33pm There was a net increase of 63,200 private sector jobs in Scotland in 2006. Source: tinyurl.com/4xmjrx No, of course I can't name each individual investment. Did you ask the question specifically because you knew that such information isn't available? Whatever, enough. Goodnight.

Why is AM2 Scotland pretending to be AM2 Glasgow?

I watched with horror yesterday's TV footage of the 'defenders' of the Union in action yesterday. Absolutely horrendous!! Then I saw the Rangers hooligans in action! Holyrood was worse

[quote][bold]AM2[/bold] wrote: John Leven @ 10:33pm There was a net increase of 63,200 private sector jobs in Scotland in 2006. Source: tinyurl.com/4xmjrx No, of course I can't name each individual investment. Did you ask the question specifically because you knew that such information isn't available? Whatever, enough. Goodnight.[/quote] hmmmmm 466,000 more people in England are in employment than a year ago! [bold]-1000[/bold] less people in scotsland are in employment than a year ago! 234,000 more males in England are in employment than a year ago! [bold]-10,000[/bold] less males in scotsland are in employment than a year ago! 13,486,000 males in England are in employment! only 1,327,000 males in scotsland are in employment! 5.78 million is the size of the public sector UK wide 4.8 million public sector workers England yet a massive [bold]586,000[/bold] public sector workers in scotsland compaired to only 486,000 in Yorkshire and The Humber (which has a larger population than scotsland ) population figures for scotsland are also bogus 4,174,000 persons aged 16 and over! 888,400 persons aged under 16! 5,062,400 Total population ? However the official population figures state 5,138,000 mid 2007 official population figures? 5,157,000 mid 2008 official population figures? 75,600 of scotslands population dont appear? why? Labour Market May 2008 page 35 (scotsland aged over 16 numbers) tinyurl.com/6blszk HMRC Children under 16 numbers (tab6) tinyurl.com/5lrnza Population figures PESA2008 Table F1 tinyurl.com/3p5py5

AM2, nice to hear from you and I hope your well, but by the love of sweet Buddha I've got to question some of your points:- • Completely free market between the nations of the United Kingdom Have you heard of the EU? • Economic cooperation rather than competition between UK nations Every area of the UK rivals each other. There is no cooperation at all - A job for Wales over Scotland is celebrated in Wales and a new factory in Sidcup is one up on High Blantyre. According to the NYT in the last 18 months 240 US companies have set up new offices in Ireland compared to 13 in Scotland. We are being pumped. • Competitive advantages in being part the World’s 5th largest economy Name me any valid ones and none of yer pish. • Fiscal flexibility: flows of treasury resources; shared risk and revenues So we join the Euro and get all this x 10 • Economies of scale: shared defence, embassies, trade missions etc London benefits over £100 million annually from foreign embassies. Scotland gets four shillings and thruppence. Scotland pays approx 10% of all UK embassies abroad and gets zip in return. • Inward investment: UK attracts more than any other European country Where is your evidence? • Stability: part of diversified economy not overly dependent on oil & gas A valid point, but tell that to the people of Norway, Saudi, UAE and Kuwait. Why don't we ask them to join the UK? • Lower taxes than Nordic countries. Better services than Ireland We don't need the UK to reach these figures. We could do much better ourselves. • Britain is an inspiring example of how nations can work together Good God • Shared achievement: writers, poets, composers, inventors, engineers The only ones worth a tinker's cuss are Scottish (joke). Why do you want them to be recognised as British and Scotland's worth to the world dissolved again and again? • Shared history: Industrial Revolution, Trafalgar, World Wars I & II etc Yup. Scotland, the most invaded country the world has ever seen. 232 military attempts in 600 years for English conquest of our country, compared with 2 from Germany. Some shared history AM2. • A shared culture that acknowledges and celebrates distinctive elements It does not celebrate it. The UK attempts to create a greater London of the whole island and everything outside is parochial pap. Scottish 'culture' celebrated today is completely designed to please London and its nobility. Our culture has been eaten for breakfast by the mouth of your beloved Britain. • Scots can settle anywhere in the UK without being “abroad” That is infantile. • Other Britons can live in Scotland as easily as moving to the next town Have you seen the EU & succession states influx? • Huge influence in the EU due to our population and economic clout The UK is one of the most ridiculed and despised members of the EU. And anyway Scotland's voice is 105 dB below the bellow of London's hungry stomach. We are not heard. We are ignored for the benefit of the real UK - SE England. • Britain has the muscle to be a strong force for good internationally Tell that to the million civilians who have died in Iraq because of the US and UK's demand for oil. I cannot believe you have written that. £500 million UK cash spent annually on Iraq and Afghanistan killing people and shafting the country. 9/10 on the Bozo-o-meter AM2. • Continued membership of NATO and the G8 – playing our part globally. See above. What price George Bush's puppet? AM2 you are one hell of a strange cat. Most Unionists are Unionists because they can't be ersed with inner reasoning and debate, which is fine, but you appear to genuinely believe the hollow drivel above. Is it possible for you to recognise 'Scottish' as a concept and to rid yersel' of yer inner poisons against our land? VoR

AM2 As you well know that is not what I asked. You were giving your usual rubbish about losing EU investment, and specifically pointed to 62 EU projects that created a minimum of 250 jobs each. I did not ask about jobs Asda etc created, I asked you to back up you claim about 15500 EU created jobs in 2006. As per usual you post with no substance or evidence for your claims. A bit like Brown, there are no losers from my doubling the starting rate of tax to 20p. There are still 1.1 ml losers, but the biggest loser will be Brown. Unelected and now unelectable.

[quote]Posted by: The Voice of Reason, Blairgowrie on 10:48pm today[/quote] [quote] Scotland pays approx [bold]10%[/bold] of all UK embassies abroad[/quote] According to the DEC 2006 SNP Budget doc, scotsland pay zero to embassies, and with [bold]10,000 less men in work[/bold] in scotland since the SNP took power how could you afford too.

8% not sure that I understand your stats [quote]466,000 more people in England are in employment than a year ago! -1000 less people in scotsland are in employment than a year ago! 234,000 more males in England are in employment than a year ago! -10,000 less males in scotsland are in employment than a year ago! 13,486,000 males in England are in employment![/quote] Does this mean that 9,000 more females have jobs in Scotland? Women taking men's jobs - has the world gone mad :-)

Does anyone here think that AM2 and his sort genuinely promote Scottish subservience to the British state as being in the best interests of Scotland? Or is it perhaps that like Gordon Brown, Wendy Alexander, Annabel Goldie and Nicol Stephen - it pays great wages ? Having said that, if AM2 is a paid pro then Millbank should ask for their money back. The word on the street is that he's got a First in Grima Wormtongue for the University of Rohan. VoR

There is no hope of saving the union. The people of Scotland no longer trust nor want to be associated with the lies, deceit, and duplicity. You can even read their filth on this thread - sickening.

Very True Story for those who doubt the dumb down of Scotland In the early sixties the MP for South Lanark was the well respected Cabinate Minister Judith Hart later Dame Judith Hart her Husband was a lecturer at the Royal Thechnical College Later the University of Strathclyde In Carluke a company named Scotts made JAM When times were poorer it was known as " Carluke Steak " Using the produce from the Clyde Valley they become international and wished to expand Having approached Judith Hart the Local Member of Parliament She told them she could arrange all sorts of aid if they would move their factory to a new site in CARLISLE The proof of this was the Scotts Famly were so appalled that although they were always card carrying and contributors to the then Tory and Unionist Party They told the the only SNP councilor Even then they knew that only the SNP Put SCOTLAND FIRST

[quote][bold]scotland only 8% of UK[/bold] wrote: [quote]Posted by: The Voice of Reason, Blairgowrie on 10:48pm today[/quote] [quote] Scotland pays approx [bold]10%[/bold] of all UK embassies abroad[/quote] According to the DEC 2006 SNP Budget doc, scotsland pay zero to embassies, and with [bold]10,000 less men in work[/bold] in scotland since the SNP took power how could you afford too.[/quote] You are an absolute t it. Scotsland, wherever that is, pays it's share already. Here AM2 - who's yer pal? Why don't you both get together and rubbish our country in stereo? VoR

[quote][bold]Sean Connery for President[/bold] wrote: 8% not sure that I understand your stats [quote]466,000 more people in England are in employment than a year ago! -1000 less people in scotsland are in employment than a year ago! 234,000 more males in England are in employment than a year ago! -10,000 less males in scotsland are in employment than a year ago! 13,486,000 males in England are in employment![/quote] Does this mean that 9,000 more females have jobs in Scotland? Women taking men's jobs - has the world gone mad :-)[/quote] Yes, more woman in scotsland in jobs, hence large public sector , and part time working. Why are the men in scotsland so workshy, or arnt they willing to do part time work like the woman of scotsland.

Here's labour ddefending the union again: "Holyrood last night backed demands for the reinstatement of an annual £30m attendance allowance denied by Westminster after Scotland pursued its own policy on free personal and nursing care for the elderly. As revealed in The Herald yesterday, [bold]Labour MSPs ended up voting against this, in spite of the fact shadow ministers promised a fortnight ago to back Lord Sutherland in all of his recommendations[/bold] ."

[quote][bold]The Voice of Reason[/bold] wrote: [quote][bold]scotland only 8% of UK[/bold] wrote: [quote]Posted by: The Voice of Reason, Blairgowrie on 10:48pm today[/quote] [quote] Scotland pays approx [bold]10%[/bold] of all UK embassies abroad[/quote] According to the DEC 2006 SNP Budget doc, scotsland pay zero to embassies, and with [bold]10,000 less men in work[/bold] in scotland since the SNP took power how could you afford too.[/quote] You are an absolute t it. Scotsland, wherever that is, pays it's share already. Here AM2 - who's yer pal? Why don't you both get together and rubbish our country in stereo? VoR [/quote] SNP DEC2006 BUDGET tinyurl.com/3x54sj

AM2 – I do appreciate that you’ve put forward a case for the UK. It is something that I’ve been searching for but have so far failed to find anything of substance and unfortunately, it all seems to be based on misconception. I’ve responded to your points below but will be happy to discuss further… • Completely free market between the nations of the United Kingdom An independent Scotland would be in the EU – this has completely superseded the UK. • Economic cooperation rather than competition between UK nations Please clarify what this means? • Competitive advantages in being part the World’s 5th largest economy There is absolutely nothing that says that we benefit from this. Size doesn’t matter as you’ll see from the fact that the likes of Norway has the highest standard of living. Again though, if you’re in to size – the EU supersedes the UK! • Fiscal flexibility: flows of treasury resources; shared risk and revenues Ridiculous. We have our own government, our own education, health, law and specific needs controlled thru government to develop our society to increase the standard of living across the nation – for this we need full control over our economy. Every single bit of research has pointed towards fiscal autonomy being required for the good of Scottish business and social investment requirements. Again, you will see that it is actually small independent nations that are flourishing in the modern and global world. • Economies of scale: shared defence, embassies, trade missions etc Defence? I’d rather not spend £200,000,000,000 on nuclear weapons thanks. Embassies – we could still share embassies if we got independent. The Scandi’s manage it despite being sovereign independent nations… • Inward investment: UK attracts more than any other European country I think if we grossly increase the Scottish budget as we would immediately do if independent we would be able to define clear strategies for ensuring the correct investment comes thru! • Stability: part of diversified economy not overly dependent on oil & gas The UK also depends on oil & gas just now… the thing is that if independent Scotland would have a huge boost in our national wealth – the key thing is that this would need to be invested properly to ensure that we have a developing industry for when that day comes. It will be many decades from now but with the level of investment that we’d be able to achieve and the wealth of scientific and engineering expertise that we are lucky enough to have (thanks to an excellent education system) we will be in a good place. The UK has shown that it is not the option for us here (take recent investment in nuclear power ahead of carbon capture schemes as your example) • Lower taxes than Nordic countries. Better services than Ireland That sounded good. Shame that there is no substance to it at all – these countries decide how to use their own national wealth and they both have a standard of living that far exceeds ours! If the Norwegians choose to pay high taxes for a fantastic social system that ensures everyone is of a highly educated level and can live a productive working life contributing back in to the state that looks after their every need so well then fair play to them! • Britain is an inspiring example of how nations can work together Inspiring? Where is this ‘working together’ that you speak of? Thatcher, she was great wasn’t she – really reached out to the Scots so well… no thanks. • Shared achievement: writers, poets, composers, inventors, engineers What are you arguing for again here? How do we share these achievements? • Shared history: Industrial Revolution, Trafalgar, World Wars I & II etc We also share these things with many other parts of the world… let’s all surrender the right to create taxes that are specific to our local needs so that we can bask in this shared history…? Substantial poverty may be history for much of England but it’s not in Scotland! • A shared culture that acknowledges and celebrates distinctive elements Scotland has a very distinct and well recognised national culture! • Scots can settle anywhere in the UK without being “abroad” You really are desperate. • Other Britons can live in Scotland as easily as moving to the next town An we can move to France as easily as well. • Huge influence in the EU due to our population and economic clout Eh, the only time that Westminster government actually reviewed the representation that Scotland gets in Europe via our UK representation the finding was that we’d be a lot better on our own! Here’s a direct quote for you: ‘The more common policies come to be decided in Brussels in the years ahead, the more Scotland would benefit from having her own Commissioner in the EEC as of right and her own voice in the Council of Ministers instead of relying on the indirect, and so far hardly satisfactory, form of vicarious representation through UK departments.’ • Britain has the muscle to be a strong force for good internationally A strong force – yes. Unfortunately not a positive one… time to disband the ‘superpowers’ that control and dictate the world to their every whim. • Continued membership of NATO and the G8 – playing our part globally. We’ll be part of the EU and the UN – genuine bodies designed for national development on a global scale.

[quote]The debate over the next few months will be [bold]now that we know[/bold] that the Scottish National Party at some point want to break up the United Kingdom...[/quote] Has it taken him this long to work out that the Scottish National Party want an independent Scotland? Earth calling Gordon, come in Gordon. Reality calling. In his 20 hour days pouring over the endless paperwork that should be done by his minions he obviously hasn't managed to read the SNP manifesto. The whole range of political blunders he's made start to make sense if this is the working speed off his political brain.

[quote]Posted by: Stuart D, Glasgow on 11:09pm today[/quote] [quote] The UK also depends on oil & gas just now[/quote] According to the SNP's very own budget doc, scotsland sent 600 million south to bail out 60 million population of the UK, and the mythical claim was based on 95% of UK oil and gas revenue being credited to scotsland. SNP DEC2006 BUDGET tinyurl.com/3x54sj

Shouldn’t the headline be: [bold] “Prime Minister in rallying cry to defend the Labour party trough”[/bold]

Of course, there is a shared English culture. We all speak English don't we.

Scottish elements of our shared culture are minor.

Albion, and so do the Canadians, Australians and Irish and they’re all independent.

The Canadians accept they are Anglos but the Scots do not.

Are we not allowed to comment on bendy-wendy reneging on the commitment to support the Sutherland review in full??

Toom Tabbard is living on borrowed time. A week until Crewe and if he survies that, then a defeatt/U-turn on the 42-day detention bill. In short, Toom can issue as many union rallying cries as he wants, Its all moot. He either won't be in post much-longer, or he'll be putting out so many fires under his backside that he won't have the time and energy left for his own backyard (other than pulling SLAB to heel). Roll on this time next week...the citizens of Crewe & Nantwitch are going to send a very very big message to Toom ... would it be any surprise if they romp in with a 3 or 4 thousand majority. That will be another torpedo in Tooms belly and on TV these days he is starting to look like a very very tired man indeed. Heave awa chaps, heave awa !