User:ScotsfjJohn/sandbox

Request review at WP:AFC Scottish Independance pitfalls
There has been much debate on Scotlands future, and I remain undecided although swaying towards 'No'. What I say below is as I understand it from listening to the news media as have the rest of us.

The main argument is that Scotland does not wish to be dictated to by Westminster, and that it is wealthy enough to stand on its own.

If Scotlands mainland votes to stand alone, then by the exact same principle island groups (such as Shetland), should have their own referendums so that they do not have to be dictated to by a new Scottish Government. Shetland (as Faroes and Iceland) is wealthy enough to stand alone. Shetland islanders have to pay taxes towards mainland projects and government, yet many will never have access to any of them. Paying taxes to their own island government would be wholly more viable, and the taxation they could levy on oil as they have a major oil terminal on the islands.

Then there is the debate on whether we have the resources to stand alone. An example of how badly this may fail is Scotlands very own parliament building. The public were told it would cost £40 Million, but it cost £431 Million. In an independant Scotland has 5.295 million population. If they ALL worked they would have paid over £80 per head for that project alone. But not all the people are in employment. We also have to question the integrity of the decision makers, just as we do with Westminster. For example a question was recently posed by another MSP to Scotlands first minister asking if taxpayers money was used to buy land in Paisley from John McGlynn in 2008 for £840,000, which was later sold back to him for £50,000. We need clear answers to questions like these so that we can arrive at the point where we can make an informed choice to vote yes or no.

Then there are the armed forces which an Independant Scotland wishes to keep. A single Type 45 destroyer costs over £6.4Billion, Scotland would need its own naval vessels for fisheries protection as well as naval use. The costs of maintaining an armed forces is massive. Then there is the cost of Scotlands government, their wages, civil services, Police, Fire, ambulance, Coastguard etc etc.

Can Scotland fund itself? They say they can and that they have Oil, but do they? The sea floor belongs to the Crown Estate out to 12nm along with half of Scotlands coast. During devolution the border of the seabed was moved some 60 miles North. Then there is the question of who owns Scotlands country estates? There have historically been great swathes of Scotland owned by city investment funds. An example of this would be on the islands where such land has been used for windfarm development, and the seas around the islands used for fish farming owned by groups not paying mainland taxes, but being registered in offshore tax havens.

In order for an Indepndant Scotland to work their has to be a level playing field, with no place for the wealthy to hide money or avoid taxes. There has to be equal access to all of scotlands attributes. No more wealthy only salmon fishing and shooting, no more wealthy only golf clubs or other such clubs. A Scotland that supplies state licences over the counter to any resident Scot to go where they want and do what they want within the constraints of the law.

Can an Independant Scotland offer that change?