The West Lothian question

[Furr]

Legacy of Tony's Blairs Labour

Iraq War
Increasing whitehall to the population of birmingham
Stealth tax
Buggering up the Union

and being a twat

Well fine, If Scotland gets to be its own country i want the watford gap to have a wall built across. The south east becomes its own country, Plus we won't give you back your oil. We'll use it to hire a million uber sexy latino maids to do all out menial labour, pave our houses with gold, and when the maids get ugly replace them with new ones.

Anyway the union most likely will survive, what will most likely happen is reform of the voting since thats the pressing issue. The money issue will not be answered as it hasn't been for the last several decades.

 

[Mofo8]

There are only two real solutions to this problem:

1) Shut the fuck up and have your own devolved English Parliament, leaving the British Parliament to deal with national issues like defence and foreign relations.

2) Shut the fuck up and dissolve the Union. Then if the Welsh and Northern Irish want back in you can set-up a new one. But I for one would give Ulster back to the rest of Ireland, like should have happened in 1922.

Oh.... one last thing.... where do I go to collect my £1200?

 

[Furr]

:england: the cheques in the post

think the spectator summarises

 

[JingleBells]

1) Shut the fuck up and have your own devolved English Parliament, leaving the British Parliament to deal with national issues like defence and foreign relations.

Damn fucking right, if my MP can't dictate how scots children (and universities) are taught, wtf can scots MPs dictate how I'm taught!

 

[Mofo8]

Damn fucking right, if my MP can't dictate how scots children (and universities) are taught, wtf can scots MPs dictate how I'm taught!

So, you're agreeing that having a devolved English Parliament is a sensible idea?

Much of this problem stems from the fact that many (not all) Englishmen (and the wummin) consider that Westminster is THEIR parliament... It's not yours... it's mine too.... for as long as the bloody outdated Union lasts.

Who put forward the education bill in question? Was it a Scot?

Different areas of these islands obviously have different cultural, social and economic needs. Having all the power centralised in London was always going to fail one day. As for your next Prime Minister being a Scot... Brown's a Brit through and through. He's now about as Scottish in mindset as Tony Bloody Blair.

 

[DaGaffer]

2) Shut the fuck up and dissolve the Union. Then if the Welsh and Northern Irish want back in you can set-up a new one. But I for one would give Ulster back to the rest of Ireland, like should have happened in 1922.

Read a book sometime. The British didn't partition Ireland for giggles. They did it to prevent a civil war.

 

[Tom]

Honestly, I think most of this problem stems from a minority of vocal Scots having a massive chip on their shoulder about English rule throughout history. Perhaps they've been idolising Mel Gibson or something.

Most Englishmen I speak to give me the impression that they honestly couldn't give a fuck. If Scotland want to leave, fine. If they want to stay, fine. Its not exactly a pressing issue for most of us.

Anyhow, I'd just like to add that Scotland is a staggeringly beautiful land, and that more people should visit. Someone should build a fuckoff big airport slap bang in the highlands and a few hotels. That'd bring in some money, mind you I imagine some highlanders would come running down the hills swinging their bagpipes over their heads and chucking claymores at the imaginary English army.

 

[`mongoose]

Honestly, I think most of this problem stems from a minority of vocal Scots having a massive chip on their shoulder about English rule throughout history. Perhaps they've been idolising Mel Gibson or something.

Most Englishmen I speak to give me the impression that they honestly couldn't give a fuck. If Scotland want to leave, fine. If they want to stay, fine. Its not exactly a pressing issue for most of us.

Anyhow, I'd just like to add that Scotland is a staggeringly beautiful land, and that more people should visit. Someone should build a fuckoff big airport slap bang in the highlands and a few hotels. That'd bring in some money, mind you I imagine some highlanders would come running down the hills swinging their bagpipes over their heads and chucking claymores at the imaginary English army.

I have to agree tbh.

Scotland is gorgeous and whilst I'd imagine most scots probably would like England to lose they are as disgusted with the actions of those two thugs as most English people would be if we were to hear of two pissed up chavs in Germany doing something similar.

We can compare Social Spending all we like but tbh we are comparing apples and oranges. I do think we should have a seperate English, Scottish and Welsh parliment for issues that solely effect these countries - I don't know if it will ever happen though.

As regards Ulster as mentioned earlier in the thread - I think you'll find that there are as many Scottish in Northern Ireland these days as there are Irish. Reuniting Ireland will be a slow and difficult process. At least we now have a diplomats actively working towards this however.

M

 

[Wij]

It's completely different from an American company trading in the UK.

To hold a bank account in the UK, you need to be UK resident (unless BFPO); but if we remove the UK and make it Scotland and England as seperate countries/entities - that opens a whole new set of problems where those in England wouldn't necessarily be able to have a "Scottish" bank account, and since the biggest mortgage lender belongs to a Scottish bank, there could potentially be a political stalemate there. You would also have the issue of Scottish notes and English notes, the Bank of England etc.

What i'm saying is that Scottish independence in my opinion, would be a total fucking disaster. Devolution was a big enough dogs dinner.

I assume you are talking about HBOS as the largest mortage lender. Most of that mortgage book came from the Halifax. Just because after the merger the head office is now located in Edinburgh don't thing it's a Scottish Bank. It is very much English AND Scottish. RBS is similar also.

I don't see that there would be a problem with notes. Many banks already operate in many countries.

Branding and note printing are small fry.

 

[Mofo8]

Read a book sometime. The British didn't partition Ireland for giggles. They did it to prevent a civil war.

Would that be the Civil War they had in Ireland 1922-1923? The one that was caused by the Partition?

 

[old.user4556]

I assume you are talking about HBOS as the largest mortage lender. Most of that mortgage book came from the Halifax. Just because after the merger the head office is now located in Edinburgh don't thing it's a Scottish Bank. It is very much English AND Scottish. RBS is similar also.

It's very much a Scottish bank, the only reason they've kept the brand as Halifax is not to piss off English customers by rebranding it the Bank of Scotland.

That's why they have that annoying Brummy "Howard" and Scotland get a mid-thirties MILF called "Angela from Glasgow".

The Halifax (including it's underpinnings) is simply BoS, just called something different south of the border. Up here in Scotland, the branches are dual branded.

 

[old.user4556]

Honestly, I think most of this problem stems from a minority of vocal Scots having a massive chip on their shoulder about English rule throughout history. Perhaps they've been idolising Mel Gibson or something.

Absolutely spot on.

I overheard a conversation the other day that originally stemmed about football, but descended into a conversation about Highland clearances, William Wallace and various other historical Scottish things.

MOVE ON WITH THE TIMES, FUCK SAKE.

 

[DaGaffer]

Would that be the Civil War they had in Ireland 1922-1923? The one that was caused by the Partition?

And if they hadn't partioned they'd have had a civil war started by the Unionists instead, and probably a much worse one (the Unionists were better armed and most of the manufacturing capacity was in the North). That's why they did it. The Civil War was between pro and anti-treaty Republicans but as far as the British were concerned they'd done the right thing by protecting the Loyalists in the Six Counties (also bear in mind that the religious mix wasn't as even then as it is now, the protestants had a much bigger majority then). In the long run, would it have been better for Britain to abandon the protestants? Probably for us yes, as the festering sore would have been Dublin's problem not ours, but would it have been the 'right' thing to do? Probably not.

Not that any of this is that relevant to the thread, other than, why can't we all get along?

 

[UrganNagru]

The answers are probaly there in the articals but I'm having trouble finding them, what I can't understand is how Scotland affords services that those in England don't such as no tuition fee's and (correct me if I'm wrong this from word of mouth) free homes and care for the elderly, do they pay more tax? Or is money shared out by area rather than per head ie, because Scotland needs fewer motorways/hospitals due to lower population they can spend that money elsewhere?

 

[rynnor]

It's very much a Scottish bank, the only reason they've kept the brand as Halifax is not to piss off English customers by rebranding it the Bank of Scotland.

Nah its the Halifax who are running that show - they got rid of all the old BOS IT systems and replaced them with their own ones - they have to run it as seperate names to avoid upsetting existing customers.

Natwest/RBS is basically RBS - theres a few bits down south but all the power is in Edinburgh.

 

[old.user4556]

Nah its the Halifax who are running that show - they got rid of all the old BOS IT systems and replaced them with their own ones - they have to run it as seperate names to avoid upsetting existing customers.

You're not following, Halifax is just BoS is just Halifax is just BoS. It doesn't matter who migrated to who. Also, there are still a lot of accounts held on the old BoS system.

 

[Wij]

You're not following, Halifax is just BoS is just Halifax is just BoS. It doesn't matter who migrated to who. Also, there are still a lot of accounts held on the old BoS system.

Erm lol - no, there aren't. Do you work for HBOS ?

 

[old.user4556]

No offense guys, I know what i'm talking about.

 

[Wij]

OK - so MIG2 just passed you by eh ?

 

[Paradroid]

There's a simple geographical hierarchy: Scotland is higher up, and, therefore, better than England. England is higher than France... (etc).

Btw, Scots often pee in the rivers running down to England (which are littered with dead sheep).



When that Englishman was dragged from his car and punched in the face, I'm sure that patriotic Scot had naturally assumed a textbook English invasion, and reacted as all scots are trained. He was trying to establish a communications channel but his his diplomatic efforts failed, due to the inevitable language barrier. I'm certain he would have been extremely embarrassed when he discovered that a world cup event was on.




Tribal Britain, eh?

 

[Will]

Just to explain, the thread was edited at Big G's request, not because I'm a nazi mod.

 

[rynnor]

No offense guys, I know what i'm talking about.

No I dont think so - having worked for both in their HQ's and still having mates/contacts in both I can clarify that Halifax rule at HBOS and RBS rule at RBSG - its about who has the power to call the shots.

Theres a limit to how much we can each say on a public forum due to contractual difficulties but do you work on the retail side BigG?

 

[Will]

Theres a limit to how much we can each say on a public forum due to contractual difficulties but do you work on the retail side BigG?

Thats pretty much the reason for the edit. I can probably get away with revealing he is a nerd, rather than retail.

 

[old.user4556]

Cheers Will.

 

[rynnor]

Thats pretty much the reason for the edit. I can probably get away with revealing he is a nerd, rather than retail.

Eek! slightly scary small world scenario - good thing we arent using real names or it could get a tad embarassing

 

[Will]

I'm assuming, because of the relative locations, Big G is a BoS nerd, and rynnor is a Halifax nerd. Do you two have to merge now?

 

[TdC]

will that result in a Big R, or in a rynnor G?

 

[rynnor]

I'm assuming, because of the relative locations, Big G is a BoS nerd, and rynnor is a Halifax nerd. Do you two have to merge now?

Hehe - no I am neither now though I still work with them both - I never worked directly for Halifax either but they are a rather idiosyncratic bunch - a less diplomatic friend at BOS refers to them as 'the Haliban' (think Taleban!).

Most of BOS's IT has been shipped back to Halifax though bits remain in Scotland at the moment (theres even a new bit in Wales another mate works for).

If BigG is at HBOS I'd advise him to jump ship to RBSG - they will have an IT prescence in Edinburgh for the forseeable future plus I always found them to be an effecient company all round - their takeover of Natwest was about the best thing that could have happened to the company (though we didnt see it that way at the time

 

[rynnor]

will that result in a Big R, or in a rynnor G?

Lol!!!

 

[JingleBells]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...s24.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/06/24/ixuknews.html