The Big Questions about Scottish Independence

The time to vote for or against Scottish independence is creeping ever closer. With less than a week until the big ballot day, big names from Rita Ora to Sir Sean Connery are actively highlighting their views on the matter to sway voters. So the question is, what will life be like in Great Britain if Scotland becomes autonomous on 18^th September?

According to a new poll, 53% of people will vote for Scotland to stay in the U.K. in next week's independence referendum. If the majority of Scotts were to vote Yes, their government has a set a date 18 months from now, 24^th March 2016 for their official independence day.

There would be amendments made to the constitution and the 1707 Act of Constitution would be dissolved but the Queen would remain as monarch of the country. It’s also been said that the Queen has been privately concerned over the referendum, and as for the 2015 General Election, Scotland would still be invited to take part, but their representatives would only potentially serve a 10-month term in office.

Whichever way the poll sways, it’s still yet to be decided what currency Scotland would employ if they separated from the rest of Great Britain. The three main Westminster parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have ruled out a currency union, although Mr Salmond, Scotland’s  First Minister insists an independent Scotland would keep the pound, take on the Euro or retain their own Scottish pound exclusively. Moreover, in terms of national debt, it’s also yet to be decided how much of the UK national debt would be transferred to Scotland. It’s likely to be worked out on a per capita share based on population.

Additionally, an independent Scotland’s stance on global affairs is yet to be negotiated. The nation would have to negotiate its own entry into the European Union and NATO and with regards to the issue of defense, the strategy is not yet certain if Scotland were to be a standalone country. As NATO is fundamentally a nuclear alliance, and if Scotland struggles to become a member, they are likely struggle to join the EU too, which would have a big impact on their economy. They are likely to have their own defense force, particularly because they have their own North Sea oil and fishing industries to maintain and protect.

Immigration is undoubtedly an immense problem in Great Britain currently, but it’s already been decided that an independent Scotland would control its own borders. However, the Scottish National Party (SNP) aspires to have an open border policy but Home Secretary Theresa May has already warned she will not allow Scotland to be used as a way for immigrants getting into England if Scotland adopts a looser immigration policy.

The laws surrounding passports depend almost entirely on whether Scotland joins the EU; Scottish citizens would be entitled to a Scottish passport, but a UK passport would still be valid until it expires. British citizens who were habitual residents in Scotland would be automatically considered Scottish citizens.

State taxes and benefits would become the responsibility of the new Scottish government, meaning they could potentially create their own policies, and with this and so much else to consider before the poll, it’s easy to see why many English politicians, including David Cameron and pushing the No Campaign.  However, Mr Cameron has insisted his sudden boost in interest in the referendum is not due to a lack of support in recent polls and that he will not be resigned as Prime Minister not matter the outcome of the vote. Some have even argued that the announcement of a second royal baby was tactically revealed to sway voters to remain faithful to the unity of Great Britain.

Furthermore, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has drawn up plans to shift its Head Office from Scotland, where it has been based since 1727, most likely to Central London, in the event that next week's referendum backs a break away from the rest of the UK. On the other hand, one of the North Sea’s biggest investors, BP has urged Scotland to vote against independence, arguing that oil wealth would best be protected by remaining inside the UK.

Scotland’s ­education system has always been distinct from the rest of the UK, but the future of the country’s schools and ­universities is still a key issue in the independence debate. Questions have been raised about tuition fees, research grants, overseas students, teacher recruitment and exam options as the Yes and No ­campaigns battle it out and with four universities based in the Capital, Edinburgh has a special interest in what independence might mean for higher education.

Whatever the final verdict come 18^th September, Scottish and British politicians alike have a great deal of negotiation and debate ahead of them in order to decide how to lead their nations if they do their separate ways. Many aspects of British life are up in the air, but it’s only a matter of time before questions about the vote will be answered. 

George Osborne Proposes Minimum Wage Rises

Chancellor George Osborne has stated he wants to see the National minimum wage rise above inflation levels. If approved, the rise, sources say may ease pain for businesses, most likely with more cuts in employers’ National Insurance incomes.

Osborne said, "We have worked hard to get to this point and we can start to enjoy the fruits of all that hard work" and he reported to the BBC that our "economy can now afford" to raise the rate.

 

 

The National minimum wage is currently £6.31 an hour for people over the age of 21, £5.03 for workers aged 18--20 and under 18s rake in just £3.72 per hour.
 

Mr. Osborne told the BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson that he hopes that wages will increase by £7 per hour by 2015 for its value to return to where it was before the economic downturn struck. The rate is recommended by the Low Pay Commission, which is overseen by Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable. "Because we are fixing the economy; because we are working through our plan; I believe Britain can afford an above-inflation increase in the minimum wage so we restore its real value for people and we make sure we have a recovery for all and that work always pays." said Cable. 

 

Robinson said that this announcement was likely to trigger an argument within the coalition with the Liberal Democrats accusing the Conservatives of taking credit for their policy ideas.Conservative Osborne's proposal comes after Labour claimed that the current economic upturn has not yet been transferred to the public and into transforming general living standards. He also attacked the Labour Party by stating that it was actually Labour's own fault for their negative perception in the Media and from the British public.

  

He said the coalition, since coming to power in 2010, had "rescued the country from the brink of disaster and got us into a position where we can now see the minimum wage going up for people and, more broadly. I want living standards to go up for the whole country as we fix the economy." But Mike Cherry of the Federation of Small Businesses said: ‘This (increase) is going to cause...real problems...it’s going to cost jobs..." And Yet the Conservative Party cannot deny the fact that working people earn on average £1,600 a year worse off since they came to office.
  

 The Conservatives organically opposed the creation of the national minimum wage in 1999, to which Osborne said: "The Conservative Party in the 1990s was on the wrong side of the argument... The...Party has changed. It's (now) a modern...Party in touch with the country." He added that the government was planning another "big increase" in the amount of money people can earn before paying income tax and defended his plans to remove a further £12 billion from the country's welfare budget.

George Osborne is also prepared to offer more tax breaks for businesses to help compensate them for an inflation busting rise in the minimum wage, Government sources say. If the rise is approved by the Independent Low Pay Commission, Government sources say he is likely to ease the pain for businesses, most likely with more cuts in employers’ National Insurance contributions.
 

The Chancellor’s announcement of a possible minimum wage increase delighted most Tory MPs, who believe it will eradicate Labour claims that only the most wealthy British citizens are enjoying the benefits many of the slow and steady economic recovery.
 

Almost two thirds of UK voters think a hung parliament at the next election would be bad for the country , but half believe it will happen anyway. Revealing that Britain is turning against the entire concept of a coalition, a survey found that 60% now say the joining of two parties in power was bad for Britain, which is almost double the figure for those who believe it was positive.
 

It's interesting to note that this swoop is predicted to come into practice just 7 months before the next general election and it has arrived on the eve of a heavily anticipated major speech by Ed Miliband about the economy in which he is to call for limits on the size of high street banks.
 

Political voters must always retain how competitive Political parties are against one another, and proposal often take a vast amount of time to be approved, put into practice and eventually have an effect on Britons and our finances.