Most of your questions are answered better than i attempted here, Jake.
Quote "we'd need a passport to go to the Metro Centre in Newcastle for a Saturday shopping trip"
Or indeed the Newcastle Marriot - which like the Metro Centre isn't actually in Newcastle or any of it's districts or suburbs. But as many the shopping hordes from other parts of the UK & abroad haven't heard of Newcastles 'poorer(?)' relative of Gateshead on the other side of the Tyne it's an oversight we have to put up with here.
I haven't read all the thread posts but I will chip in with my point of view in ignorance of the majority of other posts. I can't stand this chip on your shoulder nationalism that everyone goes on about. Ruled from London by London blah blah. Why should we pay for the London Olympics - for crying out loud is that a reason to also hate the English? I hate the English, blah, blah, blah.... I can't bear to hear you all ramming your nationalism down our throats. I am British, I was born in England, but I am British. I grew up in ignorance that Scotland was great, the people were great, we were all one great British island people. I loved Scotland's football team and their Rugby team and everything every Scottish person did. I have only learned as I have grown older that a large chunk of Scottish people hate us because we are English, such a pathetic hatred. Gwens post above is superb, I agree wholeheartedly. I see the people of this island we live on as one and the same, as regional and different as we are unique and united. As a united island we are far greater than the sum of our parts. I would be devastated if we split into nationalistic protectionist individuals full of hate for each other... but if that's what you all want go ahead and have it Scotland. Let the world shrink down further into regional national conflicts and let's construct a world where only our nation matters.
Who mentioned hating the English? Do any of you read ANYTHING on here?
If they vote in favour of independence then good luck to them!i hope they dont as i think it would be better if we worked together on getting the UK back on its feet and keeping our noses out of the middle east etc,get out of the EU and start trading with the commonwealth again. We were a far better nation before the bloody EU. I,like alot of people are mixed british and proud of it! And as for the hate scots/english,all to do with history that is better left in the past although i know that the government needs to do more with education,jobs,hospitals etc.
Its Scotland not England let them decide!!I dare say they (the jocks) have the sense never to elect a tory govt.While we are re giging the ridicoulous u.k. norms of government maybe we could have an elected second house and head of state.Now that would be democratic....
If we vote for independance, it might lead to a better government in England. If the English folk see a progressive Scotland looking after it's ordinary people, they may stop voting for the Tory/New Labtory parties themselves.
Already see that in scandanavia but it hasn't changed anything here - apart from the crazy cherry picking of oooh that's a good idea whilst carefully ignoring the great societal and cultural differences.
Talking about passports, my elderly mother is thinking of going to Scotland for a holiday, because if she goes to the EU, at her age her health insurance is very high, but going to Scotland she does not need it. Will be interesting to see how this issue is treated, as there are lots of people like my mother.
Do any of you read ANYTHING on here?
