I am very interested to see how the fiscal policy of either a "devo-max" or independent Scotland pans out. Give the politicians an opportunity to take more money from the population and sure enough they will take as much as they think they will get away with.
On a purely financial level the set up charges will be astronomic (less so for devo-max), there will be confusion for everyone outside the political bubble while the new Scotland, however it is in the world, takes its first steps; and there will be palms to be greased, pockets to be lined and troughs to be emptied.
And who gave the Westminster MPs the remit to bribe 10% of the population to stay in the United Kingdom with even more than they get already?
There was a very interesting pointer to an article on the BBC news last night (in between Gordon Brown and the attempted personalisation of the IS actions), which actually failed to go anywhere. The reporter started on about the cost of the NHS in Scotland and how much is spent per person per year on health care. The point being made outlined that Scottish heath care cost roughly the same as it did five years ago as an outlay of over GBP2100 per person while in England the figure was less at about GBP1950, although the English figure was claimed to be rising at 5% EACH YEAR, if you look at the NHS figures it is more like 5% over five years.
I don't know how the BBC was trying to spin this but it is obviously either:
1. The Scots get more spent on them, have done for years and now England and the rest of the UK is catching up.
or
2. The percentage increases in healthcare spending in England is far greater, why does Scotland not get the same?
On a different I stumbled across this article while digging about for healthcare costs.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...n-North-Sea-oil-costs-after-independence.html
I rather thought that if Scotland took control of the oil it meant all aspects, not just get the money from fleecing the consumers - how silly was I on that point?