"If scotland can't get a currency union with the uk then surely they won't be able to join the EU without being in the euro?" Given their relative size to other EU nations, you could not see special dispensation being given to Scotland to have its own currency (AFAIK it would be a first) .
Where are Scotland going to get the Billions of pounds from to even survive going on their own....what currency are they going to use because they cannot use the UK currency.....the cost of living will go through the roof and what about the health issues, How is that to be funded?. It's ok for loony salmond and his cronies who are well off and will continue to be well off and use the private sector facilities but what about the masses, What are they suppose to do.....Vote yes and your signing your own death warrant and will have been conned by people who can afford to survive and are power crazy.....Beware of rich people baring gifts as it is never as clean cut as that. they want more than they give in the end....
Wonder why Salmond hasn't said this. He accuses the UK of threats but says Scotland won't take any of the debt if they can't agree a cu. Surely the world will see Scotland as a rogue nation and will make it hard for them to raise funds.
"They could launch their own currency, but joining the Euro would be the more likely scenario." From what I can see, only economic/currency and border control (Schengen area) pre-requisites have to be sorted for Scotland to get immediate entry into the EU as an independent nation. No other EU nation will oppose Scotlands' entry other than for independence issues brewing within their own borders.
"Wonder why Salmond hasn't said this." Well for once Salmond has actually remembered one of his day jobs was economist. If you look at that FT article nearly everyone seems to be saying because of the current (possibly worsening) state of the Eurozone, do you really want to tie your own economic fortunes to that lot ?? The reason the UK is not part of the Eurozone is because we joined the EU before the Euro came into being, and are sufficiently large that the EU would rather have us around than attempting to force the Euro on us and watch the UK vote to leave completely. "He accuses the UK of threats but says Scotland won't take any of the debt if they can't agree a cu. Surely the world will see Scotland as a rogue nation and will make it hard for them to raise funds." The world markets will not tolerate that kind of behaviour.
Here are the facts RDBD it should interest you. [video=youtube;1W8cKHcZn60]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W8cKHcZn60&feature=player_detailpage[/video]
"Here are the facts RDBD it should interest you." The point in that 37 minutes where the economists tell us why Scotland having a separate currency is not in UKminus' interests, will suffice.
"Your last paragraph is exactly why Spain & Belgium may very well oppose it!" Of course. But that is petty. And would not be sufficient to prevent a majority vote for Scotland.
I personally, wouldn't call it petty. It would be effectively setting a precedent that a breakaway state from an existing member state can gain EU membership independently. This could be a cause of ( further) unrest in The Basque region, Catalonia, and Flanders. Something Spain & Belgium are very keen to avoid.
"I personally, wouldn't call it petty. It would be effectively setting a precedent that a breakaway state from an existing member state can gain EU membership independently." An independent nation is an independent nation. Whether Belgium, Spain etc allow similar referenda is their business. The UK is a democratic nation, and Scotland has been given the democratic right to determine its future status. Its former status (part of a union of nations) should not come into it when being considered for EU membership as an independent nation.
Should not come into it, but will!....as far as Spain & Belgium are concerned. Their concerns are not petty, in their eyes. Parochially motivated, maybe.
http://www.businessforscotland.co.u...ottish-fishing-and-the-need-for-independence/ Spain has a big interest in fishing around Scotland it is not a simple matter of just warning off Basques and Catalans. The biggest clue to the EU wanting to find a way to smooth Scotland into the EU which could also include the members not being able to veto on this is the 5.5million members of the EU in Scotland, the 160,000 EU nationals working in Scotland, the 60.000 EU students in Scotland not to mention the Scots working in the EU. This can of worms would suggest they will find a way, anything else would be political suicide.
For Spain, I can assure you, a nationalist revolt in Catalonia, or a resurgence of ETA in the Basque region, would have a far worse outcome than any future antagonism with Scotland.
The EU are at their most professional when avoiding suicidal decision making It is certainly not a matter of how many students but who carries a single vote that states no to membership You fail to realise the strength of feeling against separatists in particular in Spain
I bow to your greater knowledge on Spain but it is not clear that this will be put to a vote. There is no precedent for this situation so at this stage nobody really knows how the EU will react but I find it hard to believe that they would be willing to disrupt the lives of somthing like a quarter of a million EU citizens and expell 5.5 million members for expressing their democratic rights. I find that argument more compelling than sending messages to separatists who at this stage do not even have the right to vote for Independence. International lawyers will be trying to find ways to smooth this situation I'm sure. They will have 2 years to come up with a solution following the YES vote.
I can see that NSIS Spain would be in a difficult situation, but even voting to keep Scotland out would surely result in more anger from Basques and Catalans who would be incensed rather than soothed by the Spanish governments message. Then there are their fishermen. The more I think about it the more the attractive politcal move would be to just find a way for Scotland staying without any embarrasing voting for member states.
