IVE EMAILED REFERENDUM QUESTIONS TO THE NO CAMP Okay folks ...time for answers from the No Camp. I have emailed the following politicians; Anne McMillan (LAB), Angela Moohan (LAB), Neil Findlay (LAB), Cameron Buchanan (CON), Gavin Brown (CON), Sarah Boyack (LAB), Kezia Dugdale (LAB) and Graeme Morrice (LAB). These are wither West Lothian or Lothian MSPs or MPs. Here was the letter sent, and the Questions put to them... Dear (Better Together MP / MSP) With the referendum almost upon us, I have some questions, that myself, my family and most of my friends would like to put to Better Together and the entire No camp. I have great reservations about what a No vote means, but Im sure that my fears can be allayed through sensible dialogue through the following questions. Here are the questions I would like answers to, and PLEASE ...for the following questions. I want no excuses, or a deflection from any of the questions. If you were to do so, it would speak volumes to myself, my family and friends. These questions are very straightforward, and if need be, if you are very busy, you can answer them with a straight Yes or No answer. 1. Does Scotland – including its oil revenues, of course – contribute a larger share of the UK’s income than the share of UK spending it gets? (And I mean the SHARE, not the AMOUNT – debt which has to be paid back doesn’t count as “spending”.) 2. Regardless of whether YOU think it would be a good idea or not, is it true to say that an independent Scotland could continue to use Sterling as its currency if it chose, no matter what happened? 3. Your campaign keeps saying that independence would make our family and friends in the rest of the UK “foreigners”. Even if we accept that’s true, what’s wrong with foreigners? Would you love your granny or your nephew or your sister any less if they became “foreign”? If not, why does it matter? 4. In your view, would the rUK really build and patrol a 100-mile long physical barrier of some sort across the border if an independent Scotland had a different immigration policy? (Because obviously road checkpoints alone couldn’t stop illegal immigrants, who’d simply cross on foot.) And if so, what would you estimate as the construction, manning and maintenance costs of such a barrier? 5. The McCrone Report was kept from the Scottish public by successive Labour and Conservative governments for 30 years to prevent them knowing how rich Scotland would be if it were independent. Are you aware of any similar documents relevant to the independence debate which are currently designated secret? 6. If I vote No in September, can you guarantee that in five years’ time Scotland will still be in the EU? 7. If I vote No, can you guarantee that in 10 years’ time Scotland will still have a fully publicly-funded NHS? 8. If I vote No, can you guarantee that the “Barnett Formula” used to calculate the Scottish Government block grant will still be in force by 2020 and set at the same proportions? 9. What will be the approximate set-up/annual costs of the tax-collecting bureaucracy your party plans to implement in the event of a No vote? 10. In the event of a Yes vote, will the UK government have an obligation to pay the pensions of everyone in Scotland who has ALREADY qualified for the UK state pension, as would be the case if current pensioners emigrated to (say) Spain or France or Australia? I’m not interested in the Scottish Government’s position on the matter, I want to know what the UK government’s responsibilities are. 11. Is Scotland a country or a region? Thank you for you time. Yours sincerely, James Turbert Folks ...I will let you know if any of these people get back to me with answers or a deflected answer. To be honest, I expect NOTHING back on any of those straightforward questions. Lets be honest, its high time the No camp told us what happens if we do vote No.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 12:53:52 +0000