Life expectancy in Glasgow

Originally posted by aging blitzer
Even if it were so, why would England have to meet the shortfall.
How about the EU.

Would Scotland automatically still be an EU member, or would it have to apply (if it wanted to be in)?

There used to be some doubt about this - the suggestion was that an independent Scotland would somehow have to re-apply to the EU.

However, I seem to remember this was all cleared up when the EU took a position that any part of any existing member which broke away from that member state didn't automatically walk away from the EU.

As to whether we should stay in the EU, maybe that's one for another referendum. I don't think any of the pro-independence parties have an anti-EU policy (can't be sure about the Greens, but that's generally the case with them).

There would be no deficit in an independent Scotland. We'd have complete control of our fiscal system, so we'd balance the books one way or another, by whatever means the Chancellor decided.

Originally posted by Amaurote
They're good for a chuckle, if that's what you mean. But canned laughter tapes are a snip at the price.

Actually, foreigners do seem to like our royal family much more than we do.
They have hardly any respect at home, yet I would be tempted to admit that they do help bring tourists in.

Originally posted by kmax87
If you didnt have a royal family almost none of the last 50 years of british comedy would make any sense.

All that obsesion with absurdity and bureaucratic stupidity and that delusional affectation of inate superiority juxtaposed against economic bumbling and technological incompetence(not the ability to invent or discover, but the inability to capitalise ...[text shortened]... entricity as a model, then England would just be another boring company town.

Rule Brittania.

You are clearly suffering from verbal diarrhoea coupled with feeble-mindness.

Originally posted by Varg
Actually, foreigners do seem to like our royal family much more than we do.
They have hardly any respect at home, yet I would be tempted to admit that they do help bring tourists in.

Maybe because they aren't paying for them, nor having them as an undemocratic head of state?

Originally posted by Varg
Actually, foreigners do seem to like our royal family much more than we do.
They have hardly any respect at home, yet I would be tempted to admit that they do help bring tourists in.

Actually, all the surveys on tourists in the UK indicate that they come to visit historical buildings and couldn't care less about our dysfunctional monarchy - in fact, if we were to keep the changing of the guard and open to the publc in galleries all those hidden royal art collections, my guess is you'd see the revenues generated from tourism greatly increase.

I don't think there's much more respect for the monarchy anywhere: for example, I'm sure most Americans find them as comical as we do, and most of the references we see in their media seem to confirm this.

Originally posted by Amaurote
Actually, all the surveys on tourists in the UK indicate that they come to visit historical buildings and couldn't care less about our dysfunctional monarchy - in fact, if we were to keep the changing of the guard and open to the publc in galleries all those hidden royal art collections, my guess is you'd see the revenues generated from tourism greatly incr ...[text shortened]... as comical as we do, and most of the references we see in their media seem to confirm this.

The tourists probably wouldn't notice much difference, I agree.
But in my experience living abroad and talking to many foreigners, they do seem to have some respect for the royals.
Especially Americans.

Originally posted by Redmike
Maybe because they aren't paying for them, nor having them as an undemocratic head of state?

I lived in Canada where she is head of state!
But I don't think they have to pay.
And the French Canadians weren't too keen I have to admit, but then they don't like being ruled by English speaking Canada anyway, nevermind Britain.