Originally Posted by
HAS59
A ton of cash and effort has gone into making Lossie a key asset to the RAF, with presumably, the assumption that the Kingdom remains united.
This has quite naturally opened the debate of 'what if' and this is not a dig at Scotland, or the people of Scotland.
I am genuinely puzzled as to what 'Independence' actually means to the SNP, because if it is to mean a defined Scotland totally, completely and exclusively independent of the rest of the UK then how long would that take to establish?
Everything currently 'National' will have to be started up, from scratch from NHS, RNLI to National Tyres (well, you catch my drift).
There isn't a country in the world which is 'Independent' - we all need to trade and co-operate with each other to exist.
I understand the desire to appear a proud Nationalist, but if a break was achieved and everyone lined up along the border and bared their arse at the neighbours, then what?
It would look the same ... to begin with ... but the cost of setting up everything a state needs to function would take decades and cost a fortune.
Would there be an instant turning off the tap of vital services?
Tax, Pensions, Benefits, MI-5/6, Q. Power Generation?
As for QRA - It needn't need to be too far north, a couple of sheds at Newcastle Airport ought to do it. Scottish airspace would be Scotland's responsibility.
The SSBN's are an issue, and as long as France have them, I'm sure the RN will have them too. The relocation cost will have to be spread but it is not insurmountable.
The floating jetties could 'float-off' somewhere else and a new missile handling facility built in the south.
I still remain puzzled as to what an Independent Scotland stands to gain from this.
In much the same way as i wonder what a UK outside the EU would gain (but that's another huge can o'worms)
This isn't some 'Vote Idol' reality game where the masses are tricked into thinking that just because they asked/voted for it, that it will automatically happen.
On a positive note, I look forward to the first P-8 arriving at Kinloss and subsequently operating from Lossie - for many years to come.
That's a little bit of a chestnut there, as we are not establishing a NEW country. Scotland already runs its own local government, housing, police, fire, ambulance, HEALTH SERVICE (not the NHS you quote), education, courts and legal services, tourism, universities, to name but a few. In reality, and I could be proved wrong here, but there currently is only one exclusively UK service an independent Scotland would need to set up, and that is the Coastguard Service. Given the length of coastline and phenomenal sea area an independent Scotland would possess, this is a fairly important service. It's estimated it could be established de novo for around £20 million. And, we're quite capable of generating ALL the power we need, much of through renewables (wind, wave, solar, hydro and nuclear). Plus, Scottish water is actually a net exporter of water south of the border. In fact, there is the supreme irony of a government controlled body, Scottish Water, selling water to privatised companies south of the border to sell on to English consumers.