The accounts for the National Insurance Fund are published each year. There is a seperate fund for Northern Ireland.
Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992, benefits due under the National Insurance scheme are payable out of the NIF. The funds required for meeting the cost of these benefits are mainly provided from NICs paid by employed earners, their employers and the self-employed. The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 sets out the conditions governing entitlement to most benefits and the basis for assessing liability to pay NICs.
In addition to this, the Social Security Act 1993 allows for money provided by Parliament to be paid into the NIF via a Treasury Grant, if HM Treasury considers it expedient to do so. Current practice is to aim to maintain the level of the Fund at a working balance of at least 1/6th (16.7%) of projected annual benefit expenditure.
The amounts received into, and paid out of, the NIF and the resulting balance on the Fund depend on legislation, which is the responsibility of HM Treasury Ministers and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In setting contribution rates, HM Treasury Ministers are required to consider changes in the general level of earnings, the balance on the Fund and payments expected to be made from it in the future (Sections 141 and 143 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992). In addition, both demographic and economic changes can affect amounts received and paid out and therefore the overall balance on the Fund.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
You think Boris has honour?
He won't be able to get out of it.
I think you underestimate how many of your fellow English and Welsh voters would shrug and say “thank god we don’t have to listen to that SNP whinging any more”. I think Scottish independence is increasingly priced in and inevitable one day, and the PM it happens to will stay in post.
Now on the Scots Nats views expressed on this thread, that they want us to keep paying their pensions? Fine. We will keep all past liabilities so long as we also keep all past assets. And if we’re paying pensions and the like then Trident’s going nowhere.
Precisely.
Some PMs who have put the union first and foremost would have to resign if they lost the referendum - eg Dave and May. Losing the union was unthinkable for them.
Boris isn't like that. He is more interested in England first to be frank which is why he's a much better PM post-devolution than either of them. That's why he was prepared to compromise on the Irish Sea in the way May couldn't.
To think he won't be OK with saying "off you trot then" and negotiating on behalf on England and Wales (and NI if they're still thought about) is rather naive.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
Boris Johnson wouldn't resign even if he was caught on film engaging in watersports with a sheep while shouting " I am Vladimir's man and the love child of Leonid Breshnev"
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
You think Boris has honour?
He won't be able to get out of it.
I think you underestimate how many of your fellow English and Welsh voters would shrug and say “thank god we don’t have to listen to that SNP whinging any more”. I think Scottish independence is increasingly priced in and inevitable one day, and the PM it happens to will stay in post.
Now on the Scots Nats views expressed on this thread, that they want us to keep paying their pensions? Fine. We will keep all past liabilities so long as we also keep all past assets. And if we’re paying pensions and the like then Trident’s going nowhere.
Precisely.
Some PMs who have put the union first and foremost would have to resign if they lost the referendum - eg Dave and May. Losing the union was unthinkable for them.
Boris isn't like that. He is more interested in England first to be frank which is why he's a much better PM post-devolution than either of them. That's why he was prepared to compromise on the Irish Sea in the way May couldn't.
To think he won't be OK with saying "off you trot then" and negotiating on behalf on England and Wales (and NI if they're still thought about) is rather naive.
No, the Scots have to take NI with them. Ulster is their fault.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
A lot of the jobs were shifted in 2014. I have a friend who was asked to commute to London from Edinburgh, she decided to move down here and doesn't regret it. The argument on this in the referendum will be "well they've all gone already so what have we got to lose" from the SNP.
And if Brexit has taught us anything, surely it is that it is not economic issues alone driving voting intentions. If we base our arguments on economic reasoning alone, we are likely to be disappointed in the outcome.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
Boris Johnson wouldn't resign even if he was caught on film engaging in watersports with a sheep while shouting " I am Vladimir's man and the love child of Leonid Breshnev"
The other issue for an independent Scotland is that the SNP plan is to rejoin the EU but under Article 49 they need 'a functioning and resilient market economy' to join.
For that to work, they will need to sort out their arrangements with RUK sorted out.
Things like central bank/lender of last resort need sorting out beforehand, and the fact that an iScotland would have less influence inside the EU than it does under the UK means their accession treaty could put their financial services sector at risk, which is another reason for them to do a King James VI and head south.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
A lot of the jobs were shifted in 2014. I have a friend who was asked to commute to London from Edinburgh, she decided to move down here and doesn't regret it. The argument on this in the referendum will be "well they've all gone already so what have we got to lose" from the SNP.
And if Brexit has taught us anything, surely it is that it is not economic issues alone driving voting intentions. If we base our arguments on economic reasoning alone, we are likely to be disappointed in the outcome.
Yes. The argument against Scottish independence has to be “we are a great, United country and we have done great things together”. Any sense of “what Scotland wants” on non-devolved issues should be challenged with the retort that there is no “Scotland” for those purposes. One vote in Perth is worth the same as one in Putney. If Scots don’t feel that, they should vote for independence.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
You think Boris has honour?
He won't be able to get out of it.
@Philip_Thompson may actually have a point. It rather depends on your assessment of the answer to three questions that arise in the event of a Scottish vote to secede:
1. How much do English Tory MPs really care about the Union? If the answer is "a lot" then Johnson has had it; if the answer actually turns out to be "not very much" then we move on to... 2. How much does the English electorate really care about the Union? If the answer is "not much" then Johnson is probably safe; if the answer is "a lot" then we move on to... 3. Who do the English blame for this state of affairs: the Prime Minister, or the Scots?
Precisely.
Its a bit like Brexit. Decades of the UK being half-in, half-out of Europe meant that when we finally voted to leave the EU weren't exactly distraught at the prospect of losing us. It was kind of priced in already that the UK was exceptional and not fully engaged already.
Decades of Scotland edging to the exit now, plus the prior referendum, plus a decade and a half and counting of SNP First Ministers mean that by the time of the next IndyRef its not some unthinkable divorce but rather expected. If Scotland votes Yes next time the response will be rather a shrug of "OK they've done it then, lets move on".
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
It matters not a jot how they pay it, I have a contract with UK government , I paid them shedloads of cash for a state pension product and regardless they cannot just wish it away. They will have to either pay it or negotiate a settlement with Scotland that Scotland accepts the liability for UK 's debt .
If Scotland votes to leave the UK it assumes responsibility for its own spending taxation and revenue. Are you suggesting you would remain a UK citizen in an independent Scotland and not take up Scottish citizenship? But live as a UK expat? You don't think they'll have thought of that? HMRC knows where you are and have been resident. Residents of Scotland will look to the government of Scotland for their pensions, no one else.
I would have thought there may be an issue in any case during the post referendum negotiations with scottish citizens keeping uk citizenship. It would raise a possible point in the future where those in scotland can choose to move freely to the rump uk and work here but citizens from the rump uk did not have the same right to move and work in scotland. While I am all for scottish independence I certainly think that is something that would need to be considered.
Surely it's inevitable under the UK Gmt doctrine that rUK and present UK are one and the same thing; pretty much any Scot alive today has UK citizenship automatically. You can't take people's passports away from them (well, you can, but it's not easy).
Quite a few rUK citizens would have the right to move to Scotland under likely settlements, however - those born there or whose parents were born there.
The other point is that in the last indyref HM Treasury said that all debts borne by present UK would be assumed by rUK (separate from whatever payment was agreed to HMT from Scotland). As rights to state pensions are defined on previous NI payments then any UK citizen with enough NI payments would simply claim that state pension. As if they were iving in Torremolinos.
Of course, those arrangements could be superseded by negotiations.
I would just caution that if there is any doubt over Scots pension payments I expect it would be indys poll tax moment on stilts
Nothing new about the argument, actually. Today's seeing some very familiar assertions warmed over again.
Resolutions to persuade Scots of the benefits of the Union by making a positive case for it rather regurgitating Project Fear seem to have melted like snow aff a dyke. Perhaps the least surprising occurrence of these opening skirmishes.
Project reality v fantasy of SNP and the positive case of guaranteed Scots pensions from HMG for life
Deluded unionist fantasies more like, you get more Little Englander by the day G..
Not really and no I am not a Little Englander
But my Scots wife and I support the union and will continue to ask and respond to comments that threaten the union
I hear you Big G. I'm a Scot living in England but all my family are still north of the border - we are all British first and support the Union.
I'm torn. I hate the SNP and what it is planning to do to my homeland so I want them treated as harshly as possible when Indy happens. No favours. The rUK government must put its citizens first - Scotland has lived off the English taxpayer for far too long. But what about the effect on my family living in the SNP hell-hole post Indy (assuming they haven't all fled south to live in my spare room)?
All my family identify as British as we have Welsh, Scots and English forebears and solidly support the union
My wife has a large Scots family and I just hope that if indyref2 happens the reality of it becomes so apparent the Scots vote for their status quo and we all remain in the union
Today is a day when I think the Scots are so stupid that they will ignore reality and listen to what their drunken mate (MalcolmG) tells them.
And then get angry X years later when reality hits.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
You think Boris has honour?
He won't be able to get out of it.
@Philip_Thompson may actually have a point. It rather depends on your assessment of the answer to three questions that arise in the event of a Scottish vote to secede:
1. How much do English Tory MPs really care about the Union? If the answer is "a lot" then Johnson has had it; if the answer actually turns out to be "not very much" then we move on to... 2. How much does the English electorate really care about the Union? If the answer is "not much" then Johnson is probably safe; if the answer is "a lot" then we move on to... 3. Who do the English blame for this state of affairs: the Prime Minister, or the Scots?
As Prime Minister, and leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, losing Scotland is clearly a resigning matter.
However, as just leader of the "Conservative Party", getting shot of Scottish MPs from Westminster forever might make him the greatest of all time.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
Boris Johnson wouldn't resign even if he was caught on film engaging in watersports with a sheep while shouting " I am Vladimir's man and the love child of Leonid Breshnev"
A contract is a contract is a contract and you cannot just novate it with agreement.
You don't have a contract, though, do you? At best you have an understanding - like the WASPI women had an understanding that they would retire at 60.
Another fool, of course you have a contract , they give you everything in writing. You sign up for NI and they promise you a state pension and once you start receiving it they cannot withdraw it, worst they can do is transfer the liability to someone else and no fool will take that on for free. The WASPI women were not receiving pensions when the rules were changed, of course you can change rules before you get your pension but once it is being paid it is fixed for the contractual terms you signed up to. How stupid can people on here get.
Malcolm, if there was any contract why does the Chancellor bother announcing what he is upgrading the pension to every year? Your rights are not fixed. You have set rights under the current framework but that framework can change and has done many times during my working life. To take an obvious example, if the government did the right thing and combined NI and IT with the result that NI was payable on investment income and pensions would that be a breach of contract? Of course it wouldn't. You would have no remedy.
In an independent Scotland these decisions would be the decisions of the Scottish government of the day. What could possibly go wrong?
Ultimately the UK parliament is sovereign and can change the law as it sees fit. I don't think there's really any way an independent Scotland could have any expectations on the UK treasury for anything.
But it's not the Scottish Gmt. It's individual UK passport holders we are talking about.
So what you're saying is that you want to vote for independence but still be a UK citizen. Seems a bit hypocritical but whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess.
So what happens in Australia or the EU today? Nobody is explaining why this is somehow different.
It's really simple
Currently there is a single UK Government - that pays the pension of those who earnt long enough to qualify for one
In the future there will be no such thing as the UK Government. Instead there will be 2 separate Governments, 1 for Scotland the other for the rest of the UK.
Both Governments will have responsibility for paying the pensions for people resident in the appropriate country at a date to be decided.
I wish it was that simple. A UK pensioner living in Spain does not have their pension paid by the Spanish government. UK citizens are going to have to be allocated and in some case will be able to elect whether they are rUK or Scottish. The dual citizenship applications will I assume be allowed to proceed subsequently.
So I'll circle back around, if they're all keeping their UK citizenship, what are they actually voting for?
They won't be able to in my opinion. If God forbid it actually happens, my belief is that some people will be able to choose between RUK and Scottish citizenship (Scottish born living in rUK, rUK born living in Scotland) otherwise you will be assigned either Scottish or rUK. Any dual nationality applications would follow on but things like pensions would be linked to the primary nationality. Any other arrangement will be even more chaotic and cause horrible disputes.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
Boris Johnson wouldn't resign even if he was caught on film engaging in watersports with a sheep while shouting " I am Vladimir's man and the love child of Leonid Breshnev"
French Health Minister Olivier Véran: “The risk of a blood clot from flying across the Atlantic is 50 times higher than from having the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Yes, somewhat ridiculously, it is actually commutable. I am being slightly tongue in cheek. But also wondering whether there might be any benefits to certain northern towns and cities in the event of significant relocations out of Scotland. Newcastle looks attractive, for the reason it is easily reachable from Edinburgh. Leeds, and to a lesser extent Manchester, already has a finance industry. London is obviously the big finance market but if a firm is already operating outside London why take on the costs of moving to the most expensive location - particularly in a world in which location is perhaps less important post-covid. And of course Dublin and other EU cities may be attractive, notwithstanding Max's earlier comment about needing to be in a large country. It's not just the finance industry of course - but that looks like the one with the lowest barrier and the biggest incentive to relocation. All that said, inertia is a powerful force, and often underestimated. It'd have to be a much-bigger-than-Brexit type shock to seriously shift companies and people.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
The moral of the story seems to be that in England where the Tories are led by Boris the party is doing well nationwide, but in the other nations with their own leaders the party is struggling.
So how do we find a Welsh and Scottish Boris?
The tories are English nationalists, now.
Is there anything wrong with that? 🏴
In theory no, in practice yes. If you doubt this, take a look at the sort of people who profess the creed of EngNat. It's a grim bunch, by and large. There's a big overlap with far right sentiment.
No that's your closed-minded bigotry.
Like you saying you'd hate having a neighbour who flies a flag. Its perfectly normal to fly a flag around here.
Spend a bit of time looking into it and you'll see what I mean. If having discovered what a typical ardent Eng Nat looks like, you don't see the problem then you are a problem.
A typical Eng Nat is an entirely normal person.
Just like a typical Scot Nat or French Nat or anyone else.
If you are too closed minded to see that then you are part of the problem.
As I say, take a look into it. The speed of your reply indicates you haven't. There's no shame in learning or conceding something. You'll grow in stature. Same if you were to stop the childish mimicking of my language. Ardent Eng Nat has a particular character. There's quite an overlap with far right. Not totally, of course, but the link is there. It ought to trouble you. It would me if I were that way inclined. Eg, a small proportion of Labour members being antisemites (rightly) tarnished Labour. I know you agree with me on that. So here you cannot argue that a much larger proportion of Eng Nats being racist xenophobes leaves that creed untainted. You cannot argue that, ergo it's better that you don't try.
There is no "particular character" for English nationalists, you are making that up in your own head.
What you are doing is typical English Socialism, or Ingsoc for short. You are attempting to define positions you dislike as ungood, by defining them by association as those who are doubleplusungood.
The Labour Party was tarnished by xenophobia because they institutionally allowed, welcomed, tolerated and promoted people who were xenophobic. They challenged and harrassed anyone who tried to blow the whistle or criticise xenophobia. That is what the ECHR investigation was all about - and that is why the issue was dropped once Jeremy Corbyn was expelled from the Party, because Starmer dealt with it. There is no such comparison with English nationalism since there is no English nationalist party, except some would say the Tories, and none of that happens within that party.
There is nothing wrong with nationalism, whether English or otherwise, and your attempts to pretend there is something "tarnished" about it by you choosing to define who you think is or is not nationalist based upon your own prejudices is just pure bigotry on your own party. With an Ingsoc rewriting of the truth.
I can only ask that you check out the links between ardent Eng Nats and the far right. If you won't, you won't. But it's a shame.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
Berwick is north of the river!
Indeed - Tweedmouth is on the south bank of the river
French Health Minister Olivier Véran: “The risk of a blood clot from flying across the Atlantic is 50 times higher than from having the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
I preferred the one that the risk of dying of a blood clot from AZ is roughly the same as the risk of having a fatal car accident on your way to get it.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
Berwick is north of the river!
The centre is, but only half of the urban area (if that).
Edit: I suppose you could call it Tweedmouth but I thought that was just a district of Berwick?
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Yes, somewhat ridiculously, it is actually commutable. I am being slightly tongue in cheek. But also wondering whether there might be any benefits to certain northern towns and cities in the event of significant relocations out of Scotland. Newcastle looks attractive, for the reason it is easily reachable from Edinburgh. Leeds, and to a lesser extent Manchester, already has a finance industry. London is obviously the big finance market but if a firm is already operating outside London why take on the costs of moving to the most expensive location - particularly in a world in which location is perhaps less important post-covid. And of course Dublin and other EU cities may be attractive, notwithstanding Max's earlier comment about needing to be in a large country. It's not just the finance industry of course - but that looks like the one with the lowest barrier and the biggest incentive to relocation. All that said, inertia is a powerful force, and often underestimated. It'd have to be a much-bigger-than-Brexit type shock to seriously shift companies and people.
I used to travel every day from Berwick by train to Edinburgh when I started work in the City
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
You think Boris has honour?
He won't be able to get out of it.
@Philip_Thompson may actually have a point. It rather depends on your assessment of the answer to three questions that arise in the event of a Scottish vote to secede:
1. How much do English Tory MPs really care about the Union? If the answer is "a lot" then Johnson has had it; if the answer actually turns out to be "not very much" then we move on to... 2. How much does the English electorate really care about the Union? If the answer is "not much" then Johnson is probably safe; if the answer is "a lot" then we move on to... 3. Who do the English blame for this state of affairs: the Prime Minister, or the Scots?
As Prime Minister, and leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, losing Scotland is clearly a resigning matter.
However, as just leader of the "Conservative Party", getting shot of Scottish MPs from Westminster forever might make him the greatest of all time.
It's part of the calculus behind my first question, isn't it? After all, under those circumstances some of them will doubtless be genuinely saddened, distraught even. Others will be thinking more of the resultant 127 seat Commons majority, getting shot of a population who clearly wanted out anyway, and the redirection of Barnett money to the Red Wall. If enough of them are in the latter camp then Boris Johnson would be safe from his party and it would be down to the mood of what's left of the British electorate.
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
Pleased for you (and them!) Other highlights of the day: 59% of the 45-49 cohort have now been vaccinated (indeed, this figure is from the 18th April, so will be higher now). Should be opening up the 40-44 any day now. Positive tests confirmed by LCR continue down steeply (https://twitter.com/RP131/status/1385273671917441027/photo/1) - we are flatlining a bit on positive tests in total, but that is almost entirely down to the increase in lateral flow tests.
EU law on the insolvency of banks makes it clear that it is the responsibility of the homestate to deal with the insolvency of the bank, including dealing with the overseas branches of the bank. This “home state deals with failure” principle is being extended to resolution planning and to resolution under the Recovery and Resolution Directive which was published by the Commission in June 2012.
and
The schemes maintained by Scotland would need to provide compensation to the depositors/investors of Scottish firms in other EEA states (including depositors in the rest of the UK). EU law proceeds on a ‘home state’ basis for compensation purposes. It would be a breach of EU law for Scotland to discriminate in the provision of compensation under the relevant Directives between depositors of Scottish firms in Scotland and depositors in other parts of the EU.
Now anyone who wants to invest/deal with an independent Scotland will want to know their money is safe.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
Berwick is north of the river!
The centre is, but only half of the urban area (if that).
Edit: I suppose you could call it Tweedmouth but I thought that was just a district of Berwick?
Or Spittal.
Berwick doesn't exist anyway as a local authority - it's all Northumberland.
Does depend what kind of commercial property one is thinking of - one of the industrial estates on the outskirts, or the very nice houses in the central area down to the quayside.
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.
The other issue for an independent Scotland is that the SNP plan is to rejoin the EU but under Article 49 they need 'a functioning and resilient market economy' to join.
For that to work, they will need to sort out their arrangements with RUK sorted out.
Things like central bank/lender of last resort need sorting out beforehand, and the fact that an iScotland would have less influence inside the EU than it does under the UK means their accession treaty could put their financial services sector at risk, which is another reason for them to do a King James VI and head south.
The Scots in joining the EU might be in the happy position where its very own the B o E both is and is not its LOLR, which will be in harmony with the ECB which both is and is not a LOLR while their currency both is and is not the Pound, the Euro and the Pund Scottis.
If I thought for a moment the Scots would actually vote for independence it would be a solemn matter; but as I don't I just think you would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.
Hard to know whether to buy or sell your Pistoles and Merks.
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.
Biggest thing that's happened in my lifetime, I'd say. I do think it's all over bar the shouting here. But the global pandemic rages on. It will kill more this year than it did last year - and in some places it will roll well into next year too, I fear.
The place with the best combination of low unemployment and high job vacancies seems to be ...
... Mansfield.
Ben Bradley adds economic achievement to his electoral brilliance.
The top ten places for job posting recovery are Barnsley, Mansfield, Stoke, Hull, Plymouth, Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Peterborough, Dundee and Swansea.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
There has been some talk about the treasury said this and that in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. Is there any certainty that the treasury would say the same things this time? I get the impression that some think anything said in the lead up to the last time is regarded as a done deal.
Depends on the Chancellor/PM.
I know Dave and George wanted to avoid inflaming English nationalism (nor pissing off the Scots) before the vote, I think they would have said they would aim for a velvet divorce (even though Dave would have resigned.)
I expect a Boris Johnson led government before the Indyref2 vote will be telling the English & Welsh voters that not a single penny of their money will be spent on an independent Scotland.
I don't think Boris would resign if Scotland goes, I think it would fire him up to fight for England & Wales even more.
He'd be a Lord North on speed.
As Minister for the Union he is honour bound to resign.
You think Boris has honour?
He won't be able to get out of it.
I think you underestimate how many of your fellow English and Welsh voters would shrug and say “thank god we don’t have to listen to that SNP whinging any more”. I think Scottish independence is increasingly priced in and inevitable one day, and the PM it happens to will stay in post.
Now on the Scots Nats views expressed on this thread, that they want us to keep paying their pensions? Fine. We will keep all past liabilities so long as we also keep all past assets. And if we’re paying pensions and the like then Trident’s going nowhere.
Precisely.
Some PMs who have put the union first and foremost would have to resign if they lost the referendum - eg Dave and May. Losing the union was unthinkable for them.
Boris isn't like that. He is more interested in England first to be frank which is why he's a much better PM post-devolution than either of them. That's why he was prepared to compromise on the Irish Sea in the way May couldn't.
To think he won't be OK with saying "off you trot then" and negotiating on behalf on England and Wales (and NI if they're still thought about) is rather naive.
No, the Scots have to take NI with them. Ulster is their fault.
That would switch me from fairly indifferent to Scottish Independence to a strong supporter.
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.
Biggest thing that's happened in my lifetime, I'd say. I do think it's all over bar the shouting here. But the global pandemic rages on. It will kill more this year than it did last year - and in some places it will roll well into next year too, I fear.
Yes, and its after-effects will be with us (both in the UK and globally) for some time to come - both in terms of economics and health (e.g. the impacts of such concentration on one disease means we have been cutting back in Africa on things like the battle with HIV).
Anyway - let's not get ourselves down.
One oddity, if you are a keen follower of the data: rates of positive tests in each authority drop, and drop, and drop and then stop, hovering at about the 0-15 level. This isn't what you would expect a disease to do: you would expect it to finally disappear completely - particularly when no-one in the area appears to have it. You would expect it to retreat to smaller and smaller pockets. There are still drops in the areas with the highest rates, but the lowest third of authorities don't seem to be moving much at all. I wonder if there is a base level below which it is very difficult to go - could this be the effect of false positives?
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
With Berwick as Checkpoint Charlie and the East Coast trains generating a whole border spy literature a la Eric Ambler/John Le Carre. Can't wait.
Police interrogators are taught not just to look for inconsistency in the stories given by suspects under interrogation, but to look for conspicuous consistency.
The idea is that an innocent person, asked to recount events over and over again, will remember things slightly differently each time. A person who has something to hide is more likely to stick rigidly to a story that they have committed to memory. You don’t need to memorise the truth, you just remember it.
When you hear a politician use near-identical words again and again it is a sign that they have practised and prepared that language....
Twice in the last couple of days, once to STV’s Colin Mackay and again last night to ITV’s Robert Peston, Nicola Sturgeon used such carefully chosen language in response to questions about whether Scotland’s higher public spending, and the election promises it enables, would be affordable if we followed her lead and left the UK.
The same behaviour is also used when it is important not to be misunderstood.
Yes, it is also used to hide things or mislead, and when done badly it is very robotic, but careful consistency is not automatically a sign of anything other than, well, being careful, not necessarily that something is being hidden.
I wouldn't trust police interrogators anyway. The giveaways they look for as signs of guilt are often equally applicable to nervousness.
So on the day of a very active Scottish PB thread, Leslie McKeown, Head Roller, checks out. Not connected, of course, but worth a mention. I was a fan. Both back then and now. Been known to cue up a few BCR songs when I've had a few.
On a lighter note - and in the "you couldn't make it up" basket - the "Free Speech Union" supports the banning of 'taking the knee' at the Olympics.
The place with the best combination of low unemployment and high job vacancies seems to be ...
... Mansfield.
Ben Bradley adds economic achievement to his electoral brilliance.
The top ten places for job posting recovery are Barnsley, Mansfield, Stoke, Hull, Plymouth, Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Peterborough, Dundee and Swansea.
Funny how all the English ones are massive Tory targets. Even Barnsley East is in the frame
The moral of the story seems to be that in England where the Tories are led by Boris the party is doing well nationwide, but in the other nations with their own leaders the party is struggling.
So how do we find a Welsh and Scottish Boris?
The tories are English nationalists, now.
Is there anything wrong with that? 🏴
In theory no, in practice yes. If you doubt this, take a look at the sort of people who profess the creed of EngNat. It's a grim bunch, by and large. There's a big overlap with far right sentiment.
No that's your closed-minded bigotry.
Like you saying you'd hate having a neighbour who flies a flag. Its perfectly normal to fly a flag around here.
Spend a bit of time looking into it and you'll see what I mean. If having discovered what a typical ardent Eng Nat looks like, you don't see the problem then you are a problem.
A typical Eng Nat is an entirely normal person.
Just like a typical Scot Nat or French Nat or anyone else.
If you are too closed minded to see that then you are part of the problem.
As I say, take a look into it. The speed of your reply indicates you haven't. There's no shame in learning or conceding something. You'll grow in stature. Same if you were to stop the childish mimicking of my language. Ardent Eng Nat has a particular character. There's quite an overlap with far right. Not totally, of course, but the link is there. It ought to trouble you. It would me if I were that way inclined. Eg, a small proportion of Labour members being antisemites (rightly) tarnished Labour. I know you agree with me on that. So here you cannot argue that a much larger proportion of Eng Nats being racist xenophobes leaves that creed untainted. You cannot argue that, ergo it's better that you don't try.
There is no "particular character" for English nationalists, you are making that up in your own head.
What you are doing is typical English Socialism, or Ingsoc for short. You are attempting to define positions you dislike as ungood, by defining them by association as those who are doubleplusungood.
The Labour Party was tarnished by xenophobia because they institutionally allowed, welcomed, tolerated and promoted people who were xenophobic. They challenged and harrassed anyone who tried to blow the whistle or criticise xenophobia. That is what the ECHR investigation was all about - and that is why the issue was dropped once Jeremy Corbyn was expelled from the Party, because Starmer dealt with it. There is no such comparison with English nationalism since there is no English nationalist party, except some would say the Tories, and none of that happens within that party.
There is nothing wrong with nationalism, whether English or otherwise, and your attempts to pretend there is something "tarnished" about it by you choosing to define who you think is or is not nationalist based upon your own prejudices is just pure bigotry on your own party. With an Ingsoc rewriting of the truth.
I can only ask that you check out the links between ardent Eng Nats and the far right. If you won't, you won't. But it's a shame.
That is like me saying I want you to check the links between wearing denim and the far right.
There is nothing there. Just the superficial bullshit spread by Ingsoc extremists who hate their own country and think anyone who flies a flag is a racist.
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.
Biggest thing that's happened in my lifetime, I'd say. I do think it's all over bar the shouting here. But the global pandemic rages on. It will kill more this year than it did last year - and in some places it will roll well into next year too, I fear.
Yes, and its after-effects will be with us (both in the UK and globally) for some time to come - both in terms of economics and health (e.g. the impacts of such concentration on one disease means we have been cutting back in Africa on things like the battle with HIV).
Anyway - let's not get ourselves down.
One oddity, if you are a keen follower of the data: rates of positive tests in each authority drop, and drop, and drop and then stop, hovering at about the 0-15 level. This isn't what you would expect a disease to do: you would expect it to finally disappear completely - particularly when no-one in the area appears to have it. You would expect it to retreat to smaller and smaller pockets. There are still drops in the areas with the highest rates, but the lowest third of authorities don't seem to be moving much at all. I wonder if there is a base level below which it is very difficult to go - could this be the effect of false positives?
Indeed - it could very well be down to massive scale deployment of rapid flow tests. There's been a lot of dispute recently about the value of such tests when the virus reaches very low prevalence: it was suggested that, once community prevalence falls below 0.1% of the population (i.e. 1 in 1,000 people) then the number of false positives detected by LFTs will actually exceed the number of true positives, with rather a lot of people being needlessly put to the trouble of quarantine as a result.
The moral of the story seems to be that in England where the Tories are led by Boris the party is doing well nationwide, but in the other nations with their own leaders the party is struggling.
So how do we find a Welsh and Scottish Boris?
The tories are English nationalists, now.
Is there anything wrong with that? 🏴
In theory no, in practice yes. If you doubt this, take a look at the sort of people who profess the creed of EngNat. It's a grim bunch, by and large. There's a big overlap with far right sentiment.
No that's your closed-minded bigotry.
Like you saying you'd hate having a neighbour who flies a flag. Its perfectly normal to fly a flag around here.
Spend a bit of time looking into it and you'll see what I mean. If having discovered what a typical ardent Eng Nat looks like, you don't see the problem then you are a problem.
A typical Eng Nat is an entirely normal person.
Just like a typical Scot Nat or French Nat or anyone else.
If you are too closed minded to see that then you are part of the problem.
As I say, take a look into it. The speed of your reply indicates you haven't. There's no shame in learning or conceding something. You'll grow in stature. Same if you were to stop the childish mimicking of my language. Ardent Eng Nat has a particular character. There's quite an overlap with far right. Not totally, of course, but the link is there. It ought to trouble you. It would me if I were that way inclined. Eg, a small proportion of Labour members being antisemites (rightly) tarnished Labour. I know you agree with me on that. So here you cannot argue that a much larger proportion of Eng Nats being racist xenophobes leaves that creed untainted. You cannot argue that, ergo it's better that you don't try.
There is no "particular character" for English nationalists, you are making that up in your own head.
What you are doing is typical English Socialism, or Ingsoc for short. You are attempting to define positions you dislike as ungood, by defining them by association as those who are doubleplusungood.
The Labour Party was tarnished by xenophobia because they institutionally allowed, welcomed, tolerated and promoted people who were xenophobic. They challenged and harrassed anyone who tried to blow the whistle or criticise xenophobia. That is what the ECHR investigation was all about - and that is why the issue was dropped once Jeremy Corbyn was expelled from the Party, because Starmer dealt with it. There is no such comparison with English nationalism since there is no English nationalist party, except some would say the Tories, and none of that happens within that party.
There is nothing wrong with nationalism, whether English or otherwise, and your attempts to pretend there is something "tarnished" about it by you choosing to define who you think is or is not nationalist based upon your own prejudices is just pure bigotry on your own party. With an Ingsoc rewriting of the truth.
I can only ask that you check out the links between ardent Eng Nats and the far right. If you won't, you won't. But it's a shame.
That is like me saying I want you to check the links between wearing denim and the far right.
There is nothing there. Just the superficial bullshit spread by Ingsoc extremists who hate their own country and think anyone who flies a flag is a racist.
I heard a terrible statistic on NPR yesterday. During the 30 day trial of Chauvin, 60 people of colour, of both sexes, from the age of 13 up, where killed by the police across the US.
What’s interesting is that Perez didn’t insist on contracts that really were watertight. The lack of a big launch should also have been a warning sign.
I guess it goes to show that plenty of rich and powerful people are capable of messing up royally. The dynamics of any super league were always going to mean that Real, Barca and Juve needed the English clubs a lot more than vice versa.
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.
Biggest thing that's happened in my lifetime, I'd say. I do think it's all over bar the shouting here. But the global pandemic rages on. It will kill more this year than it did last year - and in some places it will roll well into next year too, I fear.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
Berwick is north of the river!
Indeed - Tweedmouth is on the south bank of the river
Both sides of the water would be the DMZ under HYUFD.
Just spoke to my parents on the phone. They've both had 2nd jabs now, hence almost complete protection against serious hospitalizing covid. I was thus able to say to them, for the first time and without tempting fate, "You have survived the great pandemic of 20/21."
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
Thank God. We lived through it. The Great War, 1914 to 1917.
Biggest thing that's happened in my lifetime, I'd say. I do think it's all over bar the shouting here. But the global pandemic rages on. It will kill more this year than it did last year - and in some places it will roll well into next year too, I fear.
And I had you down as a youngster, not Britain’s oldest man.
I don’t understand the anger towards vegans/veganism. I genuinely don’t get it.
Why are you so angry?
I think it is because some vegetarians (and even more vegans) "wear" their dietary choice in moralistic terms in a way that they create the impression that they think they are superior to others. That's what gets people's backs up.
I was a vegetarian for about ten years and a pescatarian for about ten years more. But it was just about diet and what I was comfortable with personally. I never talked about it - why would I? - unless someone asked the infuriatingly boring question "why are you vegetarian?". My logic at the time was that I was not prepared to eat something that I wasn't prepared to kill myself.
I heard a terrible statistic on NPR yesterday. During the 30 day trial of Chauvin, 60 people of colour, of both sexes, from the age of 13 up, where killed by the police across the US.
A lot of things need to change, yesterday.
I understood it was about 250 black killings by police officers a year out of 1000 total.
When the Irish Free State was established in the early 1920s, did the UK government continue to pay pensions to its residents? I am sure I know the answer to that.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
Berwick is north of the river!
Indeed - Tweedmouth is on the south bank of the river
Both sides of the water would be the DMZ under HYUFD.
Not really as the border is 2.5 miles north of Berwick
Mind you it has been a garrison town for centuries
I don’t understand the anger towards vegans/veganism. I genuinely don’t get it.
Why are you so angry?
I think it is because some vegetarians (and even more vegans) "wear" their dietary choice in moralistic terms in a way that they create the impression that they think they are superior to others. That's what gets people's backs up.
I was a vegetarian for about ten years and a pescatarian for about ten years more. But it was just about diet and what I was comfortable with personally. I never talked about it - why would I? - unless someone asked the infuriatingly boring question "why are you vegetarian?". My logic at the time was that I was not prepared to eat something that I wasn't prepared to kill myself.
Yes, I've never had a problem with vegetarians - ever.
I think veganism (like wokeism) is quasi-religious and people hate being preached at. Plus, both creeds are impervious to evidence where it conflicts with their dogma, turning to shaming when challenged instead, which frustrates & stokes people even more.
The place with the best combination of low unemployment and high job vacancies seems to be ...
... Mansfield.
Ben Bradley adds economic achievement to his electoral brilliance.
The top ten places for job posting recovery are Barnsley, Mansfield, Stoke, Hull, Plymouth, Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Peterborough, Dundee and Swansea.
That's interesting. But it says Barnsley is a little busier.
Plenty of new stuff happening, and a major reno project has started recently right in the town centre. Severl thousand jobs in upvc type house things very locally, so that will benefit. Also furniture industry, logistics, and places like Available Car and Appliances Direct.
The Crossfit gym I part own is very close to the Mansfield boundary, and they started up outdoor classes at the last breakpoint, and are geared up for full re-opening soon. The gym has been much improved in the lockdown with treatment rooms and has a cafe ready to roll with healthy gym stuff on one side, and a burger window for passing lorries and staff in the surrounding industrial estate. God knows they deserve some luck after all the various first 5 years challenges we have had. Has created a small number of jobs.
Lots of housing demand. I have a couple that are empty until probate for mum is resolved and I am getting multiple speculative enquiries for rent / sale, by people asking neighbours. Admittedly high quality small 2/3 bed bungalows so like gold dust anyway.
The political parties are creating new jobs printing focus-alike leaflets. And Zadrozny always maintains employment for every photographer with about 20 miles.
I heard a terrible statistic on NPR yesterday. During the 30 day trial of Chauvin, 60 people of colour, of both sexes, from the age of 13 up, where killed by the police across the US.
A lot of things need to change, yesterday.
I understood it was about 250 black killings by police officers a year out of 1000 total.
The biggest risk is having a weapon. Dont know how americans can carry on recruiting police officers. .
I heard a terrible statistic on NPR yesterday. During the 30 day trial of Chauvin, 60 people of colour, of both sexes, from the age of 13 up, where killed by the police across the US.
I heard a terrible statistic on NPR yesterday. During the 30 day trial of Chauvin, 60 people of colour, of both sexes, from the age of 13 up, where killed by the police across the US.
A lot of things need to change, yesterday.
Interesting article about this in the Telegraph - I was, perhaps rather naively, shocked to see that ina typical year 1000 American civilians will be killes by the police, and 50 policemen will be killed in the line of duty. The second stat rather explains the first - American policing is a high stakes job. The only answer that I can see is having far fewer guns in society - though how that is achieved I haveno idea.
I heard a terrible statistic on NPR yesterday. During the 30 day trial of Chauvin, 60 people of colour, of both sexes, from the age of 13 up, where killed by the police across the US.
A lot of things need to change, yesterday.
I understood it was about 250 black killings by police officers a year out of 1000 total.
Five per week on average.
We don't get five a year typically. Scratch that, typically we can go a year without any. Especially if you exclude terrorist attacks.
FWIW I was recently promoted at work and after my stellar success in ensuring the firm I work was ready for Brexit I've also been handed the job of Indyref2 preparations. I worked on the 2014 preparations but didn't manage it but I suspect this one will be even more complicated.
My plan to name it Project Unicorn, after Scotland's national animal, was denied (we already have a Project Unicorn).
But spare a thought for those people who work at the RBS Natwest Group and LBG/HBOS whose job is even more complicated.
That's interesting Eagles. What's your view on whether there will be a mass move south on Independence? And how will it be analagous or otherwise to Brexit? If companies do move south, where will they go? You have a golden opportunity to move the Edinburgh finance industry to Sheffield!
As Max has said Brexit didn't change our lender of last resort, Scottish independence does.
Some of the more militant Nats have said they will default on their portion of the UK debt if they don't get a good deal (whilst the UK Government have told the markets they will honour all the debts, even if Scotland doesn't).
That talk from Scotland will not reassure the markets.
This means hardly anyone will lend to an independent Scot because of their default, so there's no mechanism for a Scotland to bailout or support any company, they'd struggle to bailout a chippy with a grand's worth of debt.
So essentially money, jobs and people move south (or elsewhere), in probably that order of significance?
I suspect it'll be registered HQs and companies numbers to England first*, then money, and people.
*Companies House will have 'fun' with this as people try and ditch company numbers beginning with SC.
The commercial property market in Berwick upon Tweed will suddenly be looking very hot...
And it is on the East Coast Mainline as well.
Best not to buy anything north of the river, just in case.
Berwick is north of the river!
Indeed - Tweedmouth is on the south bank of the river
Both sides of the water would be the DMZ under HYUFD.
Not really as the border is 2.5 miles north of Berwick
Mind you it has been a garrison town for centuries
Not any more, to be precise. Barracks have been a couple of museums for some time (maybe 3 actually).
I don’t understand the anger towards vegans/veganism. I genuinely don’t get it.
Why are you so angry?
If someone wants to call me a murderer because I eat meat then that is offensive.
And, they won't stop until no-one can eat meat - and it's illegal.
A line of defence needs to be thrown up now, before they advance any further.
Just the same as any other religion, which is what it is to some people.
Any time anyone wants to shove their religion down the throat of others - whether it be veganism or Christianity, Islam or whatever else you choose - religions like that need to be fought against.
Comments
The accounts for the National Insurance Fund are published each year. There is a seperate fund for Northern Ireland.
Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992, benefits due under the National Insurance scheme are payable out of the NIF. The funds required for meeting the cost of these benefits are mainly provided from NICs paid by employed earners, their employers and the self-employed. The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 sets out the conditions governing entitlement to most benefits and the basis for assessing liability to pay NICs.
In addition to this, the Social Security Act 1993 allows for money provided by Parliament to be paid into the NIF via a
Treasury Grant, if HM Treasury considers it expedient to do so. Current practice is to aim to maintain the level of the
Fund at a working balance of at least 1/6th (16.7%) of projected annual benefit expenditure.
The amounts received into, and paid out of, the NIF and the resulting balance on the Fund depend on legislation,
which is the responsibility of HM Treasury Ministers and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In setting
contribution rates, HM Treasury Ministers are required to consider changes in the general level of earnings, the
balance on the Fund and payments expected to be made from it in the future (Sections 141 and 143 of the Social
Security Administration Act 1992). In addition, both demographic and economic changes can affect amounts received
and paid out and therefore the overall balance on the Fund.
Some PMs who have put the union first and foremost would have to resign if they lost the referendum - eg Dave and May. Losing the union was unthinkable for them.
Boris isn't like that. He is more interested in England first to be frank which is why he's a much better PM post-devolution than either of them. That's why he was prepared to compromise on the Irish Sea in the way May couldn't.
To think he won't be OK with saying "off you trot then" and negotiating on behalf on England and Wales (and NI if they're still thought about) is rather naive.
For that to work, they will need to sort out their arrangements with RUK sorted out.
Things like central bank/lender of last resort need sorting out beforehand, and the fact that an iScotland would have less influence inside the EU than it does under the UK means their accession treaty could put their financial services sector at risk, which is another reason for them to do a King James VI and head south.
Its a bit like Brexit. Decades of the UK being half-in, half-out of Europe meant that when we finally voted to leave the EU weren't exactly distraught at the prospect of losing us. It was kind of priced in already that the UK was exceptional and not fully engaged already.
Decades of Scotland edging to the exit now, plus the prior referendum, plus a decade and a half and counting of SNP First Ministers mean that by the time of the next IndyRef its not some unthinkable divorce but rather expected. If Scotland votes Yes next time the response will be rather a shrug of "OK they've done it then, lets move on".
And then get angry X years later when reality hits.
However, as just leader of the "Conservative Party", getting shot of Scottish MPs from Westminster forever might make him the greatest of all time.
Felt like a big moment - a bit moving even - and it was agreed we will celebrate it in some way.
I am being slightly tongue in cheek. But also wondering whether there might be any benefits to certain northern towns and cities in the event of significant relocations out of Scotland. Newcastle looks attractive, for the reason it is easily reachable from Edinburgh. Leeds, and to a lesser extent Manchester, already has a finance industry. London is obviously the big finance market but if a firm is already operating outside London why take on the costs of moving to the most expensive location - particularly in a world in which location is perhaps less important post-covid. And of course Dublin and other EU cities may be attractive, notwithstanding Max's earlier comment about needing to be in a large country.
It's not just the finance industry of course - but that looks like the one with the lowest barrier and the biggest incentive to relocation.
All that said, inertia is a powerful force, and often underestimated. It'd have to be a much-bigger-than-Brexit type shock to seriously shift companies and people.
I thought the only reason that Lloyds was registered there was some arcane rule about Scottish banknotes.
Edit: I suppose you could call it Tweedmouth but I thought that was just a district of Berwick?
Other highlights of the day:
59% of the 45-49 cohort have now been vaccinated (indeed, this figure is from the 18th April, so will be higher now). Should be opening up the 40-44 any day now.
Positive tests confirmed by LCR continue down steeply (https://twitter.com/RP131/status/1385273671917441027/photo/1) - we are flatlining a bit on positive tests in total, but that is almost entirely down to the increase in lateral flow tests.
EU law on the insolvency of banks makes it clear that it is the responsibility of the homestate to deal with the insolvency of the bank, including dealing with the overseas branches of the bank. This “home state deals with failure” principle is being extended to resolution planning and to resolution under the Recovery and Resolution Directive which was published by the Commission in June 2012.
and
The schemes maintained by Scotland would need to provide compensation to the depositors/investors of Scottish firms in other EEA states (including depositors in the rest of the UK). EU law proceeds on a ‘home state’ basis for compensation purposes. It would be a breach of EU law for Scotland to discriminate in the provision of compensation under the relevant Directives
between depositors of Scottish firms in Scotland and depositors in other parts of the EU.
Now anyone who wants to invest/deal with an independent Scotland will want to know their money is safe.
Berwick doesn't exist anyway as a local authority - it's all Northumberland.
Does depend what kind of commercial property one is thinking of - one of the industrial estates on the outskirts, or the very nice houses in the central area down to the quayside.
If I thought for a moment the Scots would actually vote for independence it would be a solemn matter; but as I don't I just think you would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.
Hard to know whether to buy or sell your Pistoles and Merks.
https://www.centreforcities.org/blog/where-in-the-uk-is-job-posting-recovery-strongest/
The place with the best combination of low unemployment and high job vacancies seems to be ...
... Mansfield.
Ben Bradley adds economic achievement to his electoral brilliance.
The top ten places for job posting recovery are Barnsley, Mansfield, Stoke, Hull, Plymouth, Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Peterborough, Dundee and Swansea.
Anyway - let's not get ourselves down.
One oddity, if you are a keen follower of the data: rates of positive tests in each authority drop, and drop, and drop and then stop, hovering at about the 0-15 level. This isn't what you would expect a disease to do: you would expect it to finally disappear completely - particularly when no-one in the area appears to have it. You would expect it to retreat to smaller and smaller pockets. There are still drops in the areas with the highest rates, but the lowest third of authorities don't seem to be moving much at all. I wonder if there is a base level below which it is very difficult to go - could this be the effect of false positives?
Yes, it is also used to hide things or mislead, and when done badly it is very robotic, but careful consistency is not automatically a sign of anything other than, well, being careful, not necessarily that something is being hidden.
I wouldn't trust police interrogators anyway. The giveaways they look for as signs of guilt are often equally applicable to nervousness.
On a lighter note - and in the "you couldn't make it up" basket - the "Free Speech Union" supports the banning of 'taking the knee' at the Olympics.
There is nothing there. Just the superficial bullshit spread by Ingsoc extremists who hate their own country and think anyone who flies a flag is a racist.
@theSNP
candidate Emma Harper says her party wants 'the softest of borders' between Scotland and England & it could create local jobs #indyref2
Galloway & West Dumfries candidates:
https://twitter.com/ITVBorderRB/status/1385261189014425608
https://abcnews.go.com/US/north-carolina-sheriffs-deputy-fatally-shoots-black-man/story?id=77236745
I heard a terrible statistic on NPR yesterday. During the 30 day trial of Chauvin, 60 people of colour, of both sexes, from the age of 13 up, where killed by the police across the US.
A lot of things need to change, yesterday.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/22/florentino-perez-the-emperor-who-wanted-more-but-lost-for-once
What’s interesting is that Perez didn’t insist on contracts that really were watertight. The lack of a big launch should also have been a warning sign.
I guess it goes to show that plenty of rich and powerful people are capable of messing up royally. The dynamics of any super league were always going to mean that Real, Barca and Juve needed the English clubs a lot more than vice versa.
Why are you so angry?
*Yes, I know, he wasn't really thinking of 1789
If Scotland rejoins the EU, the customs posts have to go up.
She is therefore, demonstrably, talking a crock of shite. But will most likely win anyway.
They make no secret of this. People who say "meat is murder" aren't going to tolerate others doing it if they can stop them.
I think it is because some vegetarians (and even more vegans) "wear" their dietary choice in moralistic terms in a way that they create the impression that they think they are superior to others. That's what gets people's backs up.
I was a vegetarian for about ten years and a pescatarian for about ten years more. But it was just about diet and what I was comfortable with personally. I never talked about it - why would I? - unless someone asked the infuriatingly boring question "why are you vegetarian?". My logic at the time was that I was not prepared to eat something that I wasn't prepared to kill myself.
Mind you it has been a garrison town for centuries
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations
I think veganism (like wokeism) is quasi-religious and people hate being preached at. Plus, both creeds are impervious to evidence where it conflicts with their dogma, turning to shaming when challenged instead, which frustrates & stokes people even more.
Plenty of new stuff happening, and a major reno project has started recently right in the town centre. Severl thousand jobs in upvc type house things very locally, so that will benefit. Also furniture industry, logistics, and places like Available Car and Appliances Direct.
The Crossfit gym I part own is very close to the Mansfield boundary, and they started up outdoor classes at the last breakpoint, and are geared up for full re-opening soon. The gym has been much improved in the lockdown with treatment rooms and has a cafe ready to roll with healthy gym stuff on one side, and a burger window for passing lorries and staff in the surrounding industrial estate. God knows they deserve some luck after all the various first 5 years challenges we have had. Has created a small number of jobs.
Lots of housing demand. I have a couple that are empty until probate for mum is resolved and I am getting multiple speculative enquiries for rent / sale, by people asking neighbours. Admittedly high quality small 2/3 bed bungalows so like gold dust anyway.
The political parties are creating new jobs printing focus-alike leaflets. And Zadrozny always maintains employment for every photographer with about 20 miles.
Thanks for the headsup.
A line of defence needs to be thrown up now, before they advance any further.
We don't get five a year typically. Scratch that, typically we can go a year without any. Especially if you exclude terrorist attacks.
A total of 132 confirmed and probable cases of the B.1.617 variant have now been found in Britain, Reuters reports.
Any time anyone wants to shove their religion down the throat of others - whether it be veganism or Christianity, Islam or whatever else you choose - religions like that need to be fought against.