if you think that population density relies on the cost of transportation then you have been working in your industry too long.
The plain fact is that for companies that have a UK wide pricing system Scotland is more expensive to deliver to than the rest of the UK - London is as well but they are not suggesting withdrawal from the UK
There are very few import and distribution centres in Scotland that act for the whole market, most are in England. Of course an Independent Scotland could replicate these within Scotland (and probably would have to depending on the currency used) but that also has a cost.
Cornwall is more expensive as is Norfolk, fact is population centres are cheaper to deliver to which means the central belt in Scotland where most of the population live probably works out far cheaper per head in distribution costs than many parts of England.
Yes I have been working in transport logistics a long time and always find it amusing when novices with no knowledge of haulage try to apply their sudden vast knowledge of the subject.
If you had read an earlier post of mine you would have realised it is cost of fuel more than anything else which determines whether regions become more expensive logistics wise.
I'd be more worried about what the British Government will do if Scotland refuse to pay the debt.
Obvious answers would be a total trade embargo on Scottish goods and border controls with huge fees to cross into / out of Scotland recouping some of the owed money but destroying the tourist industry in the process.
Both would hit Scotland hard.
The British government has kept very quiet on what they're going to do, presumably for fear of antagonising the Scots and making themselves look like they're going to punish independence and not debt default.
However, I find it inconceivable that they'd sit back and do nothing if Salmond defaults on £3bn of owed money.
Also, there's been talk of the Euro. How is Scotland going to get the Euro if it's not a part of Europe?
Some people say they'll join, but is Europe, which is already supporting debt ridden countries such as Greece and Spain, going to accept a country that's just defaulted on £3bn of debt? Scotland might be in good financial shape. But Europe will take a dim view of the default on the British and be wary of Scotland needing finance in the future and then defaulting.
Finally, with their own currency, how will Scotland survive?
Given the £3bn default, all World and European banks are going to charge huge interest rates to Scottish banks for money loans because of a perceived default risk if Scotland should fall out with their parent countries / companies. That means funds are going to dry up and interest rates are going to be massive because if the central Bank of Scotland is borrowing at tens of thousands of percent, it's going to have to loan money to Scottish banks at high interest also.
I think the Scots have a dream. But is easy to lose sight of the reality that lies behind the dream and that is Scotland can't keep the pound, and if it defaults on it's debts, then the consequences will be massive for jobs, mortgages, etc.
Cornwall is more expensive as is Norfolk, fact is population centres are cheaper to deliver to which means the central belt in Scotland where most of the population live probably works out far cheaper per head in distribution costs than many parts of England.
Again I am not arguing - but if you are going to claim that Scotland will not have countrywide pricing and that the Central Belt will pay less then that is at odds with what has been announced by Industry and the Scottish Government.
Yes I have been working in transport logistics a long time and always find it amusing when novices with no knowledge of haulage try to apply their sudden vast knowledge of the subject.
If you had read an earlier post of mine you would have realised it is cost of fuel more than anything else which determines whether regions become more expensive logistics wise.
Are you now claiming that fuel is going to be cheaper in an Independent Scotland? - because at the moment Diesel in Scotland is more expensive than in London and much of the rest of the UK
Again I am not arguing - but if you are going to claim that Scotland will not have countrywide pricing and that the Central Belt will pay less then that is at odds with what has been announced by Industry and the Scottish Government.
Are you now claiming that fuel is going to be cheaper in an Independent Scotland? - because at the moment Diesel in Scotland is more expensive than in London and much of the rest of the UK
No I'm not arguing, just explaining why it is cheaper to deliver to population centres logistics wise which you claimed was not the case.
Diesel rates which are made up mostly of tax could be cut to rates comparable to Belgium where many international hauliers fill up before they enter the UK.
No I'm not arguing, just explaining why it is cheaper to deliver to population centres logistics wise which you claimed was not the case.
Diesel rates which are made up mostly of tax could be cut to rates comparable to Belgium where many international hauliers fill up before they enter the UK.
A lot of taxes could be cut, but the only firm ones so far are Corporation Tax and APD. However considering that there have been a lot more spending commitments (including increasing the subsidy to RM for the increase in the cost of postage) and Scotland is already running a budget deficit, the chances of fuel duty being cut (has any politician hinted it might be?) would be pretty slim.
A lot of taxes could be cut, but the only firm ones so far are Corporation Tax and APD. However considering that there have been a lot more spending commitments (including increasing the subsidy to RM for the increase in the cost of postage) and Scotland is already running a budget deficit, the chances of fuel duty being cut (has any politician hinted it might be?) would be pretty slim.
I think fuel duty in Scotland will be cut simply because it will generate more revenue for Scotland.
Large logistics operators like supermarkets will reorganise their fuel supplies to trucks to take advantage of lower rates in Scotland.
As I said the same happens in Belgium now with the likes of Stobart International fueling there rather than the UK thus generating more revenue for the Belgium government.
I think fuel duty in Scotland will be cut simply because it will generate more revenue for Scotland.
Large logistics operators like supermarkets will reorganise their fuel supplies to trucks to take advantage of lower rates in Scotland.
As I said the same happens in Belgium now with the likes of Stobart International fueling there rather than the UK thus generating more revenue for the Belgium government.
You do realise Scotland has one oil refinery in Dundee the rest are in England and Wales therefore they will be relying on one refinery to serve the whole of Scotland and will have to import oil from UK or Europe, therefore how do you think they will keep the price down?
You do realise Scotland has one oil refinery in Dundee the rest are in England and Wales therefore they will be relying on one refinery to serve the whole of Scotland and will have to import oil from UK or Europe, therefore how do you think they will keep the price down?
It's actually in Grangemouth, and England has hardly any refineries left now as they are just storage facilities as fuel is now refined overseas more cheaply in places like India and then shipped here.
Making the UK at the mercy of foreign markets - Another short sighted Capitalist adventure that saw good quality jobs at refineries sacrificed to get around H&S here by exporting the jobs to third world countries....
However, I find it inconceivable that they'd sit back and do nothing if Salmond defaults on £3bn of owed money.
Scotland's "share" based on population, of the UK public sector national debt is going to be in excess of £127bn. It is £127bn on 2012/13 figures, it will be higher by the time of independence
If Scotland refuses to take on UK debt then rUK would shrug its shoulders it is only a 8.4% of the UKs debt and would result in it taking just a few more years for the rUK to pay off. The interest payments on Scotland's "share" of UK debt are less than 1% of the UK's tax revenue, and as the rUK wants to be the continuator state, with Scotland treated as a new state, it would be the UK-rUKs debt not Scotland's debt.
Scotland's "share" based on population, of the UK public sector national debt is going to be in excess of £127bn. It is £127bn on 2012/13 figures, it will be higher by the time of independence
If Scotland refuses to take on UK debt then rUK would shrug its shoulders it is only a 8.4% of the UKs debt and would result in it taking just a few more years for the rUK to pay off. The interest payments on Scotland's "share" of UK debt are less than 1% of the UK's tax revenue, and as the rUK wants to be the continuator state, with Scotland treated as a new state, it would be the UK-rUKs debt not Scotland's debt.
But Scotland would have no credit rating for refusing to take the debt on.
But Scotland would have no credit rating for refusing to take the debt on.
Scotland has an income its tax revenue and assets Scotland, and Scotland is a wealthy nation GDP per capita more wealthy than the rUK will be, and if it does not take on UK debt Scotland will also be debt free, it would be able to borrow money.
It is however highly unlikely Scotland will not take on its "share" of the debt unless it wants to forgo its share of everything else and start off with for example no navy, air force, etc; and bad feelings between it and its biggest export market rUK especially if Scotland does not start with EU membership from day one of independence.
Scotland has an income its tax revenue and assets Scotland, and Scotland is a wealthy nation GDP per capita more wealthy than the rUK will be, and if it does not take on UK debt Scotland will also be debt free, it would be able to borrow money.
It is however highly unlikely Scotland will not take on its "share" of the debt unless it wants to forgo its share of everything else and start off with for example no navy, air force, etc; and bad feelings between it and its biggest export market rUK especially if Scotland does not start with EU membership from day one of independence.
It does make sense they will take on their debts.
But then I have the impression that Scot Nats seem to think everything is going to magically turn into some utopia for Scotland, and the rUK is going to bend over backwards for them.
This isn't going to happen. For example, we are not having a currency union. No way are we bailing the Scots out.
I know but my point was their perspectives,plans and intentions changed post result.Some of their huffing and puffing is a political charade.The third biggest investment fund in Scotland is intending to stay even if theres a yes vote,says cant see the problem I heard on SKY NEWS.That tells us something I suggest.
Theres no intrinsic reason there cant be a smooth transition.
But then I have the impression that Scot Nats seem to think everything is going to magically turn into some utopia for Scotland, and the rUK is going to bend over backwards for them.
This isn't going to happen. For example, we are not having a currency union. No way are we bailing the Scots out.
As interesting as your attempted mind-read of all Yes voters is, I'm not sure how accurate it is or even how fair or honest it is. As far as impressions go, you're no Monet!
Utopia, no. Better, yes. Unlike yourself and your extraordinary powers, I can speak only for myself.
Scotlands economy could be right in the s**t I cant believe you could take the chance especially if you had a mortgage and bills to pay when there"s to much uncertainty oh but all the companys and banks are all lying
Scotlands economy could be right in the s**t I cant believe you could take the chance especially if you had a mortgage and bills to pay when there"s to much uncertainty oh but all the companys and banks are all lying
Apparently some of the supermarkets are now saying that food prices could now fall.
Im really disturbed at how many people are going along with major financial instituitions and banks having a veto and stranglehold over the democratic process.
Ok Scotland can have a clean slate no debt and everything will be perfect they can use the pound and black gold will flow and everyone will be rich I just hope we dont bail Scotland out when there banks crash
What gets me listening to Salmond on how great it will be is why hasn't he been creating all these jobs now
Aviva is the latest company to stick its oar in the water, saying the cost of borrowing to fund key public infrastructure such as a schools and hospitals would almost certainly be higher in an independent Scotland.
Ok Scotland can have a clean slate no debt and everything will be perfect they can use the pound and black gold will flow and everyone will be rich I just hope we dont bail Scotland out when there banks crash
What gets me listening to Salmond on how great it will be is why hasn't he been creating all these jobs now
What banks? All the large (so called too big to fail) banks are moving south of the border, or rather moving their 'registered address' to somewhere in the UK. So if any of them fail it will be the rUK bailing them out anyway.
The Scottish Government would only need to worry about bailing out the smaller Scottish banks and/or mutuals, even then they could prefer to go for the option of bailing out the customers (up to 35K?) rather than the banks.
So an independent Scotland starts with the same bank branches that they have at the moment, but these branches would be owned by a rUK company, registered within the rUK and protected by an rUK Govt that has a proven record for bailing out banks rather than letting them fail.
An independent Scotland could then setup their own processes for new companies to apply for banking licences, something which is extremely difficult in the UK to the point that it's taken EU intervention to give us any sort of competition (Lloyds sell of TSB etc)
Yes - there will be difficulties, but the Scottish Govt would have full ability to legislate solutions. It sometimes seems like the No campaign forget that a Scottish Govt wouldn't be limited to it's current powers.
The banking operations left in Scotland would have to be owned by Scottish based companies. They would in turn be owned by parent banks based in rUK. Those Scottish based companies could still fail and not be propped up by rUK. If it was allowed to simply move complete liability to another country in that way, then many countries (eg Greece, Iceland) would have already done so.
Apparently some of the supermarkets are now saying that food prices could now fall..
Well, I suppose that if Scotland reduced taxes, fuel duties and the minimum wage then it's entirely possible that prices could fall. You have to ask yourself how likely is that? However, if Scotland want to build a Scandinavian style society then higher taxes and prices go along with that. You can't do one without the other.
The SNP white paper says nothing at all about the level of taxes just that an independent Scotland would be able to set its own level.
There are so many unknown factors involving currency, taxes and EU membership that it is impossible to know what will happen.
The Scottish Government would only need to worry about bailing out the smaller Scottish banks and/or mutuals, even then they could prefer to go for the option of bailing out the customers (up to 35K?) rather than the banks..
In May 2013 the estimated size of the Scottish banking sector was
Scottish Banking Assets £1.89 trillion, equiavelent to 1,254% of a independent Scotland's GDP.
In the UK there are measures to protect the banking sector and depositers money is guranteed by the UK government upto £85,000 per institution.
Comments
Cornwall is more expensive as is Norfolk, fact is population centres are cheaper to deliver to which means the central belt in Scotland where most of the population live probably works out far cheaper per head in distribution costs than many parts of England.
Yes I have been working in transport logistics a long time and always find it amusing when novices with no knowledge of haulage try to apply their sudden vast knowledge of the subject.
If you had read an earlier post of mine you would have realised it is cost of fuel more than anything else which determines whether regions become more expensive logistics wise.
Obvious answers would be a total trade embargo on Scottish goods and border controls with huge fees to cross into / out of Scotland recouping some of the owed money but destroying the tourist industry in the process.
Both would hit Scotland hard.
The British government has kept very quiet on what they're going to do, presumably for fear of antagonising the Scots and making themselves look like they're going to punish independence and not debt default.
However, I find it inconceivable that they'd sit back and do nothing if Salmond defaults on £3bn of owed money.
Also, there's been talk of the Euro. How is Scotland going to get the Euro if it's not a part of Europe?
Some people say they'll join, but is Europe, which is already supporting debt ridden countries such as Greece and Spain, going to accept a country that's just defaulted on £3bn of debt? Scotland might be in good financial shape. But Europe will take a dim view of the default on the British and be wary of Scotland needing finance in the future and then defaulting.
Finally, with their own currency, how will Scotland survive?
Given the £3bn default, all World and European banks are going to charge huge interest rates to Scottish banks for money loans because of a perceived default risk if Scotland should fall out with their parent countries / companies. That means funds are going to dry up and interest rates are going to be massive because if the central Bank of Scotland is borrowing at tens of thousands of percent, it's going to have to loan money to Scottish banks at high interest also.
I think the Scots have a dream. But is easy to lose sight of the reality that lies behind the dream and that is Scotland can't keep the pound, and if it defaults on it's debts, then the consequences will be massive for jobs, mortgages, etc.
Again I am not arguing - but if you are going to claim that Scotland will not have countrywide pricing and that the Central Belt will pay less then that is at odds with what has been announced by Industry and the Scottish Government.
Are you now claiming that fuel is going to be cheaper in an Independent Scotland? - because at the moment Diesel in Scotland is more expensive than in London and much of the rest of the UK
No I'm not arguing, just explaining why it is cheaper to deliver to population centres logistics wise which you claimed was not the case.
Diesel rates which are made up mostly of tax could be cut to rates comparable to Belgium where many international hauliers fill up before they enter the UK.
A lot of taxes could be cut, but the only firm ones so far are Corporation Tax and APD. However considering that there have been a lot more spending commitments (including increasing the subsidy to RM for the increase in the cost of postage) and Scotland is already running a budget deficit, the chances of fuel duty being cut (has any politician hinted it might be?) would be pretty slim.
I think fuel duty in Scotland will be cut simply because it will generate more revenue for Scotland.
Large logistics operators like supermarkets will reorganise their fuel supplies to trucks to take advantage of lower rates in Scotland.
As I said the same happens in Belgium now with the likes of Stobart International fueling there rather than the UK thus generating more revenue for the Belgium government.
You do realise Scotland has one oil refinery in Dundee the rest are in England and Wales therefore they will be relying on one refinery to serve the whole of Scotland and will have to import oil from UK or Europe, therefore how do you think they will keep the price down?
It's actually in Grangemouth, and England has hardly any refineries left now as they are just storage facilities as fuel is now refined overseas more cheaply in places like India and then shipped here.
Making the UK at the mercy of foreign markets - Another short sighted Capitalist adventure that saw good quality jobs at refineries sacrificed to get around H&S here by exporting the jobs to third world countries....
If Scotland refuses to take on UK debt then rUK would shrug its shoulders it is only a 8.4% of the UKs debt and would result in it taking just a few more years for the rUK to pay off. The interest payments on Scotland's "share" of UK debt are less than 1% of the UK's tax revenue, and as the rUK wants to be the continuator state, with Scotland treated as a new state, it would be the UK-rUKs debt not Scotland's debt.
But Scotland would have no credit rating for refusing to take the debt on.
It is however highly unlikely Scotland will not take on its "share" of the debt unless it wants to forgo its share of everything else and start off with for example no navy, air force, etc; and bad feelings between it and its biggest export market rUK especially if Scotland does not start with EU membership from day one of independence.
It does make sense they will take on their debts.
But then I have the impression that Scot Nats seem to think everything is going to magically turn into some utopia for Scotland, and the rUK is going to bend over backwards for them.
This isn't going to happen. For example, we are not having a currency union. No way are we bailing the Scots out.
Scotland doesn't have any debt.
So it doesn't have any assets. Simple.
As interesting as your attempted mind-read of all Yes voters is, I'm not sure how accurate it is or even how fair or honest it is. As far as impressions go, you're no Monet!
Utopia, no. Better, yes. Unlike yourself and your extraordinary powers, I can speak only for myself.
Keep those straw man arguments coming...
Who?
Apparently some of the supermarkets are now saying that food prices could now fall.
Im really disturbed at how many people are going along with major financial instituitions and banks having a veto and stranglehold over the democratic process.
What gets me listening to Salmond on how great it will be is why hasn't he been creating all these jobs now
What banks? All the large (so called too big to fail) banks are moving south of the border, or rather moving their 'registered address' to somewhere in the UK. So if any of them fail it will be the rUK bailing them out anyway.
The Scottish Government would only need to worry about bailing out the smaller Scottish banks and/or mutuals, even then they could prefer to go for the option of bailing out the customers (up to 35K?) rather than the banks.
So an independent Scotland starts with the same bank branches that they have at the moment, but these branches would be owned by a rUK company, registered within the rUK and protected by an rUK Govt that has a proven record for bailing out banks rather than letting them fail.
An independent Scotland could then setup their own processes for new companies to apply for banking licences, something which is extremely difficult in the UK to the point that it's taken EU intervention to give us any sort of competition (Lloyds sell of TSB etc)
Yes - there will be difficulties, but the Scottish Govt would have full ability to legislate solutions. It sometimes seems like the No campaign forget that a Scottish Govt wouldn't be limited to it's current powers.
Well, I suppose that if Scotland reduced taxes, fuel duties and the minimum wage then it's entirely possible that prices could fall. You have to ask yourself how likely is that? However, if Scotland want to build a Scandinavian style society then higher taxes and prices go along with that. You can't do one without the other.
The SNP white paper says nothing at all about the level of taxes just that an independent Scotland would be able to set its own level.
There are so many unknown factors involving currency, taxes and EU membership that it is impossible to know what will happen.
Scottish Banking Assets £1.89 trillion, equiavelent to 1,254% of a independent Scotland's GDP.
In the UK there are measures to protect the banking sector and depositers money is guranteed by the UK government upto £85,000 per institution.