Independence threat to Scottish university research

I note that several Scottish universities have emphasised, by withdrawing from the Scottish CBI, that they are attempting to be neutral in the independence referendum. By taking such a stance they may be actually jeopardising the future of the research funding that is so central to their mission. Scottish universities benefit greatly from current UK arrangements for pooling research funds and allocating them on the basis of competition. Scottish universities currently earn 14 per cent of UK research council and charitable body research funding with only just over 8 per cent of the UK population. If Scotland votes 'yes' in the independence referendum on 18 September these arrangements will become part of a long list of negotiating matters. Why would a UK Government, in those circumstances, want to persist with arrangements that offer a net transfer of resources to an independent Scotland? And would it not prefer to retain them for universities in the rest of the United Kingdom?

I worry that leaders of Scotland's universities are so concerned not to offend their primary paymaster, the Scottish Government, that they are willing to jeopardise the research funding that is the basis of their longer term success. 

 Letter in the Scotsman 23 April 2014 

Scottish Cabinet Minister: Ignorance or misrepresentation? Claims religion and politics are separate in Scotland!

On Saturday 19 April (BBC radio 4 Question Time 1.10 pm- 2.00pm) Fiona Hyslop MSP,  Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, stated that in Scotland there is no established religion and that religion and politics are kept separate.

Is she not aware that the monarch, upon accession, is obliged by the Acts of Union of 1707 to swear to 'maintain and preserve the True Protestant religion and Presbyterian church government n Scotland? In its independence plans the Scottish Government says that it will keep the monarchy on its present basis and will not change the legal status of any religion. 

And is Ms Hyslop not aware of the weekly 'Time for Reflection' in the Scottish Parliament when largely religious speakers address the whole Parliament in the debating chamber? And has she not heard of the separate system of state funded Roman Catholic schooling or of religious nominees on otherwise elected local council education committees?

It does not inspire confidence in those who seek to promote and constitute a separate independent Scottish state if they demonstrably do not understand how the current system operates.

letter in the Scotsman 21 April 2014

Referendum 'yes' vote would lead to years of a debilitating divorce

Alex Orr (letters 9 April),  in his response to comments about the international complications that might arise if Scotland votes ‘yes’ in September’s independence  referendum as outlined by 

George Robertson, former UK Labour Minister of Defence and NATO Secretary General, overlooks the latter’s observation that Scotland’s separation from the rest of the UK would involve a long debilitating divorce.

If people are already getting tired by the continuing politicking surrounding the referendum campaign they should prepare themselves for several years of further wrangling if Scottish electors do vote ‘yes’. The un-costed fantasy wish list that is the Scottish Government’s independence ‘plan’ (in the document Scotland’s Future) assumes that the government of the remaining United Kingdom will happily go along with its numerous demands.  As we have seen in relation to the currency union, the armed forces and weaponry, energy policy, banking regulation, pensions and more there will be continual hard bargaining on both sides with no guaranteed outcomes for Scotland or the UK.

With all such issues and others to be resolved the Scottish Government’s timetable

for independence in March 2016, eighteen months after the referendum, is also fanciful when we consider that it took much longer for the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament even to resolve the single issue of same sex marriage legislation.

People who vote ‘yes’ will, if they are successful, have to prepare for a bumpy ride with great uncertainty as to the future, for several years. Unfortunately if there is a ‘yes’ vote those opposed to independence will also have to endure the same consequences.

Letter in the Edinburgh Evening News 11 April 2014

Menzies Campbell's states his passionate love of Scotland and why he wants Scotland to stay in the UK

For a passionate defence of the continuing union of Scotland and the UK visit

http://bit.ly/1qhT5yq
http://

George Robertson is right - Yes vote would result in a debilitating divorce. Independence plan a fantasy wish list

George Robertson, Scottish former UK Defence Minister and former NATO Secretary General is right when he states that a 'yes' vote in the Scottish independence referendum would result in a damaging and debilitating divorce.

 Expectations of independence have been so raised by the fantasy wish list of the separatists as evident in their plan, Scotland's Future, that a 'yes' vote would result in years of difficult negotiations which would fall far short of the nationalists' ambitions, result in damage to many familiar institutions and frustrate many Scots with their outcomes.
  

59 per cent of Scots say they would be worried if Scotland became independent

A 2012 survey for the Economic and Social Research Council found that 59 per cent of Scots said that they would be worried in Scotland became independent

Will the referendum campaign change this dominant attitude?

http://bit.ly/1pTUoRT  p7