Caledonian Craig

The whole of the UK runs at such a deficit and rolls on regardless without cutting of services. And like I say tough times are coming if/when Brexit comes regardless. Which do you prefer? Tough times following independence and then the caveat of self-governing and being able to negotiate our own deals and way in this world. Or tough times following Brexit followed by remaining firmly under the thumb and treated like dirt by Westminster?

Look it goes without saying of course we would be worse off initially. No two ways about that. I accept the pain for the long-term gain is my mindset. On the other side of the coin Brexit is going to be equally as painful financially for us. One different with Brexit is that after the hardship we are still slaves to Westminster ruled over by fat Etonian toffs. No thank you. A hard border between Scotland and England - well if it has to be it has to be. What important services do you speak of that you think would be cut?

For me independence is the end goal. Independence with EU membership or independence without the EU I would tske both options over what we have. This union must,be terminated.

The stark fact of the matter is that pushing for independence you cannot appease everybody with your plans. It is impossible. We are seeing that with Brexit. For Scotland a massive issue at the moment is EU membership. A large amount voted to Remain but that is being takenbaway from ascots by Brexit and that sentiment runs across the country. Fisherman want to Leave because they do not like the deal they have with the EU. Sorry but spmething has to give somewhere. There are potentially a lot more Yes voters to be hoovered up amongst those who wished to Remain on the EU than pissed off fishermen I am afraid. In any case would I not be right in saying that in 2014 the fishing communities voted No even though loss of EU membership was guaranteed if a Yes vote was returned? That tells me that fishermen will probably always be staunch unionists. I stand to be corrected on that if anyone wishes to come up with different views on that.

Well that is one route to independence but there are others too should the bill not get passed. The bill gets pulled and a GE called and results in a Hung Parliament. Labour could get into power with a coalition with the SNP in return for a second Indy Ref.

Lennon felt there were people turning his head when he was breaking through. Probably being 'tapped up' I'd imagine and then he changed agent and Lennon said that was when he noted a change in his attitude and started making noises about wanting away. Of course that may be the bad attitude Lennon speaks of for wanting away or maybe it went deeper than that I am not sure there. Personally, I feel he is another in a long line of promising youngsters tipped for big things for Scotland who has fallen by the wayside and quickly into obscurity. It is something that the SFA should be looking into. We should be trying to work out ways to increase the percentage of promising youngsters who then go on to make it at club level and then international level.

Well Dominic Cummings immediately springs to mind but who else?

Tommy Burns passed away in 2008 a year after the deportation case. Of course his efforts would have been solely based on his interest in getting him to remain in Scotland with Celtic. That is not up for debate but why that matters I am not sure. And I am not saying it was solely Tommy Burns but also others at the club and I do believe that the Scottish government played a part too of memory serves. And like I said Neil Lennon alludes to the part the club played in keeping him in Scotland. On the other side of the coin look at Feruz actions in his career. After crapping on Celtic and moving to Chelsea he would end up being farmed out to other clubs on loan. He went to Blackpool who sent him packing because of a bad attitude where he said that Blackpool kicked off more times than they got corners and that bad attitude has left him where he is now. It would seem, in his defence, that this bad attitude crept in from when he changed agents from his Scottish agent to a Spanish one (I do believe). Lennon noted that from that time his demeanour and attitude changed and there was no going back. We shall agree to disagree on this one though. No hard feelings.

Look I've already supplied report saying Tommy Burns did a lot to help and that is backed up by a friend of the late Tommy Burns. Are you suggesting they are lying? I am not claiming to be in the know but I do recall the story as it broke and I find it impossible to believe that a 16-year-old and his Somalian family could alone fully persuade the authorities to put off deportation. On the internet it has Lennon saying the club did a lot to keep him in Scotland too. There is evidence there.

Lets look at things here. Scotland, to get one referendum in centuries had to beg and beg again to get one. The UK government had to do no begging to get their referendum at the first time of asking. Now since the result it is the UK government making a James Hunt of things. Nothing to do with the EU if there is only one brain cell working at Westminster and that one on the blink. The EU took May's Deal and that got passed on to Westminster who could not pass it. In comes another PM who talks big about what he's going to do and the EU are courteous enough to re-open talks and after all his bluster he comes back with a deal all but identical to May's Deal barring the Backstop. And it looks like that may struggle to get passed by Westminster too and all this three and a bit years after the result of the referendum. If I were at the EU I'd have lost patience by now but it looks odds on they will grant another extension. I fail to see where the EU are being cunts here I really am.

Yes many did. Don't believe me? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/20/scottish-independence-lord-ashcroft-poll

I'd disagree for the simple reason of the time that we were in then. Deporting was likelier than not to happen at a time just after 9/11 etc. The world was on high alert around that time on such matters. Now I am in no way suggesting a single nefarious thing about Feruz but to believe they'd have been lenient on him without any effort from anyone of high standing I fail to believe.

You haven't a clue what you are talking about have you? Let me remind you that the SNP's stance in the independence referendum was that they would immediately apply for EU membership if they became independent. This was their reply in debates with Bitter Together who urged Scots to lend them their vote to stay in the EU. Many people did that and look now at how they were repaid. Your union is rotten to the core. For evidence of that look at how the Tory government repays the DUP for keeping them in power for two years? They negotiate a deal that goes totally against what the DUP wants. This union is more dead than the dodo.

I am sorry if you do not recognise this fact but there are well over a million people in Scotland that sees Scotland as a country and a country that has its own parliament. Scotland is one part of what I presume is your precious union that is supposed to have an equal say in the running of the UK. Well evidently going by Brexit it does not. The union is described as 'a union of equals' but it clearly is not. Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to Remain. Wales and England voted to Leave so two parts of this union is being ignored. If you think that is quite alright then I really do pity you.

WTF? I take it you totally blank out facts such as 62% of Scotland voted Remain in the 2016 vote? And that every constituency in Scotland backed Remain in it. Plus the most unacceptable thing is that Better Together used EU membership as a clear bargaining chip as a reason to vote No in 2014.

Well does it matter? The fact was that he was on the verge of being deported and people made great strides to prevent that and succeeded but Feruz showed no gratitude whatsever for it. That foul tweet of his sums it all up. Does Feruz feel he would have not been deported if others had not worked hard to prevent that?

Here is an interesting piece that covers it all. https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/issue-1/the-curious-case-of-islam-feruz/

There is a big difference between the two though. Feruz was helped to stay in the country by the Scottish government and those at Celtic helped on that front too and he quite clearly shat on them as repayment at the first opportunity. Gilmour did not leave under any such circumstances hence no ill feeling.

You could look at it two ways though. If another referendum happens then they could quite legitimately say okay well if you can have another referendum on Brexit then why not on Scottish Independence? I see where you are coming from on that if a second IndyRef happens and Yes gets a narrow win then what if unionists ask for another vote. Well lets get independence first.

How could it when it patently affects Scotland too?

And on the subject of Brexit and the SNP stance it is funny when you listen to other parties claiming they are using Brexit as an excuse to push for independence. That is ridiculous in itself. If you think back to when the Brexit referendum was announced all polls saw it as being a straight forward vote being returned to Remain and this was the camp the SNP stood in. It is not like the SNP altered their position midway through the Brexit issue. They have always firmly placed themselves in the Remain camp.

How many potential Yes votes are to be had in those constituencies though compared to large cities such as Glasgow or Edinburgh? Those types of cities being turned into SNP voters and potential Yes voters is far more important - nembers wise. In any case lets not kid ourselves that what the Tories are promising fishermen is anything like the fishermen are asking for - it isn't.

My answer is how badly do you want independence? Enough to put aside your hatred of the EU? I would take independence in or out of the EU. Anything is better than this decrepit union.

At the moment independence referendum is not on the table. And it certainly wouldnt be if the SNP were not showing anger at what is happening with Brexit. Like I have said before at present there is probably a guaranteed Yes vote out there of about 40% who will vote Yes come what may. Now last time around it was quite a big issue EU membership or losing it by voting Yes. There are surveys out there saying just under 20% who voted No put EU membership as an important factor as to why they voted the way they did. Capturing their vote this time will help tip the vote in our balance.

The way I see it is that 62% of Scotland voted to remain in the EU. If tge SMP can convert them all into Yes voters for IndyRef 2 then independence will be sealed. To do that they must mske Brexit a big issue and appear to dig their heels in at Westminster. And if Scotland do gain independence surely showingvourselves to be pro-EU right now helps our cause in the future should we seek EU membership.