Peter MacMahon on the Scottish independence referendum

The issue of a Scottish independence referendum intensified today as the Westminster cabinet discussed the legal conditions and format of any vote. The Scotsman's assistant editor Peter MacMahon discusses the significance of the latest developments in the long-running debate and offers his take on how he sees it playing out.

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News & Politics

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• Scotsman
• Peter MacMahon
• independence
• Scotland
• SNP
• Conservatives
• referendum

[haggisman11]

'North Sea oil will last for 100 years'

The north sea will continue to provide oil for another 100 years, twice as long as previous estimates, according to industry analysts

Dr Richard Pike, a former oil industry consultant and now the chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: "Rather than only getting 20 to 30 billion barrels [from the North Sea] we are probably looking at more than twice that amount."

[scotchprofessor]

@powervr250 Non-existent economy? Many countries across Europe, smaller than and similarly sized to Scotland, are able to run their own finances. What makes Scotland any different? This is something no unionist has ever explained.

We have another 30 to 60 years of oil revenues to rely on. Following that, we have 25% of Europe's (Europe's!) wind power capabilities in renewable energies. Equally, we have 25% of its tidal power and 10% of its wave power capabilities.

[scotchprofessor]

@powervr250 What selfish interests is he following? I'm not sure I understand you there. And what can be any more logical than a country running its own affairs, rather than deferring to another?

I believe the wish to join the EU, and presumably the Shengen Agreement, would reduce barriers, so that should keep you happy. When has Brussels ever lied to you? Westminster's biggest lie would surely be the McCrone Report, buried by successive Tory and Labour governments.

[powervr250]

Edinburgh born, and there is no way i would allow a fat menance Alex Salmond who is only doing this for his own selfish interests not out of logic to deny me my birth right of being British and inconvenience my life to the max and create more barriers.

Where u gonna buy your military from with a non existent economy, and non existent export trade?

The world now is about breaking barriers down not creating them and i? love being British id rather trust London more than Brussels

[haggisman11]

UNIONIST TACTICS SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD GERRYMANDERING

[scotchprofessor]

Step 1: find access to the internet.

Step 2: type in 'ANTI-Scottish newspaper' into the search engine.

Step 3: see what comes top.

[jistaface]

LOL - the Tories are still pleased their pick-up lines worked and think the problem is just that they shot their wad too early.

The Tory-Lite-Labour party wincing as usual (Referendum rule 1 - move goalposts. Rule 2 - shoot self in foot).

Picture the Lib Dems waking after their three-day-drunk. "Why does my arse hurt? Whose shiny Eton face is that on the pillow? Oh, God - me ("party of home rule"!) singing the Tory rant against a third option?!"

Eck trap, Peter, an they been caught

Trap sprung