Should a referendum on Scottish independence only include people living in Scotland?

[Big J]

24 minutes ago, Johnsond said:

As a contractor I’d be happy to see more of the Norwegian style employees rights, benefits and even taxes come in to the UK sector rather than the absolute cut throat use you and dump you mentality that is in place. I’m taxed schedule D which is NI at source and the rest through self assessment so basically no difference tax wise to an employee yet we get nothing ie no holiday, sickness, pension or any of the benefits an employee would get, also open your mouth at the wrong time and you are goosed, ie you just don’t get the call back. I’ve been in the RMT for years and quite frankly unless you are involved in trains they are not interested. Chatting to a Norwegian crane op on deck couple of days ago and he retires at 62 with the same wage or 80% of it I’m not quite sure of the figures. The way they are looked after is incredible, he was asked to start a trip early and do overtime for which the entire trip was paid at triple time. Crazy thing is the tax they are on for what they get back when you break it down and get over the 41% level here in Scotland actually is not that much different. The thing that bothers me the most is this whole pension thing ticking away waiting to bite us all on the arse in a few years time. 

My overall impression of the UK (and I suppose it probably extends to the oil sector) is that we are incredibly inefficient. There isn't a broad view of complete systems to iron out inefficiencies. They were redoing a couple of walls alongside a road at the northern end of Cullompton for about 4-5 weeks earlier in autumn. Two walls, perhaps 150ft long in total, red brick construction, 3-4ft high. Traffic control, many, many contractors, tens of thousands of pounds of cost and over a month of traffic disruption (and the associated costs). All that for two walls. 

 

I can't put my finger on why it is we're so institutionally inefficient. The example of high speed rail is perhaps a better one. The French have done TGV for £5-17m per km. HS2 is presently being forecast to cost £383m/km. I know we're a small island and compulsory purchase will make up some of that, but the magnitude of it is astonishing.

 

I know that there are thousands of world leading companies in the UK, but they seem to exist in spite of the inherent environment of inefficiency, rather than because of it. 

 

It's amazing the UK can compete at all given how third rate our infrastructure is compared to the rest of western Europe. I'm not trying to UK bash here, but I'm trying to understand why in the past 50 years we've been left so far behind in this regard.

[Stubby]

16 hours ago, Big J said:

I agree, and I am. 

 

I don't see how me pointing out that both we and the Americans have pathalogical liars in office has got anything to do with being a sore loser. Corbyn was a terrible candidate. Labour could have won if they'd not persisted with this daft uber socialist agenda. It just doesn't cut the mustard with the British electorate. 

 

I simply object to elections which are reduced to popularity contests between untrustworthy and duplicitous individuals, trading personal insults and insisting they aren't held account for the promises they made the day before. All of this leaves me with very little faith in the objective value of democracy in this country. The candidates are often dispicable, the system corrupt and the electorate easily (and willingly?) mislead. 

 

 

Like a Jack Russel with a rat you are Jonathan ! ? Happy Crimbo by the way .

[Big J]

6 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Like a Jack Russel with a rat you are Jonathan ! ? Happy Crimbo by the way .

To you too Andy  

[Johnsond]

2 hours ago, Big J said:

My overall impression of the UK (and I suppose it probably extends to the oil sector) is that we are incredibly inefficient. There isn't a broad view of complete systems to iron out inefficiencies. They were redoing a couple of walls alongside a road at the northern end of Cullompton for about 4-5 weeks earlier in autumn. Two walls, perhaps 150ft long in total, red brick construction, 3-4ft high. Traffic control, many, many contractors, tens of thousands of pounds of cost and over a month of traffic disruption (and the associated costs). All that for two walls. 

 

I can't put my finger on why it is we're so institutionally inefficient. The example of high speed rail is perhaps a better one. The French have done TGV for £5-17m per km. HS2 is presently being forecast to cost £383m/km. I know we're a small island and compulsory purchase will make up some of that, but the magnitude of it is astonishing.

 

I know that there are thousands of world leading companies in the UK, but they seem to exist in spite of the inherent environment of inefficiency, rather than because of it. 

 

It's amazing the UK can compete at all given how third rate our infrastructure is compared to the rest of western Europe. I'm not trying to UK bash here, but I'm trying to understand why in the past 50 years we've been left so far behind in this regard.

How long have  we been in the EU j !!. 

As  for the oil industry, I’d say defo not inefficient J possibly wasteful mind, and in some parts we are in the UK world leaders, Offshore commercial diving for example, the UK sector has lead the world in standards and safety. Germany and it’s safety and practices are in the dark ages in this area as a point of interest. Yes there are huge changes to be made J let’s hope we see some of them come into play in the future. 

Edited December 25, 2019 by Johnsond

[trigger_andy]

On 25/12/2019 at 13:15, Johnsond said:

How long have  we been in the EU j !!. 

As  for the oil industry, I’d say defo not inefficient J possibly wasteful mind, and in some parts we are in the UK world leaders, Offshore commercial diving for example, the UK sector has lead the world in standards and safety. Germany and it’s safety and practices are in the dark ages in this area as a point of interest. Yes there are huge changes to be made J let’s hope we see some of them come into play in the future. 

Scotland are also leading the way in other fields also. The Intelligent Completions and intelligent flow control devices. Petroleum Energy Services, WellDynamics and Red Spider were all Aberdeen Start-ups. They have lead the way in revolutionising the way oil and gas is recovered around the globe. The competitors scrambled to catch up and still run vastly inferior products. I was working along side one competitor last trip and it was laughable how bad their designs where.  Of course I reminded them daily.  

[Johnsond]

24 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Scotland are also leading the way in other fields also. The Intelligent Completions and intelligent flow control devices. Petroleum Energy Services, WellDynamics and Red Spider were all Aberdeen Start-ups. They have lead the way in revolutionising the way oil and gas is recovered around the globe. The competitors scrambled to catch up and still run vastly inferior products. I was working along side one competitor last trip and it was laughable how bad their designs where.  Of course I reminded them daily.  

Come on Andy don’t forget the English or should I say British contribution ?. 

[trigger_andy]

1 minute ago, Johnsond said:

Come on Andy don’t forget the English or should I say British contribution ?. 

There was a few English on the teams I think?  

[Mull]

There was a few English on the teams I think? [emoji3] 

Scottish Enlightenment - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Just saying...

[difflock]

Is this generation o Scots planning ony monuments to those who currently define or characterise Scottish Society, if not perhaps Scottish culture, and of course I speak of the NED's. 

 

[Johnsond]

9 hours ago, Mull said:

 

 

 

Scottish Enlightenment - Wikipedia

EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

 

Just saying...

 

 

 

Not much enlightenment coming from the current crop of Scottish leaders in any way shape or form. If anything negativity fed in a steady drip.