How Will the Scotland Independence Movement affect Motorway Funding?

Started by bing101, September 11, 2014, 10:45:02 AM

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bing101



english si

There would be more of it because Future Prime Minister Salmond has promised unicorns that poop rainbows and keeps saying that Scotland subsidises the rest of the UK* and thus the Glorious Socialist People's Republic of Scotland will have extra money.  :-D

Plus, they will lose their EU money for schemes in remote/poor/both areas or on the TEN-T network. Yes Scotland has been naive that, despite trying to make sure it stays in the EU being a key reason for leaving the UK, the nationalism and leaving one union is committing the two greatest crimes against what the EU stands for and therefore won't endear them to other member states (and rUK will try and take point in persuading the other states to let Scotland in, thus making it that over 20 countries would block Scotland - as that is what happens whenever the UK rallies behind something: the rest of the EU unites in opposition just to send us a 'we don't like you' signal).

The motorways are fine - the scheme has funding (btw, thanks for that map - I've not seen one with the new junction numbers) and is underway (ditto the M90 Queensferry crossing). What's more in doubt is the longer-term plans like dualling the A96 and A9 to Inverness.

*Often with 'London' mentioned as the sucker of Scottish money away. The truth is that London and the SE subsidise everywhere else in the UK (and are relatively happy to do so). OK, Scotland is one of the least subsidised areas, with only about £1000/person/year net gain from the Treasury, but it is still money they won't get after independence.

Duke87

Scotland independence is kinda like Quebec independence. Seems cool from a perspective cultural/natural pride, the people would like to govern their own nation rather than have to share one with a different group of people they haven't always gotten along with. But due to various political and economic realities is impractical and would result in the newly independent nation getting the short end of the deal if it were to actually happen.

As for Motorway funding, Scotland doesn't have very many of them and is sparsely populated enough that it doesn't need very many of them. So as issues of independence go it's kind of not one.

Now road funding on the other hand.... that might be more of a consideration.

Also, if Scotland gains independence they should switch to driving on the right just to spite the English. :P
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

english si

But this is about Roads.

iScotland, or devo-max Scotland will always value infrastructure more highly than those south of the border. devo-max Scotland (depending on where the cabal will settle on) might still have to raise it's own money.

As I said earlier, the motorway projects are safe. It's the dualling of long, rural, low-trafficked, important A roads (for safety reasons) that will get hit when the Lady Rainicorn doesn't come and cash gets tight.

It's the rail electrification projects, and Scottish High Speed Rail (in and of itself, pointless and if Scotland becomes independent, the English won't spend money on 120 miles of line to reach the border), and reopening railways (though I'm not sure there's any left in the plan that haven't already started) that will suffer, not the 5 miles or so of motorway needed to finish the network.

Alps


english si

An interesting thing is that if Scotland votes Yes, but Shetland votes strongly No (pretty much as likely as a Yes vote, which isn't likely), Shetland will certainly want some form of devolution (I'd go for full on Crown Dependency like Jersey or the Isle of Man if I was them. Also means that they can stay out the EU, like their culturally similar Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic neighbours - which given they love fishing is a key thing as the Common Fisheries Policy is an environmental and economic disaster in that part of the world), and the noises are that it would probably get them. If that happens, expect some inter-island road tunnels as they turn the 'we want our oil money' back on the SNP! Shetland would have a huge amount of Scotland's oil.

Orkney could do similar to Shetland, but possibly tunnels are likely anyhow to try and ease the rebels. Likewise the border area might see some improvements out of an 'appease the Unionists' plan. Plus, should iScotland join the EU, then it would perhaps get money for improved cross-border links, ditto England, so you might get A1 improvements (though Scotland now have a policy of leaving the A1 until the English do something to it).

If Scotland vote no, the Independence Movement means they will get both devo-max and bribe (sorry Barnett formula money) will give them more money than now and near-full autonomy over taxation - possibly speeding up the upgrades to the Highland network so it would be 2025, not 2030 when the A9 and A96 are dualled. They'd also be able to use EU TEN-T money and EU regional development fund money on those projects, which they won't if they vote yes and don't jump through the hoops of creating a Central Bank, starting the process to join the Euro, etc, etc in order to join the EU as a new member state.

Sorry this is all non-motorway, but it is on topic - the topic is really roads, not just motorways.

I've just checked, but hadn't realised, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be a Special Road allowing Classes I and II - ie motorway regulations. However I can't imagine it being signed as a motorway, due to the at-grade roundabout, the single-carriageway Fastlink section and the isolation from the rest of the network. But it could be. However sods have been turned and so Independence or not won't make a difference (except perhaps in naming it).

1995hoo

Every time you refer to "iScotland" I keep getting this mental image of the Saltire flag with the Apple logo superimposed in the center.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.



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