Scotland to switch to driving on the Right if independence given green light

[Hum]

Scottish nationalist leaders will attempt this week to give the trailing yes campaign a boost by revealing a series of measures aimed at showing what an independent country would look like.

Seeking to capitalise on the arguments this week about "bullying" England and keeping the pound, they will unveil an ambitious scheme to scrap the current ? English inspired ? road signage system. M for motorway will be replaced with a new S ? for Scotland and the A trunk roads will become N roads ? for Nationalist in honour of the new country. Blue will be the predominant backing colour.

The scale of the scheme is enormous: Scotland has 2,174 miles of road, including the 273-mile long A9 stretching from Edinburgh to John O'Groats ? known as the "spine of Scotland".

It is estimated that 58,000 signs will have to be replaced ? scrapping the famous road sign font known as "Transport" with a new Celtic-tinged typeface, Proclaimer. And it could be that they may take the opportunity to renumber all of Scotland's roads, beginning at one.

Independence strategists are believed to have sought advice on the plan from the Stirling University professor of transport semiotics, Lana Gocaireachd. "It's exciting, it gives us a clear difference from the English and is a tangible manifestation of a new, vibrant and independent national," said one official close to the scheme. "A more conscious uncoupling, perhaps."

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he revealed that if the proposals were seen to swing the needle towards the yes camp then the next stage would be revealed: switch driving on the left of the road to the right ? from the first day of independence in 2017.

"It sends out an explicit signal: we are part of Europe," said one of the brains behind the scheme. "The little Englanders who want out of Europe are the only ones driving on the left-hand side.

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[Haggis Veteran]

yet another reason not to go the independent route

 

what idiot thought this up

[Lovell]

yet another reason not to go the independent route

 

what idiot thought this up

What day is it ;)

[Haggis Veteran]

yeah just realised

 

stupid newspapers

 

still Independence is a bad Idea

[Hum]

About time UKers learn to drive properly. :p

[McKay]

Watch the video on the Guardian, then look at the date.  :rofl:

 

I almost believed it'd be something they'd do until I saw the proposals to build these things. (Demoed by the scale model)

 

    

 

And the proposed name for road sign fonts being "Proclaimer".

 

 

About time UKers learn to drive properly.  :p

 

Get on our level Scrubs. Glorious left-sided master race.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Oh for the love of...I have spent the entire day oblivious to the day, as has everyone else in the office. And now in the span of 10 minutes Hum has got me twice. :pinch:

 

I was all ready to go off on one about how ridiculous this idea was, then I remembered the day again. :laugh:

[Torolol]

Get on our level Scrubs. Glorious left-sided master race.

actually there are 3rd world country that also use left-sided driving, yep master race indeed.

[-T- Member]

Another reason to vote Yes :D

[McKay]

actually there are 3rd world country that also use left-sided driving, yep master race indeed.

 

There are 3rd world countries somewhere which do anything every 1st world country does. 

[theyarecomingforyou]

It's not actually a ridiculous idea. In fact I think it would be good for the UK to adopt driving on the right to align with the rest of Europe. However, it's unlikely to ever happen.

[McKay]

It's not actually a ridiculous idea. In fact I think it would be good for the UK to adopt driving on the right to align with the rest of Europe. However, it's unlikely to ever happen.

 

Beyond being able to have European Cars directly shipped to the UK without any steering wheel movement done it's pointless because we're an Island Nation. It's probably too late for us too switch, too many roads. It would be pointlessly expensive. Considering we might finally be leaving the meddling abomination that is the EU, it makes even less sense for us to engage in a costly endeavour which achieves nothing, its just "different" to make ourselves more similar. 

[domboy]

Anything involving Lego is a good idea in my book!  :)

[theyarecomingforyou]

Considering we might finally be leaving the meddling abomination that is the EU

Leaving the EU would be a mistake. It's the EU that has been pushing most of the progressive legislation - human rights, environmental standards (pollution levels, banning harmful pesticides, etc), anti-competitive legislation, etc. We've seen all too often the UK government bowing to pressure from corporate lobbies (like on neonicotinoids, banking tariffs, etc) and I don't have any faith on sensible policies outside of the EU. The last thing I want to see is xenophobic policies taking centre stage. More importantly I'd hate to lose the ability to move where I want within the EU.

[McKay]

Leaving the EU would be a mistake. It's the EU that has been pushing most of the progressive legislation - human rights, environmental standards (pollution levels, banning harmful pesticides, etc), anti-competitive legislation, etc. We've seen all too often the UK government bowing to pressure from corporate lobbies (like on neonicotinoids, banking tariffs, etc) and I don't have any faith on sensible policies outside of the EU. The last thing I want to see is xenophobic policies taking centre stage. More importantly I'd hate to lose the ability to move where I want within the EU.

 

For too long it's been Germany and France running the whole show and reaping the benefits. Germany getting the Lions share of the EU Industry subsidy, France getting the Lions share of the EU agriculture subsidy. I think the UK would be better suited to a deal similar to Norway. Still has free movement, puts up with less EU meddling (Still some sadly). Still gets to participate in the EU Defence pacts and trading agrrments, but isn't in the EU and pays a tiny fraction of what we pay. The UK pays the 4th most into the EU and doesn't get anywhere near as much as France and Germany get. 

 

Ultimately it's an immensely flawed system because countries are either trying to shaft the other members to get something for their country, or politicians are being bought by the EU to shaft their home country with the promise of a brilliant job when they leave their own office. 

 

I don't feel things like free movement are worth the cost we pay, if you want to move, finance it yourself. 

[MikeChipshop Member]

It's not actually a ridiculous idea. In fact I think it would be good for the UK to adopt driving on the right to align with the rest of Europe. However, it's unlikely to ever happen.

 

** tries to think how it would be a good idea - fails **

[d4diesel]

There are 3rd world countries somewhere which do anything every 1st world country does. 

 

the 3rd world countries that drive on the wrong(i mean left) side of the road are mostly the ones that were once a colony under the English Rule.

[MikeChipshop Member]

Honestly i'm laughing at the doughnuts that actually think there's a 'wrong' and 'right' side to drive on (yes i'm well aware technically there is a right and a left side but you know what i mean).

 

People will literally argue about anything.

[McKay]

People will literally argue about anything.

 

No we won't.

[MikeChipshop Member]

No we won't.

 

YES WE F****ING WILL!

 

(waits for someone to take offence at cuss words ;) )

[theyarecomingforyou]

For too long it's been Germany and France running the whole show and reaping the benefits.

Wrong. Germany and France both pay more than they receive. Like any country / political union the money from the rich areas is used to support the poorer areas, which is absolutely fair. I fully support the UK paying to help develop poorer areas within the EU. In fact, Cornwall actually receives a lot of funding from the EU through Objective One funding because it is considered a deprived area. The UK could fund that itself if it were to leave the EU but we would be more likely to see the money invested in London and the South East, as it typical with Westminster.

 

Certainly there are issues with the farming subsidies and they should be addressed but the solution isn't to abandon the EU altogether. You seem to be seriously misinformed about the EU.

[McKay]

Wrong. Germany and France both pay more than they receive. Like any country / political union the money from the rich areas is used to support the poorer areas, which is absolutely fair. I fully support the UK paying to help develop poorer areas within the EU. In fact, Cornwall actually receives a lot of funding from the EU through Objective One funding because it is considered a deprived area. The UK could fund that itself if it were to leave the EU but we would be more likely to see the money invested in London and the South East, as it typical with Westminster.

 

Certainly there are issues with the farming subsidies and they should be addressed but the solution isn't to abandon the EU altogether. You seem to be seriously misinformed about the EU.

 

I never said they get more than they pay. I said France and Germany run the show and reap the benefits, and that they get the Lions share of those subsidies. You're saying with the ?15 Billion a year it costs the UK to remain in the EU we couldn't develop Cornwall? 

 

I'm not miss-informed. Every time someone is against the UK's current deal with the EU you call them Ignorant and misinformed. Last time we had this discussion you called me "ignorant" and claimed being in the EU was worth, and your only reason for it was because they funded a park in your town. We would be far better off with a similar deal to what Norway has. I'm sure we could do the same things the EU helps fund in the UK with our own money if we weren't pumping it into the EU.

[theyarecomingforyou]

I never said they get more than they pay. I said France and Germany run the show and reap the benefits, and that they get the Lions share of those subsidies.

That's disingenuous, as you clearly gave the impression that they were both benefiting disproportionately when the figures show they're the main countries funding the EU. The UK's problem is that it has always fought to be at the fringes of the EU, meaning that it doesn't have the credibility that other countries have. Why would other countries take us seriously when any time we have a disagreement with them the UK threatens to leave the EU?

 

You're saying with the ?15 Billion a year it costs the UK to remain in the EU we couldn't develop Cornwall? 

You clearly didn't read my post, as I said that the UK could replace that money but it likely wouldn't because of its focus on London and the South East. Further, the net cost of the EU isn't anywhere near ?15bn - the number is actually ?3.9bn / ?4.7 (we contribute ?11.2bn and receive investment of ?6.5bn).

 

I'm not miss-informed. Every time someone is against the UK's current deal with the EU you call them Ignorant and misinformed. Last time we had this discussion you called me "ignorant" and claimed being in the EU was worth, and your only reason for it was because they funded a park in your town.

You made a claim that was demonstrably false and i called you out on it. It's that simple. And my claim wasn't that the EU "funded a park" in my town but that it was responsible for a large amount of the infrastructure in Cornwall, something which has transformed the county over the past decade. The reality is that most of the criticism of the EU is misguided, misinformed or simply wrong and people just don't understand the benefits.

 

At the moment the UK government is gutting public spending and privatising anything it can get its hand on, punishing the poor, slashing investment in renewable energies and giving tax breaks to the rich. The EU is the only thing keeping the government in check. I believe in an equitable society and that means the rich supporting the poor for the betterment of all. The UK is a rich country and we should support those less fortunate.

 

If Scotland were to gain independence it would do well to move closer to the EU.

[GotBored]

I don't feel things like free movement are worth the cost we pay, if you want to move, finance it yourself. 

 

You have to buy $1.5 Million in Government Bonds to pay for your way into Australia, You also need over $2.25 million in assets. This is the only way to finance yourself into Australia for example.

 

In some cases unless your filthy rich you can't finance yourself into another country.. Its not money that's the issue its the immigration laws.