Oh What A Lovely Bank War

People may be wakening up to the plots of the bad guys?

On 16 October 2008, George Shanks wrote in The Scotsman about UK prime minister Gordon Brown's actions on banks (Brown and Scotland's bail-out blues ):

"Saying Mr Brown has had a good credit crisis is akin to saying Earl Haig had a good First World War."

A M T Maxwell-Irving in The Scotsman (Brown and Scotland's bail-out blues ) wrote Gordon Brown:

"The opportunity to take over Scotland's two banks, and thus spike the Scottish National Party's guns, whilst at the same time raising his own status as the self-professed saviour of the world's economy, was too good to miss...

"He talked down the value of HBOS shares while arranging for the smaller Lloyds TSB bank (in England) to take over Scotland's national bank.

"Then, and only then, did he make short-selling of shares illegal."

Hector Sants is the head of the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

On 15 October 2008, he indicated that Bank of Scotland (HBOS) could survive as an independent bank.

Hector Sants said all banks now have enough capital – suggesting the Scottish institution could continue without the controversial Lloyds TSB takeover. (Watchdog says HBOS has enough cash to stand alone)

The Scotsman newspaper, 16 October 2008, has the headline:

No answer was the loud reply

Watchdog says HBOS has enough cash to stand alone

The Scotsman asked six key questions about Gordon Brown's £37 billion banking bail-out.

"Last night, the Bank of England and the Treasury were yet to respond to The Scotsman's challenge.

The questions were:

1. Why were the recapitalisation proposals for Lloyds TSB and HBOS not considered and presented separately?

2. Why was there a presumption in favour of a Lloyds TSB takeover – particularly when shareholders of both banks have not yet had an opportunity to vote on it?

3. Why should the government be supporting a solution that stands to trigger many more job losses than those already necessary?

4. Why have assurances not been sought on the retention of key functions in Scotland?

5. What protection will there be for bank customers and consumers as a result of loss of competition across the UK, and particularly in Scotland?

6. Has the government considered alternative options for HBOS? Why could the group not be supported like RBS and given the opportunity to trade out of its current difficulties over the next three years?

What happened to the Scottish regiments?

Famous names such as the Cameronians, the Argylls and the Black Watch have gone.

Gordon Brown's labour government does not want there to be a Scottish identity.

Scottish and Newcastle

Some suspect there is a conspiracy to undermine the Scottish economy and prevent Scotland from becoming independent.

1. Scotland has enormous oil wealth and it pays its own way.

The London government and the London media have repeatedly lied about this.

aangirfan: Scotland pays its own way / aangirfan: SCOTTISH OIL RESERVES EXCEED ESTIMATES

2. In 2003, the Herald newspaper, based in Scotland, was taken over by the American company Gannett (Newsquest).

Since then the editorial staff has been cut from 186 to 113.

In July 2008, the editor of the Herald newspaper, left his job.

Today's Herald is full of anti-Scottish and pro-American propaganda.

The media can block out the truth

3. In 2001, Scottish Provident was taken over by the English Abbey National.

4. In 2007, Scottish Power was taken over by Spanish company Iberdrola

5. In 2007, Scottish and Newcastle Breweries was taken over by Carlsberg.

6. In 2008, it was announced that Halifax - Bank of Scotland was to be taken over by the English Lloyds TSB.

Scottish Colony

One of the biggest setbacks for the Scottish economy came just before Scotland lost its independence in 1707.

Scotland's Darien Scheme involved the setting up of a Scottish colony on the Isthmus of Panama in the hope of trading with both the East and the West. (the same principle later led to the building of the Panama Canal.)

The English Government did everything it could to make the scheme fail.

English investors withdrew their money.

English ships were forbidden to help the colonists.

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