The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland

Author Archive


Scotland is not Slovakia 21

Posted on November 29, 2012 by

It was reported in the Scotsman on Wednesday that the President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus had raised doubts over whether an independent Scotland could successfully keep using Sterling, because when Czechoslovakia split into the Czech and Slovak Republics in 1993 it took only 38 days for the currency union to split.

His views led to a rush of comments from supporters of the UK union arguing that a currency union is only possible with political union. Then a spokesman from the Treasury asserted that protectionism grew between the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic after the split.

The evidence cited by the Treasury spokesman was the fall in Slovak exports to the Czech Republic from 42% of all exports to 13% between 1993 and 2003. Conversely, Czech Republic exports to the Slovak Republic fell from 22% of total exports to 8%. He noted ominously that currently 59% of Scottish exports are to the rest of the UK.

While the basic facts cited are correct, the interpretations put on them by Vaclav Klaus and the UK Treasury spokesman are, shall we say, at odds with the truth.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category analysis, scottish politics, uk politics

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,991 Posts, 1,253,622 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

    and finally and firstly arithmetic fail braveheart klaxon britnats captain darling cartoons Chris Cairns confused cringe crybabies dateline debates Devo Nano Federalists Unionists and Devolutionists flat-out lies foreigner watch from the archives fundraisers galleries Greg Moodie hamish hypocrisy liars light-hearted banter lizards memogate misinformation one nation perspectives poll project fear project feart qft Scott Minto smears snp accused soapbox the positive case for the union The Vow ticktock toldyouso too wee too poor too stupid unionist of the day vote no get nothing

  • Recent Comments

    • sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “And Robin McAlpine has finally caught up with the Rev i.e. the SNP isn’t worth saving.” Nov 9, 21:43
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “The big, bad English barsturts may have thieved our wind, but somewhere in Bonny Scotia tonight, oor very ain world’s…” Nov 9, 19:14
    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: “Aye, Dan; it’s one sad bastart of a bot. Quite an achievement, though, to be on the wrang side of…” Nov 9, 18:59
    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: “Who are you, exactly?” Nov 9, 16:16
    • Neil Waugh on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hey Rev Looks like you got a shout-out in the Herald today. Without getting a mention, of course. With her…” Nov 9, 16:03
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““understand that your population and its inevitable and longstanding ‘demographic manipulation’ and ‘perishing culture’ under colonial rule is a matter…” Nov 9, 14:00
    • Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Heh! Spot the luddite philistine eh – there’s me going on about “leather effect” watch straps and dials when OF…” Nov 9, 13:41
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Liking it, CC. What about a moby app, monitoring your speech and texts in real time? Analysing for key indications…” Nov 9, 13:24
    • Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Many Scots just need to look at the strangers hanging around their High Streets” ….and the need to better understand…” Nov 9, 13:16
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““discrediting just about everyone on Wings” Some on here seem unable to distinguish between Wings and Wings BTL. I feel…” Nov 9, 13:12
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “A bizarre statement from Alf. Many of us don’t need to look to the media, state or “culture” for intellectual…” Nov 9, 13:04
    • Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Jeezo, one day I’m the colonised, the next I’m the coloniser.” Maybe we could each wear a large “colonis-o-meter” dial…” Nov 9, 13:03
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “@ Aidan says: 9 November, 2026 at 11:05 am Excellent post. Many Scots just need to look at the strangers…” Nov 9, 12:51
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “““endless questions” posed by the colonizer” Jeezo, one day I’m the colonised, the next I’m the coloniser. Any chance of…” Nov 9, 12:41
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Prick and twat, eh, Dan? Sounds like you’re one confused individual. Nae wonder ye hae tae mak all yer ain…” Nov 9, 12:35
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “It’s often said these days that the difference between a conspiracy theory and truth is about 6 months; from what…” Nov 9, 11:56
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Some of the above posts show a worrying detachment from reality and highlight the main problem with politics and academia…” Nov 9, 11:30
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “We don’t have a government or a political party in Scotland working for the Scottish people, there either working for…” Nov 9, 11:27
    • Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “The way to address that uncertainty is to answer those questions cogently and effectively, not to come up with some…” Nov 9, 11:05
    • Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: “The lack of wind in Scotland is of course part of a devious conspiracy. Westminster, and its army of brilliant…” Nov 9, 10:10
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The Credit pun i no doubt you cottoned on too, But thats the problem with digital banking, Anyone or even…” Nov 9, 09:51
    • Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Do you not feel you could help out here, Alf? All that endless hot air 24/7 – surely more than…” Nov 9, 09:46
    • Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: ““The problem is all inside your head,” he said to me. “The answer is easy if you take it logically.”…” Nov 9, 09:41
    • Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “There are always “endless questions” posed by the colonizer to create doubt and uncertainty in the minds of the colonized.…” Nov 9, 09:29
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hatey, No it was not a meant to be a pun, but well spotted, in between discrediting just about everyone…” Nov 9, 09:28
    • Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hopefully one day soon Scots will no longer be made dependent on another people and country’s media and culture for…” Nov 9, 09:21
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Wether it is France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, Scotland, America, Italy, England, Greece,Spain, or Wales, It might be the…” Nov 9, 09:20
    • Dan on Vibecoding A Better World: “Look at site prick Hatey enjoying the rare opportunity to post his shite when climatic conditions dictate there is insufficient…” Nov 9, 09:16
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “@James. Imagine if that happened here! We lead the world in grippiness when it comes to the bawbees in our…” Nov 9, 09:15
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The rest of the Countries in the world are very important, if those other Countries are not doing so well,…” Nov 9, 09:00

  • A tall tale



↑ Top