Monday 31 December 2012

Felix Novus Annus,

spero omnes vestra desideria adveho 

verus*


From Munguin and from me, Happy New Year. 

I hope 2013 brings us all something good, something we want. But most of all I hope it brings some sort of peace in in the world. Most particularly in Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine/Israel, Mali, but anywhere there is war and the misery it causes.

I hope that the London government isn't temped to offer its 'expertise' in any other conflict areas. I fervently hope that, despite what it tells us, it can see the mess that it has left in its wake in Iraq, and will leave in its wake in Afghanistan.

And in the UK, I hope we can settle to a proper discussion about our future, without so many of the lies and so much of the spite that we have seen in this year. We should remember that, whatever the outcome of the referendum, we are going to have to live together after 2014.

Thank you very much for reading Munguin's Republic throughout the year, and for making it what it is by commenting, by engaging and becoming part of a little community. We really appreciate your input without which there would be no point in the blog

So, have a great time to night if you are celebrating...but be safe... If not, sleep well!

See you in 2013!

*PS: The Latin is for our resident classicist, Niko.



Saturday 29 December 2012

IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN...

...where we all get to laugh at the New Year's Honours list.

That annual self congratulatory, class ridden farce where people are awarded honours for doing their job (or sometimes not doing it), creeping, stumping up money for political parties, and after a absence  of a few years, being bought by the prime minister.

Cameron promised us before the Olympics (presumably hoping to distance himself from Brown's statement that Olympians were like troops in Afghanistan and should be rewarded with gongs), that Olympians wouldn't automatically receive honours unless they had "put something back" (in Big Society style)... [Ha ha, remember the Big Society?]. Incidentally, at this point it is interesting to note that 'worst injured but still living' member of the armed forces from Afghanistan was indeed awarded a gong yesterday. Ben Parkinson, who lost his legs and suffered brain damage, was awarded an MBE, the lowest possible British Empire medal.

Of course every year we wonder why on earth this one or that one was awarded whatever they got, but this year takes the biscuit.

Cameron, desperate to buy the services of some of his less adoring MPs, and because he didn't actually win the election, being unable to find them the non-jobs of government, has handed out knighthoods to nonentity backbenchers.


There were knighthoods for Tories Gerald Howarth, Jim Paice and Edward Garnier, MPs who left the government at the last reshuffle. Amazing, really, because losing your job is a sign of failure to those of us who live in a normal world.
Additionally Cameron breached the gong code by handing out the bulk of his political honours to Conservatives, instead of sharing them around the two main English-based parties and the Liberals.

The already ennobled and be-knighted Sebastian Coe was not, as I had predicted he would be, married off to princess Goofie, and made an honorary prince. Maybe his wife objected. He was, instead, made a Companion of Honour, whatever that is. They'll soon need two Wikipedia pages for this man, one for his name and all the letters after it; the other for his career details.

Tory donors did well too. Despite the outcry at last year's handouts to Cameron's friends in the City (Eton boys don't hear what plebs are saying...it's an inbuilt upper class hearing defect), the Tory paymasters are there again. Michael Heller, is the most prominent. He forked out £100,000 for his knighthood. Some paid a good deal less.

Lord Oakshott said that it was "Arise, Sir Donor" as usual, and the Deputy Chairman of the Labour party (somewhat ironically) pointed out that this showed that Cameron was out of touch and that he always stood up for the wrong people. How fortunate we are that the Labour party is in touch and stands up for the right people.

Among other notable personages (Labour ones as it happens) to achieve what passes for greatness in London society, Cherie Blair, her of the large mouth and insatiable appetite for more and then yet more money, became a Commander of the British Empire for 'services to women'...what?.... and Maggie Beckett of Hanging Baskets became a dame commander of the same place for..erm...being an MP forever because she had a safe seat and never really succeeding at anything. 

We cannot pretend that this corruption and nepotism is anything new. Tony Benn wrote in his diary that the honours system has always been corrupt. First it was the king who sold honours to increase his power, influence and finances, and with time that responsibility, like so many others passed to his government.It's just that with every year it becomes tackier and tackier. 

If I had one I'd seriously think of handing it back.

Monday 24 December 2012

Happy Christmas...Joyeux Noël


If you judge people, you won't have the time to get to know them
"After having dug to a depth of 10 meters last year, Scottish scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the Scots, in the weeks that followed, English scientists dug to a depth of 20 meters, and shortly after, headlines in the English newspapers read: "English archaeologists have found traces of 200-year-old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the Scots."
One week later, "The Kerrymen," a southwest Irish newsletter, reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 meters in peat bog near Tralee, Paddy O'Droll, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Paddy has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Ireland had already gone wireless.""
Before and after the elections
"Three women are about to be executed. One's a brunette, one's a redhead, and one's a blond. Two guards brings the brunette forward, and the executioner asks if she has any last requests.
She says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready . . . Aim . . ." Suddenly the brunette yells, "earthquake!!" Everyone is startled and looks around. She manages to escape. The angry guards then bring the redhead forward, and the executioner asks if she has any last requests.
She says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready . . . Aim . . ." The redhead then screams, "tornado!!" Yet again, everyone is startled and looks around. She too escapes execution. By this point, the blonde had figured out what the others did. The guards bring her forward, and the executioner asks if she has any last requests.
She also says no, and the executioner shouts, "Ready . . . Aim . . ."
The blond shouts, "fire!!""

I worry that Facebook is killing real communication between people
Like
"An older woman gets pulled over for speeding...
Older Woman: Is there a problem, Officer?
Officer : Ma'am, you were speeding.
Older Woman: Oh, I see.
Officer : Can I see your license please?
Older Woman: I'd give it to you but I don't have one.
Officer : Don't have one?
Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for drunk driving.
Officer : I see...Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.
Older Woman: I can't do that.
Officer : Why not?
Older Woman: I stole this car.
Officer : Stole it?
Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.
Officer : You what?
Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see.
The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.
Officer 2: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please! The woman steps out of her vehicle.
Older woman: Is there a problem sir?
Officer2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.
Older Woman: Murdered the owner?
Officer2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.
The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.
Officer2: Is this your car, ma'am?
Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers. The officer is quite stunned.
Officer2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license.
The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer.
The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.
Officer2 : Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.
Older Woman: Bet the liar told you I was speeding, too."

Adam was walking around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked Adam,
"What's wrong with you?"
Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to.

God said he was going to give him a companion and it would be a woman.
He said, "This person will cook for you and wash your clothes.
She will always agree with every decision you make.
She will bear you children and never ask you to get up in the night to take care of them.
She will not nag, and will be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement.
She will never have a headache, and will freely give you love and compassion whenever needed."

Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?"
God said, "An arm and a leg."
Adam said, "What can I get for just a rib?"
The rest is history.

Sooooo...have a Happy Christmas everyone.... 
...Joyeux Noël à toutes et à tous

Thursday 20 December 2012

WE ARE, YOU'LL REMEMBER, ALL IN IT TOGETHER

THE NAMES AND STORIES THAT DAVID CAMERON AND IAIN DUNCAN SMITH DO NOT WANT YOU TO READ ABOUT...

Richard Sanderson, 44, drew up meticulous suicide plans after learning he could no longer afford the flat he shared with his wife and nine-year-old son after being told their housing benefit would be cut by £30 a month.Richard stabbed himself twice through the heart.

Paul Reekie, 48, left no suicide note but a letter informing him that his welfare benefits were to be stopped were found next to his body.

Paul Willcoxson, 33,Who had mental health problems was found hanging in Pignals Enclosure, near Hollands Wood campsite.A suicide letter and next of kin note were found in which he expressed concerns about the cuts to his benefits.

Leanne Chambers, 30, Leanne Chambers body was found in the river weir five months after she walked out of her home she had battled depression for a number of years and had taken a turn for the worse after receiving a letter telling her she had to be assessed by a doctor she did not know, to see if she was fit to return to work.

Christelle Pardo,32 and Kayjah Pardo, 6 months, After having all her income cut off and her housing benefit withdrawn, and with a baby to care for, she had been left destitute. When she begged for help the only response from the DWP was that she didn't qualify under the rules,So she killed herself and her young child.

Elaine Christian, 57, was found in a drain after walking out of her home. A post mortem revealed she had died from drowning, despite having more than ten self-inflicted cuts on her wrists.The inquest in Hull was told Mrs Christian had been deeply worried about a meeting she was due to have to discuss her entitlement to disability benefits.

David Groves, 56, died of a massive heart ­attack the night before his medical assessment as he sat at his computer and scoured the Internet for ways to raise cash in case he lost his entitlement.

Mark and Helen Mullins were found lying side by side in their home after committing suicide together.They had been left destitute after Helen had her claim for benefit turned down,they had no food, no heating and no electric.

Linda Knott, 46, had worked as a supervisor at the Brierley Community Centre in Little Hulton for 16 years before it fell victim to spending cuts.The news tipped her into depression and she had already taken an overdose of pills eight days before she was found hanging at her home in Walkden.

Jack Shemtob, 53 jumped to his death from his office building after human resources told him he was losing his job as part of the governments cost cutting programme.

Stephen Hill, 53, Died of a heart attack a month after having his benefits were stopped, after being told his heart problem were not serious enough to stop him working.

Craig Monk, 43,was found hanging in his home, he had a a partial amputation of his leg and was described by his family as “vulnerable” he became depressed that his benefits had been cut.

Martin Rust, 36,a schizophrenic had his benefits cut and was ordered back to work.He left a note saying: “To those I love, I’m sorry. Goodbye.” Coroner William Armstrong said the DWP’s decision “caused distress and may well have had an adverse effect”, recording that Mr Rust had committed suicide while suffering from a treatment-resistant mental illness.

Paul Turner, 52 died from ischaemic heart disease – caused, his family claim, by the stress of losing his benefits.He was told his heart problems were not serious enough for him not to work,he died 4 weeks later.

Mark Scott, 46, who suffered from anxiety, epilepsy was left penniless when he was declared fit for work and his benefits were stopped.He died six weeks later in the Southport flat where he lived alone.

Colin Traynor, who was a life long epileptic. He was assessed as fit for work, he appealed, but his parents say he became depressed and lost weight , he died less than four months later,the day after his death his parents found out he had won That appeal.


It may be of interest to know that the estimated savings to the Treasury of Housing Benefits and Child Tax Credit up to the years 2017-18 amount to £2 billion. At the same time the reduction in Corporation Tax for larger companies in the same period will be £3 billion.

Someone has to pay...

Wednesday 19 December 2012

WHY DO WE HAVE A TORY GOVERNMENT? WE DIDN'T VOTE TORY!


Una, an ex-Labour party person who got fed up with New Labour... and who wants an independent Scotland so that she can have a Labour, a real Labour government, in a democracy, and who doesn't see why we should have a Tory government, when we didn't vote Tory. 


Sunday 16 December 2012

SNAPS ON SUNDAY

That's right. It's a dead duck walking.
he he he ... I know all about Dave's dirty secrets....
Bravo Dave, one of your more successful policies. After all 2% success... not bad.
You'd be better off in the loonie bin
Soon????
That might be asking just a little bit too much.
What was that you said about making work pay, Dave? You meant you'd make being a millionaire pay? Oh right, well, that's OK then. You've had a success.
***********************************************************

There's always an idiot who'll spoil your snap...

Saturday 15 December 2012

"Accordez vos violons, les gars!"

Embarrassingly for the unionists, while Alistair Darling was busy telling us that Scotland would have to join the Euro (having been flung out of the EU with all its oil, fish and water, his friend and ally Mr Cameron appears to have got the story the other way around.

Like we all knew it should be. But then that doesn't make nearly as good a story.




Sweden has no negotiated opt out (like Britain does), but has not joined the Euro.

Whilst I would never go so far as to expect the Buggered Together campaign to tell the truth, it might be a good idea if they could get their lies to co-ordinate. 

No wonder Britain is such a basket case with jerks like this running it.

Try to get it together guys...

Nah, on reflection, as Sid James would say, "Carry On Regardless".

Wednesday 12 December 2012

IF THERE WAS EVER ANY DOUBT THAT THIS MATTER SHOULD BE DEALT WITH IN EDINBURGH, THERE ISN'T NOW

Craig Oliver, Cameron's director of communications, has been directing his communications towards the Daily Telegraph since they reported the fact that the English Secretary of State for Culture, had claimed £90,000 in expenses for a house inhabited by her parents.

He has reminded the editor of the Telegraph that the minister was at present considering Brain Leveson's Report into the press and has pointed out the poor timing of their revelations. Ewww Er!

Whatever could he mean by that?

Surely not that the minister (one Maria Miller) would be influenced in her decision about press regulation because the Daily Telegraph has released potentially horribly embarrassing information about her?

Nor is this the only contact between the government and the Telegraph on this matter. Fewer than 24 hours before Oliver's intervention, an adviser to the Culture Secretary contacted the reporter working on the story, to remind him of Maria Miller's role in taking the Leveson Report forward, and also phoned the Telegraph's Head of Public Affairs on the same subject.

Mrs Miller has been claiming under the second home allowance for a home in which her parents live, something which is banned under the parliamentary rules. Miller says that her parents are elderly and dependent upon her. On the other hand they say that they are there to look after the children.

The sleaze watchdogs say that if the parents are dependants then they should live in the house funded by the MP, not the one subsidised by the taxpayer. If this is not possible the taxpayer must be financially compensated for the cost involved in their accommodation.

Miller's own home is a modest rented house in her constituency. Her second home, the one paid for by us, is a far grander affair, which the Millers own.

There have been, obviously, calls for Miller to step aside from any involvement in the decision making process related to Leveson, but of course, Cameron, with his  innate understanding of the potential for trouble and ridicule, is standing by her and reportedly has full confidence in her ability to make the correct decision.

Unfortunately, Cameron's confidence may keep her in her job for the moment, but it will not mean that, in this most difficult of situations, the rest of us have any confidence at all in any decision she makes. Particularly not when veiled threats are being made by her, and Cameron's, minions.

It seems to me that Oliver and the advisor at the Culture Ministry (a Miss Hindley by name) may have shown why it is absolutely essential that no matter what comes out of these deliberations, no government minister must ever have any power over the press.

The words "own", "hoist" and "petard" come to mind.

I trust that Scotland will make its own decision on these matters, and not leave them to this bunch of amateur chancers, as has been demanded by all the unionist parties. 

Despite what they all said last week in parliament, it is nothing to do with wanting to be different for the sake of it. Clearly, when something is the responsibility of your government you don't expect another government to do it for you... and secondly, we'd like it done right.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

ALEX'S ANSWER TO THE WASHINGTON POST


With a decency unlikely to be accorded to him by any of the British newspapers when they have printed disparaging articles about Scotland's independence, The Washington Post has printed the following, in reply to an editorial which appeared in their pages. As usual with no rancour Salmond wipes away all the crud that is talked about the world coming to an end because one small nation of 5 million (normally governed by people it did not elect) wants self determination and democracy.

When the United Nations was formed at the end of World War II, its membership comprised barely 50 independent countries. Today that number has grown to almost 200 — a sure sign that the right to democratic self-determination has been among the foremost prevailing factors in the world as we have moved into the 21st century.

And the voice of the United States has often been instrumental in that process.
As first minister of Scotland, I lead a country that once was independent and aspires to that status again. In autumn 2014, we will offer the people of Scotland the opportunity to vote to reclaim that independence.

As part of the debate in the run-up to that referendum, it is important that the facts are laid out as clearly as possible, and that is why The Post’s Oct. 31 editorial [“If Europe crumbles; An independent Scotland would be bad for the West”] was so disappointing.

To begin with, the assertion that an independent Scotland would “withdraw from NATO” is quite wrong. The Scottish National Party voted this year for an independent Scotland to continue in NATO membership. Independence will certainly mean an end to the stationing of nuclear weapons in Scotland, that is true, but this will merely put Scotland in the same non-nuclear category as 25 of the alliance’s current 28 members.

The claim that an independent Scotland would be “unable to contribute meaningfully to global security” also is untrue. Would the same be said of European nations such as Norway, smaller than Scotland, or Denmark, almost identical in size? As it happens, these two countries combined flew more air sorties in the internationally sanctioned action in Libya than did the United Kingdom.
Further, the assertion that London might veto independent Scottish membership of the European Union and its use of the pound as a currency is not borne out by the facts. The recent Edinburgh Agreement, signed by myself and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, commits both our governments to respect the referendum and to implement the outcome, whatever the result.

And it is likely that any London government would be keen to see an independent Scotland continue to use the pound, given the large sums that Scottish sources — not least North Sea oil and gas, the vast majority of which lies in our territorial waters — make to that currency’s balance of payments.
Scotland and the United States share close ties stretching back centuries. Many U.S. presidents trace their ancestry to Scotland, while the Declaration of Arbroath, the 14th-century document asserting Scotland’s status as an independent nation, has been held by a U.S. Senate resolution as a direct influence on the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

The long-standing ties between our two countries will only be strengthened once Scotland regains its place as an equal member of the global family of nations. After all, the Republic of Ireland gained its independence in the 20th century and enjoys the warmest of relationships with the United States. Does anyone in the United States seriously consider that this relationship would be improved by seeing Dublin return to rule from London?

Former president Bill Clinton recently recognized that it is increasingly important for national identities to be accommodated along with the need to make common cause to tackle global problems. Independence in an interdependent world means that the 21st century can see just such a global partnership evolve hand in hand with the political self-determination of which the United States has so often been such a vociferous champion.

Indeed, in considering the true interests of the United States, perhaps The Post would do well to reflect that democracy and self-determination must by their nature represent the real interest of America, because they are the core principles on which the country was founded.
There is something else worth reflecting on in the Scottish civic debate. In a process of self-government that has taken the best part of the last century, not one person has ever died arguing for or against Scottish independence.

The national movement in Scotland is peaceful, democratic and civic in its nature — something perhaps, in this troubled world, to be encouraged as in the true interests of both the United States and of Scotland.

A WORD OF WARNING

I popped into Lidl at lunch time to do some shopping and realised that I needed to top up my phone and didn't have much money, so to save myself 2 minutes stopping at the cash machine I took cash-back, which is something I have never done before.

The next stop was a little corner newsagents where I asked for a ten pound top up. She took the twenty note which I had just been given by Lidl and put one of these special pens on it, only to find that it was a forgery. Very embarrassing. 

Now, in a situation like that the woman in the shop is supposed to confiscate it and give it to the police (which would mean me losing £20), but because she knows me, and trusts me, she let me keep it so that I could take it back to Lidl.

I went to the till (and assistant) from where I'd got the money. Fortunately he remembered me and remembered that he had given me cash-back of £20. He had to call the manager, of course and she asked some questions. The problem was that although the guy knew he had given me a £20 note, no one could prove that it was THAT £20 note.

In the end, again because I am a regular customer and have been since the shop opened, they took my word, although clearly they had no obligation to.

So twice this morning, I was in a situation where if the shops had stuck to the rules I would have been £20 short. They would have been perfectly entitled to do that, but they didn't.

So to the woman in the newsagent shop and to the manager of Lidl I say thank you for your trust. To Lidl I'd add that it might be worthwhile investing ion some of these pens for your tills.

Of course you can't avoid accepting change if you are paying in cash for something, but at least it is unlikely that you are going to lose more than a tenner (unless you are one of these people that pays for things with £50 or £100 notes.) You can however avoid cash-back and I'd advise you to do so unless it is impossible to get to a bank, or the shop giving the cash out tried the marker pen on them in your site.

It might be useful for you to know if you live in the area around Dundee that it was a Royal Bank note and that, when I studied it, it did seem a bit too lilac... but hey, hindsight has 20 - 20 vision. 

If you have any, check them out.

Sunday 9 December 2012

TAX THE RICH: AN ANIMATED FAIRY TALE

Absolutely brilliant. Written for America, but equally true in the UK and Scotland. 

If you do nothing else today, watch this, and don't let them convince you that it is your fault and that you should pay for what went wrong.

We weren't 'all in together' when they were making the money. It was the 1%. We're not 'all in it together' now when it has to be paid back. It's just the 99%.

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT THE ECONOMY


As ever, you had to scour the small print to find the bad news that George Osborne chose to leave out of his Autumn Statement. So here, complete with references to the OBR document, are the ten stats that the Chancellor would rather you didn't know, thanks to the New Statesman. 
In deference to those who are sick of the sight of posh boy Osborne's face, I decided to use the face of his deputy, who presumably was aware of  what was not being announced to the general public, and so is equally guilty of treachery. Actually, they have the same sort of smirk, don't you think.
1. The economy is expected to shrink in the current quarter, with the OBR forecasting a contraction of 0.1 per cent. (p. 48 OBR document). It states that "headline GDP growth is likely to be negative in the final quarter of 2012 as the effect from the Olympics reverses." The day before the last set of growth figures were released, Cameron boasted that "the good news will keep coming". It's now clear that it won't.
2. Despite the government's promise to "make work pay", sixty per cent of the real-terms cut to benefits (they will rise by just 1 per cent for three years) will fall on working households. (Resolution Foundation) A working family on £20,000 with two children will lose £279 a year from next April.
3. The recent fall in unemployment is expected to be reversed as the jobless total rises from 2.5 million to 2.7 million next year. (p. 83 OBR document)
4. Were it not for the inclusion of the expected £3.5bn receipts from the 4G spectrum auction - which hasn't taken place yet - the deficit would be higher this year (£123.8bn) than last year (£121.4bn). (p. 5 OBR document).
5. The measures announced by Osborne are expected to increase GDP by just 0.1 per cent over the forecast period. (p. 51 OBR document). This was no Autumn Statement for growth.
6. Earnings are forecast to rise at a slower rate than inflation until the second quarter of 2014. (p. 86 OBR document). By then, the median full-time wage will be 7.4 per cent below its 2008 level.
7. Public sector job cuts will reach 1.1 million by 2018 (p. 83 OBR document), reducing government employment to its lowest level in post-war history.
8. An extra 400,000 people will be dragged into the 40p tax band by 2015-16, paying an extra £117 per year.
9. The government is expected to lose £16.5bn on its stakes in the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds, up from an estimate of £14.3bn in March. (p. 162 OBR document).
10. Osborne's decision to cut the top rate of income tax from 50p to 45p means the 8,000 people earning a million pounds or more will receive an average tax cut of £107,500 from next April.

Saturday 8 December 2012

SNAPS ON SATURDAY

In front of labour Headquarters. Can you see Lammy? There are proper Labour people
Bravo
You tell them, hen. I'll hud yer coat...Ewww, on reflection, you can hold it yourself. People might think it was mine. 


Don't worry Lammy. They'll work out who you are one day...maybe


Hmmm, that could be because you ARE useless, Ed
Thanks heaven for photoshop. Imagine in the days when they would have had to pose for something as repugnant as this shot.

Thursday 6 December 2012

A QUESTION, AND THE ANSWER


Written by Stephen Noone, and lifted from the YES Scotland site and worth a read so that you have facts at your fingertips when confronted by someone who still believes what George Osborne says... (Can't be many of them).

Isn't all this uncertainty threatening jobs and stopping investment in Scotland?

The evidence shows that this is not the case. 

A total of 5,926 jobs were created through overseas investment in 2011, up by 50% on 2010, putting Scotland at the top of the jobs table for the second year running.
An Ernst and Young survey (published on 20 June, 2012) found that foreign companies are more likely to invest in Scotland than other parts of the UK.
Jim Bishop, a senior partner with Ernst and Young said "... as things stand, overseas companies looking to invest in jobs in the UK are more likely to choose Scotland than any other part of the country. The report shines a spotlight on the positive contribution made by Scottish Development International and the Scottish Government, which have ensured that Scotland remains an attractive proposition among international investors."
The No campaign’s claims that the referendum on independence is creating uncertainty for business and deterring investment was also rejected by Simon Walker, the Director General of the UK’s Institute of Directors. Speaking on Good Morning Scotland on 4 November, 2011, he said: “I think that's an alarmist approach. I think if there is an independent Scotland that will throw up opportunities as well as threats; and I think it is alarmist and overstating the problems to say don't invest in renewables, or any other area, because of future constitutional possibilities.”
Over the past 12 months many international companies (including Scottish companies with a global presence) have invested to create new jobs in Scotland. These include the following announcements made over the course of the year:

October 2012 

  • AAM Europe’s Albion Automotive: Investing £3 million in a centre of excellence creating around 80 jobs in Scotstoun in Glasgow.
  • DPD: Announcing 50 new jobs in Dundee by expanding its operations in Scotland. 

September 2012

  • WorleyParsons: Planning first operational base in Aberdeen creating 40 new jobs. 

August 2012

  • Easyjet: Basing two more aircraft at Edinburgh airport creating at least 100 new jobs.
  • BiFab: Creating 100 new jobs, after securing another major contract. This follows the announcement of two new contracts worth £140 million on 31 July, creating 350 new jobs. 

July 2012

  • Drum Property Group: Will be building head offices for North sea giants Apache, Nexen and Transocean at the “Prime Four” business park on the edge of Aberdeen creating 1,200 new jobs.
  • Chardon Management: Glasgow-based hotelier building a £15 million hotel at Edinburgh Airport, creating 60 new jobs.
  • Wood Mackenzie: The Edinburgh-based energy, mining and metals research group planning to take on some 115 additional employees by the end of the year.
  • Wood Group: The Aberdeen-based energy company is to create 150 new jobs. 

June 2012

  • Mainetti UK: Jedburgh operation has recruited an additional 40 permanent staff since January 2012.
  • Subsea 7: Wick company, won a £60.5 million contract for oil and gas pipelines, securing more than 120 jobs in Scotland.
  • Ocean Installer: Norwegian engineering company creating up to 100 new jobs in Aberdeen.
  • Statoil:£12 billion of investment in the North Sea, including a new operations base in Aberdeen for the Norwegian oil company.
  • Proact: Swedish-based computing company creating 50 new jobs at support centre in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.
  • Diageo: Investing more than £1 billion in Scotch whisky production over the next five years creating at least 100 jobs across Scotland. 

May 2012

  • Etek Europe: Planning to create 17 jobs after relocating to a new site at Prestwick International Aerospace Park.
  • Vector Aerospace: Aerospace company to create 31 new jobs in Perth.
  • GE Oil and Gas: Energy company aiming to create 466 new jobs at Aberdeen and Montrose sites.
  • Marine Harvest: Planning to create 100 new jobs through further investment in its Scottish operations over the next 5 years.
  • Aker Solutions: Norwegian oil and gas firm creating 500 new jobs at its subsea and drilling technology bases.
  • Steel Engineering: Steel fabrication company planning to create more than 120 new jobs after winning contract to build a tidal energy device.
  • Equateq, Isle of Lewis: German-owned BASF taking a controlling stake in the firm. Expected to create 90 new jobs and safeguard ten.

 April 2012

  • Life Technologies: US based bioscience firm looking to create 30 new jobs at Renfrewshire site.
  • Mitsubishi: Planning to invest in an Edinburgh engineering facility to create 100 new jobs. 

March 2012

  • Gamesa: Spanish company plans £125m Leith plant to manufacture blades for wind turbines, creating 800 jobs.
  • Global Energy Group: Confirmed plans to create up to 2,000 jobs at Nigg Yard by 2015 and take on 290 apprentices in 2012.
  • Proserv: Opening a new subsea test and assembly facility following January announcement of 40-50 new jobs in Scotland. 

January 2012

  • Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI): Will base its first European offshore wind project in Methil, Fife, which could create more than 500 jobs. 

December 2011

  • GlaxoSmithKline: Creating 25 new jobs and safeguarding 280 existing onesin Montrose with R&D grant support from Scottish Enterprise. 

November 2011

  • Michelin: Taking forward a £50m investment in Dundee, creating 140 new jobs and safeguarding 692.
  • Amazon: Opening two new sites with more than 3,000 full-time and temporary staff.  
Significant investment also continues in the North Sea, confirming the long-term benefits that will flow to Scotland from our oil and gas wealth. On 23 May, 2012, the UK Government announced that 224 applications were handed out in the latest licensing round for oil and gas - the highest since licensing began in 1964 (and 37 more than the previous high). 
On 11 January, 2012, Wood MacKenzie published a report showing that capital investment in the UK oil industry was £7.5bn in 2011 – the highest ever – it is expected to stay high until 2014 with £2bn being invested in the West of Shetland field alone in 2012. 
Oil and Gas UK, the body which represents the North Sea operators said that “its members were not overly concerned by the prospect of an Independent Scotland” (Reported in the Financial Times, 15 January, and the Guardian, 31 January, 2012.)