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I think so. The EU more or less looks the other way as far as the use of the euro in Kosovo and Montenegro goes. They're small economies, and as long as they can't print cash they can't do any harm to the currency. By the way, there's also a group of countries that are technically required to adopt the euro as soon as they meet the criteria for adoption, but the EU doesn't seem to be too pushed about those either.

That, in effect, is why Ireland had to peg its currency to the pound at a rate of 1:1 for nearly 60 years. It was also very costly; Ireland had to maintain 15% of GDP as sterling or other foreign currency reserves so that its central bank could do the trading needed to keep the currencies at level pegging. Maintaining a small currency at level pegging with something like GBP or USD used to be very expensive, though these days it seems to be less so. Panama's currency is directly linked to the dollar. It used to maintain very high levels of USD reserves, but they are now considerably lower, though still about 7-8% of GDP.

A political decision based on the way Kosovo is recognised internationally?

Kosovo was loaned €100 million so that it would have euro cash availability, yet it bizarrely doesn't have an agreement to use the euro.

Montenegro and Kosovo use the euro, but they are not members of the eurozone and they don't have a currency union or agreement with the EU. They can't produce hard cash. Four microstates use the euro by agreement with the EU, but all of those used either the franc, the peseta or the lire prior to the creation of the euro. They (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican City) can produce cash.

Ha! I refer to my area as 'Lesser Grange'.

I think that's actually a line from the next Green Party manifesto.

💯 ground hog day on this issue .

Nether Barnton if you don’t mind.

So, this was an interview today, or a selection of quotes from various older interviews, by others? Doesn't specify, a bit weird

👍

Got 3 months of free Apple TV and have been watching Sugar and Franklin. Sugar has grown on me. Although the ending at the end of the latest episode has thrown the cat among the pigeons. Franklin gets mixed reviews, but I'm enjoying it. If you like American history and can handle subtitles/speak a bit of French, it's well worth watching. More of a slow burner and, of course, everyone knows the ending.

Which is correct, however not really a viable solution for the long term land of spunking streams of gold and diamonds based on exports of renewable energy that no one is capable of explaining the detail of in the short to medium term or (checking my notes here...)..oh aye...taxing our good exports...

Plenty of times I've tried to sensibly engage on this topic to be dragged down by folk with half a clue on multiple issues regarding legality of actions by the Scottish Parliament, viability of an independent Scottish economy based on sale of renewables or our food and drinks exports to be met with pish about how GERS is all made up and the usual pack of if we all believe hard enough indy will succeed pish 😂 Waste of time. Skip back about 300 pages and nae doubt there's been the same merry go round discussion.

That interview is very respectful. I’ll be gutted if he goes but he will do so with my best wishes and thanks. I still hold out hope but reading that it looks like abroad is his move if it happens. If he went to the uglies I’d be gutted. Hes an incredible player for us. Irreplaceable, like Robbo and Skacel and Hartley were too.

Think we will need more than 1 striker as we won’t be able to replace his goals with just 1 striker. We will also need to change the way we play . Massive rebuild required in the summer

On a serious note I recall from 2014 that the yes folks were saying they would just use the pound and didn’t need permission from the UK ie the Bank of England ?

😂😂😂 I thought it was nearly cracked ! Well it was definitely cracked

No it’s not he’s using humour to make a perfectly valid point

😂 aye the conversation was close to cracking the issue right enough.

Bing a great dancer ? Never seen him dance at all

What’s the difference between bing crosby and Walt Disney ? bing sings and Walt Disney I’ll get my coat an aw

There's plenty of illegal use of (digitally transacted) foreign currency under our very noses in Edinburgh in certain takeaways and restaurants. HMRC should really dig a bit deeper. There'd be nothing stopping iScotland from accepting the Euro and the Pound (and the Dollar and the Rouble, too). But I guess we'd have to make one the main currency. I don't really care, TBH. I just want a country where my kids grow up not using banknotes as toys a la Germany 1922.

Robbie Williams cannae sing a note and Elton John, Sinatra and BIng Crosby are tone deaf. At least Elton can write songs and play piano though and Bing was a great dancer. Crap singers though.

Ah well, there's the conversation fecked up. Blue River comes steaming in with his usual thoughtless "loud opinionated guy in the pub" shite.