- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Tubeless valves
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
Sir Dave Brailsford (copyright Britishcycling.org.uk)Dave Brailsford comes out against Scottish independence
Former Team GB cycling boss Dave Brailsford has added his voice to the campaign for a No vote in the referendum on Scottish independence this Thursday, September 18.
Brailsford was a major factor in the successful Olympic career of Scottish track cycist Chris Hoy, whose seven medals make him the most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time, and the most successful British Olympic athlete alongside Bradley Wiggins.
Following Team GB's success at the London Olympics, Brailsford recently stepped down from the role of performance director of British Cycling to focus on running the Sky professional team, which has no Scottish riders in its ranks.
In a statement from the Better Together campaign, Brailsford said: “Scotland has been a huge part of the success of British Cycling, and I hope the UK stays together for the benefit of all sport, but especially Olympic sports like ours. UK sport is one of the best things this country has and it is all possible because we can share talent, resources and ideas.
“I was born in England but raised in Wales with Welsh as my first language, and I feel passionately Welsh, English and British, and I feel all the countries of the UK are a big part of my national identity. My message to friends in Scotland is simple: 'It is for you to decide your own future but for the sake of UK sport I hope you vote NO.'"
Brailsford is the latest of many celebritis and sportspeople to advise the Scottish people to stay in the United Kingdom, as polls have shown an increase in support for the Yes campaign.
It could be said that perhaps trotting out sportspeople, singers and actors to comment on the most important Scottish political decision in hundreds of years gives the impression that Better Together is taking a patronising attitude to the campaign. Some might say that getting the Davids Bowie, Beckham and Brailsford to speak for Scotland not leaving the UK rather trivialises the debate, and could even be counter-productive.
After the recent Apple iPhone 6 and watch launch, the Yes campaign is probably now hoping for Bono to to come out against Scottish independence to clinch a landslide victory on Thursday.
John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.
He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.
Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.
John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.
He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.
Latest Comments
- don simon fbpe 6 sec ago
That's how it used to work in Madrid for the cars, see the opposing light on red and off we go.
- chrisonabike 47 min 35 sec ago
Wait - have those wafers been upgraded to chocolate wafers now (or maybe those pink ones?) Or is it all the sugar in the communion wine?
- mdavidford 49 min 59 sec ago
"Credit expired - please insert another 50p in the blind eye meter."
- chrisonabike 53 min 35 sec ago
Council: the project will bring about “a greener, more accessible, liveable and safer town centre, which meets the needs of people walking,...
- Scribe Cycling 1 hour 32 min ago
Hi username983, thank you for the comment, and it's great to hear you rate the wheels. The new models have a slightly different design which come...
- wtjs 1 hour 52 min ago
I'm pleased to say I didn't 'do' Latin, but I was also pleased to learn the origin of 'laconic'
- Surreyrider 1 hour 57 min ago
Looks like Specialized dusted off their blueprint for the Tarmac circa 2012-14 to 'create' the Aethos.
- Tom_77 2 hours 4 min ago
Was looking for things to do in Winchester and came across this - Adrenaline Comedy Bike Tour Experience at B3335...
- whosatthewheel 2 hours 36 min ago
A re-offender too, having been disqualified for speeding in the past. I don't believe in the "reaching for a chewing gum" bollocks either. More...
- chrisonabike 4 hours 47 min ago
Of course this kind of stuff is entirely to be expected from humans where mass motoring exists. The con is we don't factor this in sufficiently...
Add new comment
57 comments
No 2,001,926 55.30%
Yes 1,617,989 44.70%
In my eyes that's a resounding result with just short of 85% voting.
It's a sad day for England. But then the views of rUK as to whether Scotland should be allowed to remain hardly seem to matter. So much for democracy, huh?
A sad day for England, why?
If Scotland had opted for independence it would've resulted in a lengthy, torturous, hugely expensive and probably very divisive divorce process. The Czech Republic and Slovakia are still arguing over who owns what following the Golden Revolution 25 years ago, and those are two small countries that were only joined together for a comparatively short time. With 307 years of history and a lot of valuable assets, the legal battle between Scotland and the rest of the UK would've been 10x worse.
Independence for Scotland would've had a major impact on the economy of the UK too, as investors would've fled the uncertainty of the UK market. Over time perhaps the London area might have benefited, as Scottish banks had said they'd move south. But at the same time, the UK's influence worldwide would've been substantially weakened.
There would've been numerous other hurdles and complications too, even down to little things like passports, flags and what the hell to call the rest of the UK.
Scotland has spoken and spoken in quite a resounding tone. Time to move on imho.
It was a marginal amount. Considering the turnout (around 75%) under half voted to remain part of the Union.
That's hardly "resounding".
No Zanf, turnout was 84.59%. Remarkably high in my book.
The result will be accepeted as clear enough, I suspect there is a consensus for change - but not for independence.
Phew, Thanks Dave.
Phew, Thanks Dave.
It has all been foretold: Tam Dalyell - Devolution: The End of Britain?, 1977
Conservative government forces Labour to the centre to regain support in England. Labour offers devolution to Scotland and Wales as a sop to maintain support. Labour wins majority (they would have won anyway without offering devolution.) Devolution passes and Labour wins new seats. People become unhappy with Labour as incumbent government, vote in Nationalists as they are unable to support Conservatives. Nationalists see this as a mandate for independence. A Referendum is called...
And the question, why not: "Should Scotland remain as part of the United Kingdom?" I'd say Yes to that.
Serious issue about liberty and freedom and CHOICE.
Which after all, is the Crux of Freedom.
But thought this was funny! A bit of levity into the conversation...
http://youtu.be/W6vDzf-wSbk
Seems I am not alone in finding some of the yes vote camp's responses unnecessarily vitriolic:
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-09-16/i-have-a-confession-to-make-i-am-not-...
One other aspect to contemplate as Conoco scale back North Sea involvement (they most certainly are not influenced by Westminster):
http://m.ft.com/cms/s/0/140aa88c-3d16-11e4-a2ab-00144feabdc0.html
As the old saying goes, electorates tend to get the Governments they deserve.
I wish the Scottish people well but struggle to see how such a fundamental decision can be reached when so much of the detail is up in the air.
Back to the OP, of course Sir Dave is entitled to express his views given it affects something he has benn so closely and successfully involved in
Duncann, you must be mad mate, wanting to move to London purely through choice rather than need
Not sure if you're being serious but - if you like city life - then London is ace. I miss the easy access to spectacular countryside but the alternative attractions, particularly the overwhelming range of people from everywhere who have also chosen to be here, compensates. Not sure it's forever but it's for the foreseeable.
Deadly serious mate, I've been to London quite a few times for breaks and work over the years and it's a place i could never live. It's 10 minutes from where i live to the countryside and i can see the sea from my bedroom window. City life would never suit me but good on you for taking the plunge and doing it mate
I've lived in London for years now and like it a lot. I miss being able to get out of the city into the countryside quickly, as I could when I lived in Edinburgh. But London has so much more to offer.
Sure, it's an exercise is democracy and it's right that the vote is available to those living in Scotland (rather than just a political vote available only to MPs for example), but this idea that independence has nothing to do with anyone else is utter tosh. The economy (not least currency), defence, politics, trade and industry are just a few things that will be affected on both sides of the border. The international money markets don't like uncertainty, so if overseas investors take their funds out of the pound (as was advised by Japanese bank Nomura) pending resumption of stability, thus devaluing the currency, why is it some north of the border think that the rest of us shouldn't have an opinion? This directly affects the rest of us as well.
As for the issue itself, I can't help but be wary of anything slimy salmond says.
Brailsford can say what he likes, when he likes as far as i'm concerned, just like all the comments on here. Because people dont agree with them it doesn't mean its wrong.
There's a hell of a lot of questions that remain unanswered by the Yes side and i think that in itself will mean the No vote will win.
Either way i dont really care as i dont live in Scotland and personally a vote either way will probably have no effect on me.
And I've seen the same from the "No camp". But in reality I've had plenty of healthy debate with friends who are No voters.
I'm sure someone once said, the loonies focus on the loonies
One observation I would make is that if someone exercises their freedom to express their opinion and it's a "no", it invariably provokes an unnecessary vitriolitic response from those in the "yes" camp. Regardless of the outcome of the vote, I fear that this is something that the outcome will not put a lid on. Sadly it is easier to destroy than to build.
Most of us English have remained unheard through this referendum. This referendum will impact on us all throughout the union. 1) I have not voted for this gov. but still live with it and all past ones 2) If there is a yes vote and the union breaks up we should have a referendum regarding things like currency, shipbuilding coming back,sports funding and all previously shared stuff. I am fed up being treated badly by some sections of the Scottish fraternity.
He's entitled to say what he likes. We're not living in North Korea. That said, I doubt his comments will have any influence one way or another. Scotland's yes campaign has been swayed by the smooth, silken tongue of Alex Salmond who has at best, been economical with the truth.
I'm Scottish and I happen to think independence will be an utter disaster for Scotland, but since Alex Salmond decided to prevent the 750,000 ex-patriot Scots like me from being able to vote, all I can do is urge family and friends to make the sensible choice. Salmond has also broken with commonly accepted UK rules on voting by allowing those aged 16 the vote. It doesn't take a great deal of thought to put two and two together.
Economically, Scotland cannot survive on its own while independence will also impact heavily on the rest of the UK. We'll be arguing in court for decades over who owns what while Edinburgh's banks will all shift south. If Scotland opts for independence, the young will have to depart Scotland to look for work as there won't be any jobs.
Cycling in Scotland will take a nosedive if the country gest independence I reckon.
OldRidgeback, the reason you don't have a vote is because its not a vote for the Scottish to decide on Scotland's future. Its a vote for those living in Scotland to decide on Scotland's future.
Giving you are an ex pat, you obviously don't know how engaged and educated those 16 and over have become in this. There is no pulling the wool over their eyes and "think about your pension" with them.
I'm an expatriate Scot; certainly not an "ex-patriot," though
I am also an expatriate and quite rightly have no vote. If you freely choose to leave the country you shouldn't have a vote on its future.
Which respectable economic source did you find that from?
I'm English but I am less inclined to believe that if Scotland leaves the Union it will be a disaster, I don't think it will. I am English by the way and my interest is in the future of England which I think will be better if the Scots just go and do their own thing and we do ours. There will be some tricky stuff to sort out but the UK probably has the most experience of any country in the world in sorting out independence / secession treaties.
Whilst there won't be an economic disaster neither will Scotland become a sort of Tartan Norway. It's much more liekly to follow the economic path of Ireland on independence. Put a small independent country however dynamic next to a larger country and watch the talent and investment gradually drain out. The ones with any get up and go will get up and leave. Not straight away, but over time. The UK government won't feel obliged to adjust things to include Scotland, perhaps we might now have a sensible time zone matching most of Europe. We only have the current one to appease the idea that the UK needs to compromise and have a time zone that also suits a few Scots farmers way up north.
So no big bangs. No disasters, No melt downs, Scotland will just become less and less a factor for the UK to consider and over time the UK will suck in the better talents it has to offer as bigger countries always do to little ones.
I'd be interested to see some research showing that - having been involved in economic development for 15 years, I'd say that other factors are far more important. It doesn't really seem to hold for Europe's small countries - the fluent-in-English the Scandinavians and Dutch haven't abandoned their small states for the UK. What about Canada and the USA? Ireland (like Scotland) has certainly exported a lot of people over the years but it was doing that before and after independence, and I'm not sure that the recent crash was particularly size-related (the UK's recession was pretty serious too but we're limited in our migration potential by our poor language skills (wrt the EU) and migrations restrictions (wrt N America, Australasia)).
There is a London effect, certainly, but that's a city not a country effect and one that possibly operates more on the rest of England than on Scotland, which has a stronger economy than the UK outside the London mega-region, and already has some institutions and power denied the regions of England.
I moved from Scotland to London - not because I wanted to move to England but because I wanted to move to London, which is really pretty un-English (and un-British) in many ways.
Didn't really expect to be having these discussions on road.cc but good that such an important debate is so pervasive!
We may not have a vote, but we do get to have an opinion - and the right of free speech.
Given the number of national institutions which stand to get torn up with a yes vote, and the redistribution of political power in the reminder of the UK, this is something which will effect us all, even though we don't get a say.
For my opinion - I think the Scots will be more in control of their future by staying in the UK, and continuing to have their politicians in Westminster.
If they think they can end Westminster's influence by voting yes, then I think they may be in for a shock. And just think - if they do vote 'yes' - just look at what happens to the house of commons when you subtract those Scottish seats.... The tories will have a safe government with a huge majority, and will be able to do what they like. The Scottish will have to negotiate with that...
We might have to muddle our way through a Labour rump parliament first. In the words of The Architect, "There are levels of existence we are prepared to tolerate."
Thursday can't come soon enough.
Don't worry about the rump parliament idea. Milibubble won't have a majority without Scotland and therefore the other parties would win a vote of no confidence and force a new election.
If it wasn't for Panama, Scotland would have been ok.
Pages