THE day has finally arrived for the historic Scottish Referendum which could put an end to a 307-year-old union, and the question on everyone’s lips is whether Scotland will vote yes or no to independence.
A record number of people had registered to vote by last Thursday, with 97% of the adult population ready to have their say on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom.
The turnout today is expected to be as high as 80%, significantly exceeding the 63.8% turnout in Scotland for the 2010 Westminster election.
Name: Fergus Mitchell
From: Glasgow
I was born in Glasgow, lived in Edinburgh for two years and six in London and came back in 1995. I love it here. I expect to wake up on Monday, September 19 to the news that we’re going to be independent, except that I probably won’t have slept.
It will be very narrow, there might even be recounts, but I think it will happen with the slimmest of margins. Hope will triumph over fear, just. My yes vote won’t be an anti-English statement, or even an anti-British one. It will be pro-Scottish.
I haven’t agreed with every choice that our devolved Government has made since 1999, but I have felt that those decisions are at least ‘ours’. And that’s made me wonder why we can’t make more decisions for ourselves, on things that matter to us. Scotland wants increased immigration, to invest oil wealth for the common good and to remove weapons of mass destruction from our lochs, but can’t do any of these as things stand. We have the chance this month to do what is necessary to get what we want.
Name: Evin Downey
From: Dublin, living in Glasgow
I’m hopeful. I’m more optimistic now that it might go Yes but it’s going to be incredibly tight. I will be voting Yes. It’s the first time I have gotten involved in any political campaign, I’d have no time for a political party but this is far more important than that. I think it’s really a question of democracy more than anything else.
The best way I heard it summed up for me was this is a choice between uncertainty, or uncertainty with the power here in Scotland. The idea that remaning in the UK is some sort of no-risk strategy is a fallacy. The people in Scotland should have the power to choose the government that’s in Scotland, and the government that Scotland wants; it’s as basic as that.
Name: Rory Gove
From: Aberdeen, living in London
It’s a No from me. The arguments for independence have too many question marks — Europe, currency… Why jeopardise our children’s futures when we are still basically holding our finger in the wind?
My parents and grandparents fair enough, I get it, let’s take a punt. But for someone like me who may move back to Scotland, I just don’t see the point. Bigger repercussions defeat any argument for going solo… It would be a laugh for sure but why? It all seems a bit busybody, doing something for the sake of it, for me.
Name: Kevin Maguire
From: Tyrone, living in Glasgow
I thought it would be No until recently, but I think it will be seriously close anyway. I’m from Ireland and if I had been around in 1916 I would have voted for independence. I see no difference now; I think a country should be given the opportunity to rule itself.
The simple facts of the matter are nobody really knows how it will work out financially because there could be other countries sitting out there saying “If Scotland gets its independence we will do business with them,” so therefore for a number of reasons I’d like it to be yes. [United] I see nothing but turmoil ahead. We have as a country created enough enemies to last more than 10 lifetimes and that would affect Scotland going forward.
Name: Bob Christie
From: Liverpool, lives in Cork
My heritage is in Fife and Glasgow and I’m going over for the referendum to support my lifelong friends in the Yes camp because it’s history in the making and I couldn’t really be anywhere else.
If I could I would vote a resounding Yes. Since leaving Liverpool at 16 to pursue my career as a chef, Scotland has featured in an almost religious way [in my life]. I abhor oppression of any visage and having experienced the effects of it on my travels so ’tis no wonder that when the Foly Grail of Scottish freedom from, in my view, the despotic antics of the British Empire was first mooted I was loathe to believe that it could actually happen.
But it has, and I am sitting here with tears in my eyes at the thought that not a shot will be fired to actually achieve this… If a reality, it will be nothing short of a dream come true.
Name: Pamela Hasson
From: Edinburgh
I deeply hope and wish the vote will be a resounding No, but the polls are fluctuating. My concern is No voters might be too complacent whereas Yes voters are more vocal and proactive, so it’s tough to call, every vote will count. I am strongly opposed to independence.
After examining the facts, I overwhelmingly came to the conclusion that it has to be “No thanks”. There is far too much obfuscation, evasion, delusion and deception in the Yes campaign on too many critical issues such as currency, EU membership, NATO membership, projected oil revenues, public services, the list goes on…
We are in the 21st century where to break up the one of the most successful partnerships of all times makes no sense. It neither gains the country nor myself anything of real value, rather it is the reverse — we would lose friends, alienate partners and risk our economy. Separatism is negative and parochial. I have grown up my entire life in a union with the people of the four countries. The prospect of borders between us is like my family being broken up. I am not interested in only Scotland becoming a better society but the entire UK.
Name: Paddy Callaghan
From: Glasgow
I think the vote will be extremely close and the momentum is certainly with the Yes campaign. Whether or not they will close enough ground in the next few days is anyone’s guess but it would be too difficult to call at this time. I hope that whatever the outcome, Scotland can see an end to poverty where currently 70,000 people are visiting food banks to survive.
I am also encouraged that a sizeable proportion are breaking away from their traditional political beliefs (those of an Irish Catholic disposition voting anti-Union and those of an Irish Protestant view point voting pro-Union) and making their decision based on what they genuinely believe will be in the best interests of the country going forward, rather than the events of the past.
