[POLL] Should Scotland be an independent country?

[featured_spectre]

I breathed a huge sigh of relief this morning when I heard the result on the radio!

 

Interesting that Highland has yet to declare - they were supposed to declare around 4am - Recount?

 

According to sky news when I woke up, highlands had to have a recount due to their being around 100 votes or so between the result (that was what they said)

[Fleetwood]

Alex Salmond looking a bit more like his namesake in this photo:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26448[/ATTACH]

 

His face reminds me of when you're lying in bed minding your own business on your phone and you accidentally hit the front-facing camera button.

[Gatt]

Highlands finally declared:

 

47% - Yes

53% - No

 

Turnout 87%

[Vasriel]

some of you need to go to school....

 

10% is the difference between 45% and 55%

 

I think I should have some coffee in the morning before I start posting, how did I not see that

[penfold_99]

some of you need to go to school....

 

10% is the difference between 45% and 55%

 

But its a 5% majority!

[Hefferzzzz]

But its a 5% majority!

 

Either way it was no. Glad its finally been put to bed.

[Norphy]

For now anyway. 45% is still a significant proportion of people who want independence. They're not going to just lay down and accept it forever.

[localzuk]

For now anyway. 45% is still a significant proportion of people who want independence. They're not going to just lay down and accept it forever.

 

You're assuming the "Yes" camp would become a stronger movement over time, when it could very well go the other way. Another referendum isn't going to happen for 20+ years at least, in which time the oil reserves will drop further. If you go by what has happened in Quebec, separatist sentiment could very well dissipate with newer generations - the 18-25 year olds in Quebec are far more "pro-Canada" than the older generations are.

[Norphy]

Perhaps not stronger but very possibly more vocal.

[localzuk]

Perhaps not stronger but very possibly more vocal.

 

They're plenty vocal now! Positively shouting in fact.

[teejay]

You're assuming the "Yes" camp would become a stronger movement over time, when it could very well go the other way. Another referendum isn't going to happen for 20+ years at least, in which time the oil reserves will drop further. If you go by what has happened in Quebec, separatist sentiment could very well dissipate with newer generations - the 18-25 year olds in Quebec are far more "pro-Canada" than the older generations are.

 

The younger voters in Scotland had a majority planning on voting yes, it was the over 60's who were the only demographic with a majority voting no so it's possibly the complete opposite to Quebec. I would say within 20 years the chances are they will go independent, unless of course we're all subsumed into an EU superstate.

[localzuk]

The younger voters in Scotland had a majority planning on voting yes, it was the over 60's who were the only demographic with a majority voting no so it's possibly the complete opposite to Quebec. I would say within 20 years the chances are they will go independent, unless of course we're all subsumed into an EU superstate.

 

Today's youths are the 40 year olds of the next referendum...

[featured_spectre]

If Scotland go independent in 20 years time, they would be worse off than now. There is no reliable way to tell how much oil reserves are left, nor gas reserves, they can only estimate. As a result, the oil *could* be gone within that 20 years and as such Scotland wouldn't have the prop that it had today.

[sparkeh]

The younger voters in Scotland had a majority planning on voting yes, it was the over 60's who were the only demographic with a majority voting no so it's possibly the complete opposite to Quebec. I would say within 20 years the chances are they will go independent, unless of course we're all subsumed into an EU superstate.

I just don't think that you can say that. Who knows what Scotland will look like in 1, 2 or 20 years time. What powers have been devolved, what the economy is like, how satisfied people feel with their place in the union etc.

 

Also it believe that most peoples opinions change as they get older.

Edited September 19, 2014 by sparkeh

[featured_spectre]

CNN having maths problems again

 

http://hugelolcdn.com/i700/308909.jpg

[Tesla]

CNN having maths problems again

 

http://hugelolcdn.com/i700/308909.jpg

 

They gave 110% into making that graphic...

[teejay]

Today's youths are the 40 year olds of the next referendum...

 

Precisely, which means there won't be so many of the majority Unionist age demographic as they will be 80+

[abillybob]

I have been lurking, very interesting thread...

 

Is it stupid that I had to look twice when looking at CNN's figures haha

[featured_spectre]

In other news...William Wallace has had his say.

 

http://hugelolcdn.com/i460/308972.jpg

[sparkeh]

Precisely, which means there won't be so many of the majority Unionist age demographic as they will be 80+

 

But again you are assuming that no one will change their vote in the next twenty years, or that the new younger generation will all be pro independence, which makes no sense.

[teejay]

But again you are assuming that no one will change their vote in the next twenty years, or that the new younger generation will all be pro independence, which makes no sense.

 

The number who change their minds will be minimal, as more powers are devolved to Scotland they will get more confident in running their own affairs. Far greater will be the older generations who were pro unionist decreasing in number as they'll be 80+ by the next referendum.

[pcstru]

Oh come on. Last time the vote was around 33%, this time it's 45%. As any good climate change sceptic will tell you, two data points makes a trend so next time round it will be a huge majority.

[sparkeh]

The number who change their minds will be minimal, as more powers are devolved to Scotland they will get more confident in running their own affairs. Far greater will be the older generations who were pro unionist decreasing in number as they'll be 80+ by the next referendum.

The counter argument is that if things improve whilst still in the union then people will not want to risk it by leaving.

The trend in Scotland is actually a rising number of people identifying themselves as British and a falling number as Scottish.

from BBC News - Scotland votes 'No': How the 'No' side won the referendum

The number of people living in Scotland who chose British as their national identity rose from 15% in 2011 to 23% in 2014, according to the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey. The number of people who chose Scottish fell from 75% to 65% over the same period.

[witch]

If they had asked the electorate for an indication of whether they wanted independence, and said that if the answer was yes they would map out a plan on how it would be ready for the actual referendum, they might have had more success. Some people I know would have liked to have voted yes but they were unsure what was going to happen to the pound etc - Salmond said they would keep the pound but that would make it difficult to join the EU and so on.

I am unhappy - as was an MP on the news this morning - about the political leaders rushing to offer Scotland more devolved powers without debating it or voting on it as a government.

I don't mind if they get more power - as long as the English (etc) do as well.

I don't want them to have any more money either

[featured_spectre]

They will get more devolved powers, however by the same scope, so will Wales and Northern Ireland, but conversely, it should be the case that Scottish, Welsh or NI MPs should not vote on matters that affect England only. They should vote on the ones that affect the union as a whole.