Scottish independence: Decision day

[webfact]

Scottish independence: Voters answer referendum question

(BBC) People in Scotland will vote later on whether the country should stay in the UK or become an independent nation.

Voters will answer "Yes" or "No" to the referendum question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

With 4,285,323 people - 97% of the electorate - registered to vote, a historically high turnout is expected.

Votes will be cast at 2,608 polling places across the country between 07:00 and 22:00 on Thursday. The result is expected early on Friday morning.

Votes will be counted in each of Scotland's 32 local authority areas.

These will include votes cast from the 789,024 postal vote applications, which was the largest volume of registration for postal votes ever in Scotland.

Result declaration

After votes have been tallied, the counting officer in each area will communicate the result to the chief counting officer Mary Pitcaithly in Edinburgh.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29238890


-- BBC 2014-09-18

[Keesters]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

[fvw53]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

Do you mean that if a wife (or husband) wants a divorce the other spouse has to approve first?

[shaurene]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

What are you talking about "When is the English vote to decide" it is the Scottish people who decide. I am English but I think the Scots would be jumping out the pan into the fire. They more or less rule them selves now, they will not get into the Euro Union, they will have to produce their own currency, and if they float it they will be in a right pickle. It will also damage their Whisky industry. Good luck to them any way.

[jpinx]

There is only one message to Scots voters now -- "GET OUT AND VOTE"

It's immaterial what the result is - the UK is never going to be the same again

[Rinrada]

Agree... and after 300 odd years its now decision time and we should have the results around this time tomorrow......

Whats the future ? .....a New Nation or more of the same?...at the moment.....its mai Ko Jai........

All down to the voters of Scotland....

For me there can only be one response.............YES....

[Eric Loh]

Got to admire the UK government for their boldness in allowing a referendum to decide on such momentous history making event. There are few countries in Asia that emulate such fortitude but we know will never happen.

[Keesters]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

Do you mean that if a wife (or husband) wants a divorce the other spouse has to approve first?

I don't know much about divorce but there is such things as abandonment etc. I.E. a guilty and an innocent party. The guilty may not like it but a divorce can still go ahead. Then there is the mutual consent divorce.

For Scotland only to have the choice is like saying England is guilty of something and does not like the separation. Let England vote and the divorce go ahead mutually depending on the poll result.

IMHO I think the Scots who want to split would benefit by having the English also vote. I for one am a little tired of listening to the Scots whinging on about oil. I have funds allocated to donate towards the rebuilding and fortification of Hadrian's Wall.

[Keesters]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

What are you talking about "When is the English vote to decide" it is the Scottish people who decide. I am English but I think the Scots would be jumping out the pan into the fire. They more or less rule them selves now, they will not get into the Euro Union, they will have to produce their own currency, and if they float it they will be in a right pickle. It will also damage their Whisky industry. Good luck to them any way.

You have failed to give any reason why only one part of a union should decide.

I'm English and want a vote to help them on their way.

[webfact]

Emotions mount before Scotland votes on independence

THE United Kingdom teeters on the brink of potentially breaking up today as leaders made last minute appeals to voters on the future of the 300-year-old union amid mass rallies, divided polls and flared tempers over the future of Scotland.

More than four million voters are expected to visit a voting booth, including 124,000 first-time 16 ad 17-year-old voters to answer the simple question of whether Scotland should be an independent nation.

Only a yes or no answer is required but the issue has never been that clear cut and the outcome is expected to be decided by an estimated 400,000 voters who remained undecided up to the moment they entered their local polling booth.

The referendum was yesterday described by Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond as the “most exciting day in Scottish democracy” as he called on voters to “seize the opportunity” and back independence.

He was given a hero’s reception as he told a packed rally of 1500 supporters in Perth to continue to appeal to those around them for independence to the moment they case their vote.

Full story: http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/emotions-mount-before-scotland-votes-on-independence/story-fnh81p7g-1227062135314

-- News.com.au 2014-09-18

[mccw]

When can we vote for English independence from the rest of the union?

[onionluke]

When can we vote for English independence from the rest of the union?

The English can hold a referendum on wether to stay in or leave the UK any time they like .

[mccw]

I'd be open to a vote on if the welsh like to join us or go with their Celtic brethren.

Northern Island like ways

3 questions on the ballot.

- become part of Ireland

- Join the independent scots

- continue in the union.

That would fun no? Let's get all silly this history settled at the ballot box once and for all.

[mccw]

When can we vote for English independence from the rest of the union?

The English can hold a referendum on wether to stay in or leave the UK any time they like .

Let's get out of the EU first eh

Priorities!

[mccw]

Actually it's be two birds with one stone I guess

Out of the union and out of EU

Fantastic

[mccw]

If I were a scot I would vote yes.

Cry FREEDOM

[mccw]

But no way join EU after attaining independence .

Just about the most stupid plan I ever heard.

Take your sovereignty from UK only to give even more power away to Brussels.

[Gsxrnz]

My Mum was born in Scotland, Dad born in England.

I'll be first in the queue for a Scottish passport.

Then I'll do what the Maoris have done in New Zealand - sue the English government continually for billions of quid for the next two centuries for all the wrongdoings they've done to my Scottish forbears.

[Geordie59]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

Do you mean that if a wife (or husband) wants a divorce the other spouse has to approve first?

Or that the one with by far the most people should be able out vote the smaller nations based on population alone? Not much in that Union for anyone other than the English do what they want and to hell with the rest.

[Geordie59]

Interestingly my sources in England told me there was almost no interest in the referendum until few weeks ago when the YES voters caught up in the polls. I noticed the same reaction in Pattaya as well.

[Keesters]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

Do you mean that if a wife (or husband) wants a divorce the other spouse has to approve first?

Or that the one with by far the most people should be able out vote the smaller nations based on population alone? Not much in that Union for anyone other than the English do what they want and to hell with the rest.

The vote doesn't have to be one man one vote for the English as it is for the Scots. How the voting is managed/apportioned is a totally different matter.

But do you really think the English would vote to keep the Scots? I think not and that maybe is what scares some people and why the vote is one-sided.

This one-sided vote is the Scots doing what they want and to hell with the rest. Since when has two wrongs made a right.

[StevieH]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

What are you talking about "When is the English vote to decide" it is the Scottish people who decide. I am English but I think the Scots would be jumping out the pan into the fire. They more or less rule them selves now, they will not get into the Euro Union, they will have to produce their own currency, and if they float it they will be in a right pickle. It will also damage their Whisky industry. Good luck to them any way.

You have failed to give any reason why only one part of a union should decide.

I'm English and want a vote to help them on their way.

think when kent and essex are governed from edinburgh the english can have a vote on leaving the union.

good luck to all scots, hope it's a yes vote. don't think it will be in the end thanks to the enormous propaganda campaign that has been behind the 'no' faction, but it's still a monumental day in the country's history.

[bendejo]

Whenever I hear about this referendum I think of the 'colonized by <deleted>' scene from Trainspotting.

Good luck, Scots, hope the independence comes through. It's about history.

[jpinx]

Interestingly my sources in England told me there was almost no interest in the referendum until few weeks ago when the YES voters caught up in the polls. I noticed the same reaction in Pattaya as well.

Great - when's the vote for independent Pattaya?

[Baerboxer]

And when is the English vote to decide if Scotland should leave?

A union has 2 or more parts and all parts should be involved in the decision process equally.

Do you mean that if a wife (or husband) wants a divorce the other spouse has to approve first?

If they do agree, then fine. If not, it must go to court.

The point here is that approx 5 million will vote and decide the future for approx 65 million. Approx 60 million in the other 3 nations that make up the UK have been denied the right to vote on something that effects their future.

Hardly democratic. Cameron and Salmond decide on a referendum, but you can only vote if you happen to live in Scotland. Europeans living in Scotland get a vote but the vast majority of Britons don't.

The wonderful world of British politicians.Which ever way the vote goes there will be massive backlashes, and as the saying goes, it'll all end in tears.

Well done Cameron - you'll certainly be remembered in history.

[Baerboxer]

Got to admire the UK government for their boldness in allowing a referendum to decide on such momentous history making event. There are few countries in Asia that emulate such fortitude but we know will never happen.

Correct - no other sane country in the world allow a situation where a fraction of the population can decide to break the country up regardless of what the majority want.

[Baerboxer]

Agree... and after 300 odd years its now decision time and we should have the results around this time tomorrow......

Whats the future ? .....a New Nation or more of the same?...at the moment.....its mai Ko Jai........

All down to the voters of Scotland....

For me there can only be one response.............YES....

All down to voters of Scotland - and sod the other 3 nations and their peoples.

How this can be all legal is amazing. Talk about tail wagging the dog.

[super22k]

Well said,Keesters and MCCW.Why dont we English have some kind of say in this? We are not given a choice. No referendum .No vote.

If the "yes" voters win and things dont work out for Scotland they will turn on Alex Salmond and make him their scapegoat.The Scots always turn on their own when things go wrong.So, a message to Alex Salmond:Have a plane parked at Glasgow airport ready to get away from the angry mob.

But we really must start a campaign to get REFERENDUMS FOR THE ENGLISH.

[bendejo]

Great - when's the vote for independent Pattaya?

It would be the other way around: should Pattaya officially become part of the UK?

Maybe if YES prevails in the future the US will consider letting Texas go off on its own. buh-bye!

[smokie36]

Agree... and after 300 odd years its now decision time and we should have the results around this time tomorrow......

Whats the future ? .....a New Nation or more of the same?...at the moment.....its mai Ko Jai........

All down to the voters of Scotland....

For me there can only be one response.............YES....

I find it hard to believe the vote is going to be close....its a whole lot of YES I am hearing!