SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM

[Grandad]

So Alex Salmond and the SNP have gone a step further in their ambition for Scotland to become an independent country with the agreement of David Cameron for a Yes/No referendum in 2014.

I am pondering a leading question in relation to this possible change. We know that 16 and 17 year olds will get a vote but how about Scottish people living and working elsewhere, will they also get a vote. And how about expats living or retired abroad?

I find that there are SO many Scottish people living and working in the UK that the remaining population must be very diminished and the poll should be on the electoral roll of residents at the time of the referendum.

I expect that the SNP will consider this and other questions when they plan the best way to win the vote, just as they are doing by including 16 and 17 year olds...

[Kiya]

I cant answer for anybody else & so still pondering on if its a good idea for a independent Scotland.

I don't like D Cameron & not even sure on A Salmond, a few years ago he promised the people of my town no factories will close, as you may guess that promise was broken & 3 factories closed in the space of a 2 yrs, many hundreds out of work.

I shall wait & see what else he has to say before the vote time

[Horus]

As someone who welcomes the union of Scotland and England as being a good thing I would not stand in the way if they wished to leave it. I do have an issue though with people living elsewhere having a vote in something they themselves don't have to live with, a good example that springs to mind is Sean Connery. Is he ever going to live back in Scotland? is he going to be paying the taxes? I very much doubt it. I suppose to a large degree that the younger generation will have to live with the results of the vote for the rest of their lives, so I hope that they are mature enough to weigh up the implications in whichever way they choose to vote. There is of course another side to this sort of referendum, it is not by any means a one way street, who is to say that at some future date a party such as the BNP will stand on a platform of "Do we want a union with Scotland?" there are just as many arguments that say the English would be better off without Scotland, so if there is to be any referendum at all then surely everyone on both sides of the border should be asked. All the English 'Yes' votes to break away from Scotland are added to all the Scottish votes to break away from England and all the English 'No' votes are added to the Scottish 'No' votes, then you would have a fair expression of opinion in both countries rather than what is really a one sided referendum with only one country having its say on the continuation of the union. So my biggest fear is that something that has endured for hundreds of years and made both countries stronger because of that common union is damaged by the machinations of scheming politicians of all persuasions, but in this instance the decision will be with the people of Scotland although a close run vote for Scotland staying in may well trigger demands from English voters for a similar referendum on us maintaining a union with a Scotland that mainly resents the union.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Canada periodically has this type of issue coming up 'cept it is the French/Quebec who want to leave. When it got right down to a vote Canada remained 'intact' with Quebec saying. Seems those political few really went warp speed to stir the pot and got everybody suddenly wanting to leave, no stay, no go, we'll never let you - agh! Was crazy making. I'm highly suspicious that a union that has lasted for year is NOT working and I'd be quite suspicious of the politicians suddenly finding the union untenable.......Personally I'd think both countries would be strong together and each going on their own.

[Horus]

In the case of Scotland & England the union has existed for over 300 years so I hardly see that any UK citizen can consider themselves anything other than British, yes we may all be proud of our individual ancestry, but in this day and age to break it down along tribal lines, for that is what it amounts to, would be a step backwards in my opinion.