Scottish Referendum D-Day

It is almost the eve of the referendum in Scotland over whether they should remain apart of the UK. It is 35 years approximately since the last referendum on the subject. The last vote ended in failure for a Scottish Parliament because not all the requirements were met. 

The act called for at least 40% of the registered voters to vote in favour of a Scottish parliament but the result was that although the "yes" vote won the vote with 51% of votes cast it amounted to only 32% of all registered voters.  

I don't know how the vote on 18th September is organised but I believe it is a straight first past the post. 

In an earlier post I mentioned that whichever way it went I hoped for a resounding victory. At present the polls suggest it is too close to call. I am not keen on the concept to be honest.

There are suggestions that the present "No" campaign are scaremongering about the cost of Independence. Indeed I have posted several times on the issues of Independence and their relative pro's and con's. As an Englishman I don't want a reluctant Scotland in the union. It is not healthy for the long term relationship. We have suffered the jibes of miserable Scots for many years and voting for the union only because the alternative is a bit iffy will not make it go away. 

I would rather Scots chose the union because they truly believed in it and felt it was a worthwhile investment of their future. 

I have noted that I find the notion of Scottish independence to be something of an illusion. That is because they (the Scottish National Party) want to be part of Europe and as such even Westminster Parliament is making efforts to distance itself from Brussels for the same reason's the nationalists are seeking a split with Westminster. Therefore Scotland is seeking only to change the absent landlord so to speak. London or Europe. 

But to return to my start I think the 1978 act had a point in asking for 40% of the electorate. To have taken independence to Scotland when only a third of the populace actually expressed an interest in it is stretching democracy. Nearly a third of voters didn't actually vote in that referendum so you could argue that any result would serve them right but in such a matter as sovereignty it is pretty important to make sure the newly formed country is taking a majority of it's populace with it. To have taken Scotland to Independence based on what a third of the population has said could be asking for trouble. 

What ever the result though there is going to be some need for reconciliation because it would seem that a significant proportion of the country are going to be disappointed one way or another. They are going to have to be integrated back into the future Scotland, independent or not. 

Like I said I hope for a resounding victory I am just not too bothered which way it goes.