To wonder how you're voting in the Scottish Referendum and why?

[deeedeee]

a month away from the vote thought it would be interesting to ask

( no bunfighting , derision or soundbites please. just yes or no and why. feel free to post more than once with different reasons. No links unless independent fact or opinion, nothing from the official campaigns)

I'm a YES

because Westminster's failed to protect the vunerable and the UK's me first politics have taken us down a particularly nasty path. An independent Scotland leans towards to left and can potentially choose a better route. And if a change happens in scotland then I think that that could inspire a change in the direction of politics in the rest of the UK.

[Elllimam]

I'm still undecided :/ leaning slightly towards yes. I would be totally yes but I'm a bit unsure about what would happen financially if we got independence regarding the pound etc.

[affafantoosh]

Hahaha I just posted similarly asking why people are undecided!

I'm a yes.

I can't think of a single good reason to vote no. Nothing positive, nothing attractive. At a stretch I could come up with "I have a job and a home and my children have a good school to go to, free, and healthcare if we need it". But I have no faith in Westminster maintaining that status quo and I would be ashamed of myself if I was able to ignore the huge sections of our country which are completely impoverished. Why on earth would I vote for that situation to continue?

It is laughable to say that things couldn't be better for the people here. And the idea that someone else, in another country, is better placed to improve our lives is desperately depressing. I struggle to understand the stance of no voters. In 48 independence referendums worldwide, 44 of them resulted in independence (2 which did not then resulted in independence at a subsequent referendum, and 2 which did not were held in Quebec). Why are we so different from all these other countries in that we haven't got the faith in ourselves to do it, despite our undisputed wealth?

[deeedeee]

have you found any good sources of information to research the different options that could happen. I could give you some if you'd like?

[affafantoosh]

Elli posts like yours make me sad because it shows what damage Darling has done by taking his ludicrous stance on a currency union. Did you know that George Osborne had no intention of refusing currency union, but was pressured by Darling because they knew it would cause fear if they could use it in their campaign? :(

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

I'm Yes because I would rather face an uncertain future, with hope, decided by those who live in Scotland, than an uncertain future, with fear, decided by those who live in the SE of England.

[Eva50]

I'm a yes, for all your reasons and more.

[Numanoid]

I'm voting Yes too. :)

Elllimam I would suggest listening to Nicola Sturgeon speak, if you can. Or Alyn Smith MEP. They are both doing a lot of talks around Scotland over the coming weeks. I'm not an SNP voter, but both (although SNP politicians) make it clear that this is about independence, and not the SNP, so they don't bring their party into it. I have to say, Nicola is brilliant at answering any questions anyone asks her. Alyn is a brilliant speaker too and very knowledgeable. :)

Well, my reasons: I have researched both sides a lot, and I can see no benefits to staying in the Union. We will always be in the British Isles, so I don't accept the whole separation argument. We won't be floated away into the ocean, and will continue to be friendly with our neighbours in rUK, as we are now.

My main reason, I suppose, would be a Government focused on Scotland and its people. Likewise, rUK Government would also have a smaller population to focus on. I also want a written constitution, especially with the Tories openly admitting they want to leave the EU and as such, abolishing the Human Rights Act.

Scotland isn't too small or too poor to go it alone. An independent Scotland would be the 14th richest country in the world, and the UK would be 18th, so we aren't exactly poor. No country which has been offered independence has ever turned it down (and none have then ever regretted it and wanted to revoke it). I don't think Scotland should be the first to refuse.

[itsmeitscathy]

I started off as a no, I'm now a yes.

[affafantoosh]

itsme can I ask you about how you came to change your mind?

[WildThong]

Gosh yet another thread unofficial polling. This must be the third or fourth in the past month.
Fwiw, no thanks.

[affafantoosh]

Sorry WildThong, I didn't realise others had done the same. I'd say it's more akin to asking a bunch of mates how they will vote than "unofficial polling" though.

[ForalltheSaints]

I wish I could have a vote as it will affect all people in the UK. I would vote in favour of Scottish independence. The Scots have a separate education and legal system, different cultural traditions and could easily stand on their own two feet in a similar way to Denmark or the other Scandanavian countries.

[Coffeethrowtrampbitch]

I'm voting Yes. So is dh, who is English.

We want a better life for our children and we don't think that remaining in the Union will lead to prosperity in the future unless we stop squandering the remaining oil money and reinvest it in renewables, and other niche markets where we are successful, like whisky, computer games, and biosciences.
The UK government has other places for that money to go, so it is unlikely that Scotland will receive the investment it needs to succeed in the future.

The currency question is a red herring, no one could seriously believe we won't be 'allowed' to continue using a currency we already use and which already belongs to us. But by implying that it would be possible to stop us, the No campaign has created enough uncertainty to draw attention away from genuine economic issues.

[deeedeee]

Why no thanks wild thong? Genuinely interested!

and please can you give me links to the other threads, i'd be interested in them too!

[chubbyhez]

It's a yes from me.

There's only so much a devolved parliament can do to protect us from the punitive Westminster policies. The Scottish parliament has done a good job so far, it's time to take the next step.

[fluffyduffydoo]

I'll be voting yes

Devolution already sees us supporting our children in further education without ridiculous fees and free prescriptions for all

It can only get better

There does seem to be a different mindset in Scotland that is more focused on people and less on landownership and I support that

[PacificDogwood]

I keep changing my mind, but am currently a YES.

If the NO vote wins, I can live with having voted YES.
If the YES vote wins, I could not live with having voted NO and squandered a historical opportunity.

And all the reasons listed above.

I don't think that either side can put any argument forward that will tell anybody what to do because all their predictions and promises are based on guesswork and assumptions.

So, leap of faith it is today

[SantanaLopez]

No.

I don't think the numbers add up.

[Solaia]

I'm a no thanks. I am worried. Extremely worried.

It's funny PP say they can't think of a reason to say no, I cannot think of a single reason to say yes. I've racked my mind but I truly can't. At best, we will end up back in a similar position to where we are now in terms of financial stability etc. The only thing is it will take years of instability and potential misery to get there.

Throw into the mix that both DHs and my jobs would be seriously endangered by a yes vote, and we think our house would probably be devalued and it's a terrifying prospect.

Nothing I have seen by the yes campaign is substantiated. It's all fluff. I'll take a 'fear' campaign over a fluff campaign any day.

Finally, I like Britain. I like the UK. It's a part of who I am. We currently have the best of both worlds with devolution - local government in a national safety blanket. I'm not sure why anyone would choose to give that up.

[FannyFifer]

A YES from me, my reasons, get rid of the despicable nuclear abhorrence which is Trident.

Protect our NHS for generations to come.

Use the money & resources our country generates for the benefit of those who live here.

Have a government the majority of people in Scotland vote for, more accountability.

No more unelected House of Lords.

Here's a good read for those who are undecided.

wingsoverscotland.com/weebluebook/

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Those of you on android devices can also download the Wee Blue Book e-book from the Google Play Store for free....

[affafantoosh]

It's funny how you feel it is fluff Solaila - what I see is opportunity, potential, open doors ... staying in the UK doesn't feel like a safety blanket, it feels like being slowly suffocated :(

[queenofwesteros]

I was undecided, now definitely a yes. For all the reasons others have said. Plus, Westminster don't, never have and never will give a shiny shit for the Scots. I absolutely believe that the people voting no are doing so simply because they are afraid of change (which is human nature and understandable) and the scaremongering put forward by the BT campaign. It's simply not true that we're not good enough or prosperous enough to go it alone. It's interesting that the No voters I've spoken to, rather than coming up with valid reasons as to why we're better together, have resorted to instead labelling Yes voters as ignorant, stupid and deluded.

[ffallada]

It's a yes from me

A 'no' vote isn't a vote to keep things as they are - the NHS WILL be privitised, our universities WILL start charging and it seems the English will pull us out of Europe. We have NO say in the way our country will go forward.

Some things may change after independence, but as they are going to change anyway, at least this will give us a chance to have a say.

I wish i knew what job you have Solaia so we could have an accurate discussion about whether it would be endangered or not but completely understand why you wouldn't say. If it's in the banking sector then you job isn't safe anyway! The 'no' campaign has already said if it is a no vote they plan to try to remove this sector from scotland as 'punishment'.

I like the positive message that the yes campaign has and the additional childcare offered doesn't go amiss either!

[Numanoid]

staying in the UK doesn't feel like a safety blanket, it feels like being slowly suffocated

I feel the same affa, the upcoming austerity cuts really worry me, and the stuff in my previous post regarding the very real threat of withdrawing from Europe and losing the Human Rights Act.

As a graduate I could not find a job apart from a 4 hour contract, which was no use at all but I took it to avoid being completely jobless. Many others graduating this year are in the same position, and it's not a new thing. I don't want to continue in that vein, so I'm going to take the chance of voting for a better situation in Scotland. :)