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.

I think you knwo what I meant, Professor - that people who hold the view that Scotland is getting above itself seem bitter that we've even got as far as having a referendum. I didn't mean that No voters are angry (although some are, like some yes voters are!) :)

Phaedra just because you have not seen it does not mean it hasn't happened. I know of yes signs being defaced, yes posters for events being removed and binned, and yes literature being removed from stalls and binned.

Likewise the anti-English sentiment - DH is English and works in an, um, "customer-facing" role. He gets called an English cunt fairly frequently. He doesn't assume that all scots are racist, or that all yes voters are racist. He's more than aware that this debate is not about rejecting the English, and is also voting yes.

One of my local SNP MSPs got punched, a yes campaigner, an old man in fact in Edinburgh also got attacked. Both been on the news, Yes shop in Kirkcaldy had someone go in & threaten the woman in it & racially abuse her.

It's a common theme, we've had a few incidents locally but decide not to give the idiots any attention or press as that's what they want.

There are arseholes on each side.

The SNP has always been targeted, we used to get eggs thrown at us when out campaigning, nothing new.

www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/scottish-independence-faeces-smeared-on-yes-shop-1-3518239

Shite smeared on the handle of a Yes shop... Charming

Has the SNP stopped referring to "white settlers" ? And yes I have heard a member and activist using that term.

I was shouted at once by a wummin with a dug.
i concur from this that wimmin,and dugs are prejudicial...cause thats reasonable?

Phadera,is this going to be your tactic on thread,to recall an unpleasant incident
And then infer,that said incident is representative of Scotland

m.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/scottish-independence-campaigner-80-attacked-1-3077094
m.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/pro-union-campaigner-accused-of-attacking-snp-msp-1-3371090
m.fifetoday.co.uk/news/local-headlines/yes-kirkcaldy-campaigner-in-racial-abuse-claim-1-3518416

Arseholes on both sides.

I have never in my life heard anyone called a white settler. Wtf!

I've never heard the term, in regards to who?

Oh and fyi, snp =/= yes voter.

I'm not going to wrangle myself excusing snp member's behaviour.

Morris Zapp, fair enough. Could I ask what information are you basing your economic fears on? Curious, as I haven't been able to find any.

It's a shame you don't feel able to talk to your family/friends. Do you not feel that you'd like to talk to them and try to explain your thinking?

and how come you think the FS industry would leave Edinburgh? Virgin Bank is already planning a move there. I think that if they need to move their headquarters south due to European rules, they'll keep their workforces where they are, wouldn't make sense to move away from a proven set up and where the talent is.

Roseformeplease - so you don't care about democracy/child poverty/nuclear weapons/food banks/bank bailouts/MPs expenses/illegal wars all the things Westminster has imposed on Scotland without a mandate?

Democracy - we have this, and have had for many, many years. Arguably full democracy was achieved when there was universal suffrage. We vote for many layers of politicians, all of whom suck money out of the system.

Child Poverty will be alleviated far more successfully in an economically productive country with plenty of jobs, good exports, low interest rates and vibrant businesses. Portugal springs to mind, or Rumania, when you think about child poverty. Small, poor countries who can't offer the huge range of benefits and the support offered by the UK.

Nuclear weapons are a deterrent and a red herring. Only a few people are actually that bothered about this - most of us support being part of NATO and providing a deterrent for ourselves and our powerful allies.

Food banks are not a sign of anything. Use of food banks is a sign of poverty, either through fecklessness or genuine need. In both cases, a strong, economically productive UK (one on its way our of recession now) can help far more than a tiny wee country.

Bank bailouts - this happened across Europe. Iceland anyone?

MPs' expenses....or MSPs' expenses. Politicians need to be well paid or the only people who can afford this career will be the independently wealthy. Salmond claimed even when he had not been to Westminster for months, and in weeks he did not attend, he claimed for supermarket shopping. He kept, and sold, a flat in London, and made a profit. We need to look at how we remunerate all politicians. 5* hotels for golf?

You may think you are 'economically productive' today but what if tomorrow you become disabled? Would you still think the UK was so great then?

Well. I will get a pension. I get child benefit. My health care is free. My Mum (in England) gets free transport to medical appointments, careers visiting - all free. My children are educated for free. All of these things are not actually free - they cost money and are far better because the money to pay for them comes from a big pot, not a tiny wee pot emptied by Salmond and his cronies to pay for their pet projects.

I don't get a vote as I now live in London. Nor do my parents who were both born in Scotland and still have a house in Scotland. I understand why only those living in Scotland get a vote but those of us who are "Scottish" should also get one I think!

And don't get me started on devolution - England definitely comes off worse than any of the other home nations as there isn't devolved powers. We have to pay for prescriptions just for a start!

Seen what's been getting handed out in Glasgow today by No campaigners?

While I like the idea of independence, I will be voting no.

• I don't feel that we have any competent politicians in the Scottish Parliament. Likely that either SNP or Labour will be in power and if anyone saw the debate between Nicola Sturgeon and Joan Lamont, it was embarrassing.

• The S Parliament has been in existence for over 10 years and I don't think it has done much in that time. I am also concerned about the lack of checks and balances in the creation of legislation

• we are better and stronger sticking together (better for everyone, Scots, English, Welsh and Northern Irish). United, we have a louder voice in the world. A large amount of Scottish trade is with rest of the UK. Why complicate matters?

• to say that Scotland is oppressed by England is utter rubbish and insulting. If that was true, why have so many English people moved to Scotland?

• Currency Union is a bad idea. (You only have to see what has happened in the EU).

• It will affect our armed forces

• I don't want to be dictated to by the central belt, who I have found to have a very patronising attitude to anyone who lives north of Perth

• Scotland's oil could also be said to be Orkney and Shetland's oil. What if they decided to remain with rest of UK or join up with Norway (they were once part?)

• more efficient to remain within the UK. The cost of setting up separate civil service, tax department, car licensing, passport etc etc will most likely be horrendous and better spent on health care, policing etc

But machair, to address your first point, we have lots of wonderfully competent Scottish politicians at Westminster, very many of whom, post independence, would surely seek to return to Scotland and become Holyrood politicians?

OP, I wasn't summarising just your response to yes and no voters, more the thread as a whole. It's a bit like reading something put out by a very very evangelical religious organisation. If you are a yes voter you are one of us; if you are a no voter there is something a bit wrong with you, but we will be nice because that is the best way to convert you.

Perhaps the parallel is a fair one. It reads to me like a conviction, a matter of faith and belief, not so much in the nature of being a Scot, but in socialism perhaps.

Not saying I wouldn't have socialist views myself. There is a lot I would change about the government we have. I'm not easy either about the gap between rich and poor in the UK.

But just observing that if I was a no voter I wouldn't dare say so on this thread. Which seems a shame because you said you wanted something else.

I feel youre being over dramatic,you couldn't say on this thread you're no voter?why
Really,why?its anonymous forum.no one gonnae jump the bus come to your house for a wurd
Naturally folk will disagree.its mn,ive seen a rammy about how much mince feeds a family

Machair I don't know if you know about the common weal? I'm not trying to convert you but if you're interested in the constitutional gubbins then it might be worth looking up.

What Fanny?

Wasn't trying to be dramatic, scottishmummy. Just that Op was wondering where all the no voters were.

And ppl are put off by different things. You are not timid, I know, but others are less likely to come forward.

I think that if they need to move their headquarters south due to European rules, they'll keep their workforces where they are, wouldn't make sense to move away from a proven set up and where the talent is.
I'm afraid you're wrong. DP is a banker and I've met many of his FS contacts socially. They all say that managements and senior staff would concentrate in London. They will keep some local offices in Scotland though.

You are being dramatic.youd not say you're a no voter?are you suggesting you fear repercussion?

I attached a pic Jenny.

Tell me BoB are you similarly reticent on all mn threads or just this one?