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.

Oh I'm on the crappy app

"Well, quite. I read recently that basically in the event of a No vote Scots are finally conceding to the fact that there is no Scotland, that we are just north Britain."

So you did go and see The Pure the dead and the brilliant then? There is reference to North Britain in the play...

aye beast of burden, the thread has turned into something other than i intended. but i've been on internet message boards to know that was always going to be the case.

I don't get why anyone would feel too scared to voice their no opinion though. If you believe in what you say then surely you'd be happy to discuss it. Nobody has shouted anon else down, it's just debate I hope intended to give more information and help people decide (with the possible exception of LadyCordelia perhaps, but then I think she gave as good as she got and was quite into it). It's certainly made me re examine my opinion about leaving the rest of the UK to right/centre politics and think about my sources.

As I said the last thread I read on here was the other way, completely dominate by no's and quite intimidating to me as a yes voter. Made me go away and check a lot of facts. Which I found made me more certain of my opinion.

Sorry if you feel being nice is creepy and trying to turn you! I could call you a tory cunt if it'd help :-)

You know ppl can't fear repercussions from an anonymous thread. But if you read back (leaving out lady thingy who posted something offensive about all yes voters being a bit dim, who deserved the comments that provoked) what I see is that no voters get asked what makes them so happy about food banks and poverty etc, as if they can have no social conscience at all. Or they are told that their information is lousy. If they post better information, like butterfly, it is quietly dropped.

I just wouldn't join in, I wouldn't feel this was a fair discussion. It's a bit like this: you are not saying, hmm, perhaps that is a fair point: you are straight to the attack, asking me if I am scared of heavies coming round, or if I am always so over-sensitive. You're not trying to get to the truth, you just want to win.

If the banking crisis had happened to the Scottish banks in an independent Scotland, it would have been an Iceland situation.

And don't tell me the banking crisis wouldn't have happened. You think Salmond is going to create a properly functioning financial regulatory system?

Financial services is the mainstay of the Edinburgh economy. It will go - along with the jobs that support it.

What's left after that? Oil? The numbers are lies. Tourism? God help us.

Don't vote "yes" thinking we can go back. We can't.

The SNP can't end poverty. Economic growth can.

Xpostede with OP!

No, it wasn't just about you- really. Do call me a Tory cunt if you like, I always like being someone else on the Internet....

Seriously, though, it is very interesting to see how any group can quickly be intimidating, and I can quite see that a similar thread full of no voters could also be scary for a no voter.

Sally, I know folk at RBS and standard life and tesco bank and noone is saying that. The senior management of RBS is in London already anyway.

It's all conjecture just now anyway!

Scary for a yes voter, I meant.

BoB youre simply speculating its unsafe to express no as an opinion
Its mn,yes there'll be an argument as i said folk argue how much mince feeds a family
But you simply can not generalise that no voters are cowed into silence.just in case

Fair and Just?

The issue of Scottish independence is one of the most momentous changes that has happened in my lifetime. It is something will affect the whole of Great Britain yet only people living in Scotland will have the vote. No rights for the English, the Welsh, The Irish or for the Scots living in the areas outside Scotland. How can this be fair and just? The fact that the Westminster government agreed this makes me think that maybe they actually don't want a No vote

Fair and just? Scotland has already benefitted greatly from devolution as Endlife points out. This has been at the expense of many ordinary people in the rest of Great Britain.

I do think some of the nastiness seen on these threads and in Scotland will take some getting over. I have always considered myself as British but I now think a yes vote is inevitable and probably preferable. I do however feel hugely sad about it.

We will have to agree to differ scottishmummy but I think it is fair to say that not everyone has the self confidence that you have in robust debate.

If one cannot tolerate divergent opinion,or online folk disagreeing then mn aint for them

Isn't Iceland enjoying economic growth again, at a rate better than our own faltering recovery?

Nice try, scottishmummy, but the whole point is that some kinds of debate are more intimidating than others and ppl can have divergent opinions and disagree on MN in lots of different ways.

I think that there is a real possibility that we will see a new diversity in politics in iScotland. So, so many of those who have come out in favour of Yes are not SNP, but people who see this as an opportunity to move our politics back to the left, where the electorate want it to be.

Personally, while I have always voted SNP, once their aim of independence is achieved I think my vote will go with the Greens, a party of integrity whose aims are for our country to be fair and for its economy to be sustainable. I really believe this campaign will give rise to a generation of new, energetic, socialist politicians and that will give us someone to vote for again :)

deedee seriously? Are you wired to the moon? Of course the giants of RBS and Standard Life would move. They are making plans as we speak to do so. They couldn't switch to a Scottish regulator.

You have to use common sense here. Financial services in scotland would be fucked.

Wake up.

Its not a try because its not contentious.online folk will argue toss about most things
This isnt a particularly heated topic,ive seen more aggro about formula feeding

Apple, we'll still all be British. We're not leaving the landmass. We'll still share an island, a geographical location, a history, a culture, the weather, genetics, food, a currency (!) amongst numerous other things. Scotland won't lose it's British identity. Anymore than it'll stop being Northern or European. Unless you feel that Britishness only comes from being politically united.

like i said roonerspism, they could move their head offices to wherever they like and be regulated there and have their workforce wherever they like. They already have offices in India! but i'll do some more research if you think i should be worried

No one knows what the big financial players will do but they've operated in Scotland, which already has a separate legal and financial system, for years.

What I meant is, you were suggesting that I was too precious and too self opinionated to survive MN. And I am saying, no, my point was, ages ago, that Op was wondering where the no voters were, and I suggested that they might not be here because it was a bit of a scary place. Which was not what OP wanted, and it seemed a shame, and it might help to recognise that. OP got what I meant, I think.

OP recognised that this can be scary, she had a similar experience on a thread full of yes voters. Others have also referred to it.

Of course we have seen worse manners and behaviour on other threads, though since you ask, no I am always careful not to be nasty and aggressive to folk. But this is a very heartfelt issue for both sides, so you might not put yourself out there about something you care about, if you can see you are going to be in the minority.

You enjoy a bit of rough and tumble, we all know that.

I don't have a vote myself, I came here to see what the debate was like.

Abd most operate on an international level already, transcending many countries and their differences.

DH and I have PhDs in non-economic subjects, so I guess that makes us two of those uneducated thickos who are going to vote YES!

Without outing myself, I know a lot about financial regulation from working in London.

Companies can't just switch regulators.

Deedee - please please do more research.

Financial services in scotland will go, as we know it. We might retain call centres - but HQ will go.

Please don't vote yes without understanding this.

deedee
I can assure you they will move.
Property companies around the City and Docklands have been receiving enquiries about accommodation from many companies looking to move. They will press the button as soon as there is a yes vote, so they can be moved before the independence date.