To believe that it will be a "no" vote in the majority on the 18th?

[Tabby1963]

My reasoning is that, although there appears (from media reports) to be increased enthusiasm for voting "yes" it is not the whole story (they're just shouting the loudest). The noes are the default; and therefore they don't have to say anything or do anything, just vote on the 18th.

My experience having chatted to neighbours, colleagues, friends is that the vast majority (more than 80%) are going to be voting no.

I'm hoping for a no vote, I care hugely about this country and fear the future if "yes" wins. I am certain that if "no" is the majority then I anticipate there will be big changes coming for Scotland, and devolution will continue slowly and carefully.

I totally sympathise with the notion that Scotland does not want the Tories to rule from Westminster and that only by voting for independence will that never happen again, but surely we have to look at the bigger picture here? There is so much at stake to base the future of Scotland and its inhabitants on this single issue?

The BogQueen, for a teacher to say they are not willing to look into dyslexia because the problem "IS your English accent" is very wrong.

Both firstchoice and I have been told this independently in different parts of Scotland. Strangely I never had any trouble spelling whilst using a non-standard English accent. This is because I'm able to read and memorise. My child with dyslexia cannot do this.

Beyond perhaps the first time I've never had a problem spelling drawer Old Lady and neither has my child who isn't dyslexic. We read, we copy.

Saying "I've never heard of this so it doesn't happen" (paraphrasing) has an unpleasant whiff of victim blaming and minimising about it.

Forgive me for the somewhat clumsy parallel, but it brings to mind the kind of men who believe sexual harassment is a made up thing because they wouldn't do it and anyway, it's never happened to anyone they know.

YANBU I don't know anyone voting yes, and my family and friends are a mixture of working and middle class.
I commute by train for work, everyone is talking about it and they are all planning on voting no.

There are people on Facebook who have started a campaign to boycott Asda after Asda announced plans to raise prices If Scotland were independent. They also see companies like Standard life and John Lewis as making threats a about warning of relocating and price increases
I don't think it's threats, it's being realistic.

BogQueen

No, we have been told that 'he cant spell because he has a right English accent just like you. HAR HAR.'

That is NOT okay.

Nor is it ok to say 'we cant teach certain phonics sounds because of our local idiom'. Also NOT okay.

I've been thinking today and realise that I'm not against Scotland becoming an independent country in the future but I feel strongly that the way to achieve this is by continuing devolution. It may take ten, twenty even fifty years to achieve but surely that's preferable to rushing things through for the sake of it, especially when there are so many unanswered questions; the risk we're taking is enormous . I'm voting no for this reason and I think the majority of voters in Scotland will do likewise.

Absolutely Tabby. Come back to me in 10 or 15 years with some figures that actually make sense and add up and I'd consider voting yes too

Jesus

saying it's 'ok' for your son to be treated like that. Just that yes accents can cause difficulty when picking up sounds and spelling. But obviously if a child has dyslexia then that is an issue with cognitive processing that needs to be supported.

Likewise I am not a supporter of sexual harassment, neither am I a 'minimiser' or 'victim blamer' or any of the other things you are sanctimoniously accusing me of.

Frankly I grew up in a part of London where people were bullied, assaulted and killed for the colour of their skin. I don't think being English in Scotland is quite the same. It's not. I'm not going to adopt some dirt of victim mentality about it. Because that would be ridiculous and insulting to people coping with very real prejudice every day.

And yes flippingada is is a clumsy parallel and no I don't forgive you fir it.

OK Bog Queen...
Sorry if I insulted anyone by pointing out an experience..

I have never had a victim mentality about the anti-English bile in a few Scots. But I have let it pass on every occasion and never confronted the bigotry. I feel guilty about that now. We let it pass and it just continues.

Im not annoyed at 'sharing experience' I'm annoyed at other posters reconstructing my posts to suit themselves and attributing values and motivations to them which aren't there.

And yes sure there is bigotry against English people but I've experienced worse in England through havjng a 'common' accent.

Ditto and your point is we should just stop moaning I take it?

About the common accent; I have had snobbery in England yes, but never the visceral distrust and dislike an English accent can evoke in a few.

I generally just tell the person to grow up. But this has only happened once in my 10 years in Scotland.

So..yes it goes on, and it should be challenged. But the idea that an English person would face routine prejudice and abuse just doesn't square with my experience and I don't think it's a 'thing.'

And yes a few people will be idiots. But people will be idiots about anything.

BogQueen I was in a foul mood when I posted my previous comment and it was a really dickish thing to say so I apologise. Genuinely.

The only thing I#d disagree on is people will be idiots about anything. This is a pervasive thought process that some people have whereby "the English" are blamed for everything.

This feeling has now been neatly distilled into "Team WEstminster" for the purposes of the SNP.

It's going to be a no vote on the day. I'll come back and eat my trousers if it isn't.

Jason Byrne did a brilliant skit on it in his Fringe show. He said I love Scottish people, they're like the Irish in that they never tell the truth about their feelings. So they're all like 'independence! Aye, come on! Fuck the English! We're going independent! Yes! Fuck the lot of them!' Etc etc (with hilarious accent and pantomiming) 'but on the day they'll just go 'no' (miming a wee sleekit face, a tick, then a little ballet dance out of the polling booth).

He got roars of applause because people recognise this so well. How else did the apparently universally reviled Maggie Thatcher win landslide victories? People don't openly say when they're voting for the 'uncool' option. Yes has all the cool people onside, no has Cliff Richard and Nick Clegg.

I know what you mean barda. I think this undercurrent has been cynically exploited - the "us vs them" - not everyone voting no fits into the crude characterisation of an unfeeling tory toff who thinks the UK government are doing a great job.

I think the SNP have done done good things. But I instinctively dislike nationalism and this aspect of it all, it's so divisive and leaves me very uneasy.

I don't live in Scotland and never have, however I think they will vote NO.

I listen to LBC and a year ago they couldn't get anyone to ring their phone in's and admit they will vote UKIP, now they don't have any issues. I looks any one who is Scottish and wants to vote NO is probably claiming that they will vote YES, after all, you dont have to put your name on ballot sheet.

Morris is so right regarding Thatcher. Someone must have voted for her...

*done some good things

Off topic Morris but I berluddy love Jason Byrne!! See him every year at the festival and he was totally on the ball this year. So was Andrew Maxwell but in a totally different way to Jason