indyref 14 - the one with the polling day

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Come on in, sit down, and chew your nails with us.

I love Alex in this picture. He oozes sex. No idea who the brazen hussy beside him is.

browngirl I know how you feel about work. I have some big meetings tomorrow and how are we supposed to do them with this going on. Everyone is being terribly British and carrying on like there is nothing happening but you can feel the tension.

Now that's a man who would give Hollande a run for his money as lead Romeo. I'd definitely do him.

I've just cast my no vote. I feel like crying. Almost everyone walking toward the polling station as I left had a Yes sticker on. I felt like a scab at a strike. It feels so confusing to be voting differently from almost all of my friends.

The balanced, helpful posts from fellow No voters on here helped keep me sane the past wee while and helped me feel I was doing this for the right reasons - because the economic fine print has not been written and that has the potential to hurt the most vulnerable in our society most.

I almost changed my mind as I walked there, I thought of all the sly, nasty comments about Scottish people's education, intelligence, ambition, morals and even the way we talk that I've read on here (thankfully in the minority) and how it's hurt me in a way that I didn't expect. I don't have any patriotic spirit, Scottish, British, whatever.

And then I got to the polling station and saw the two No campaigners who were alone while there were crowds round the Yes campaigners. I remembered that my vote was about people, not nasty words on a screen.

Call me melodramatic but tomorrow is going to be tough, whatever the result.

Don't worry Corey, there is hope yet! At my polling station the No campaigners were the ones surrounded!

Yes Corey there are no 'winners' in this one.

Son off to Uni on Saturday and his student loan etc. still isn't sorted out - apparently we didn't include something we should have done, but that's a whole other story!

Anyway I had to ring up to clarify what I needed to send, and I get through to Scotland! Have a lovely chat with this Scottish fella .. about this and that, as you do, and of course the referendum. For obvious reasons I can't tell you what he said (probably wasn't even supposed to be talking about it).

But after I put the phone down I thought ... if Scotland becomes independent .. will his job go? Why would they have Student Finance offices situated in a different country?

If Scotland becomes independent lots of jobs will go Fontanella. But we just have to 'suck it up' don't we! If we vote 'No' we are called cowardly by the 'Yes' voters.

We are making plans to leave Scotland whatever the outcome. The division this whole thing has cause has ruined this country imo.

There would still be some but who knows how much would stay or go Fontella

Try not to let it get to you Corey. I feel a bit like that sometimes, but you've not done anything wrong. I do think that there is an element of Yes just being more visible - if you walk around central Edinburgh you barely see any badges. Most of those you do see are Yes - but I think Edinburgh is expected to be a No. I don't know any badge or sticker wearing No voters IYSWIM?

Out of interest I don't have my name on the full electoral roll in fact it was specifically removed on application and at the same time I've had no canvassers at all in the campaign and no campaign literature other than that which was dropped through the door or came via the postman.

Does anyone know which electoral roll political parties have access to?

corey sorry it was that experience for you. This experience has evoked so many conflicting emotions. It will take a while to recover.

Remember too, everything is not what it seems on the surface. For every post I see saying X and y switched to Yes I wonder what the true picture is when the words are in front of you in black and white and we are away from our peers. The outcome could be very different.

I too voted very differently from my family. Tbh I was amazed that such disdain for our fellow colleagues across the UK could have come from their lips. Given that they are where they are thanks to a long spell in London and Bristol! I quietly said I rather disliked the SNP and what the referendum stood for and dinner ended and was told that I had just arrived here and it didn't matter what I thought

This has not bought out the best in people.

But after I put the phone down I thought ... if Scotland becomes independent .. will his job go?

No he won't, as they outsource. The people on the phone don't work directly for the SLC. It doesn't matter where their call centres are based, it will be awarded to the call centre group who charge least and provide a good service.

I don't know OneNight, but I'm on the full roll and haven't been canvassed at all by either side.

I meant he won't lost his job, should have said it wouldn't go.

Thanks SC. I was thinking about it earlier.

Thanks Numanoid - that makes sense.

So it would be similar to BT using Indian call centres or Irish call centres - the contract goes to whoever provides the most efficient/cost effective service?

nursery that has made me smile!

Hamish I can see why, will you leave soon? I just got here and it was a terrible shock.

I like the pictures did people see that Bjork had rewritten a victory song for the Yes campaign?

I think the Yes campaign is selfish as it doesn't want to do anything to help the poor and underprivileged in the rest of the UK.

The Scottish vote as it stands is powerless to do anything to help the poor in the rest of the UK, so it seems unfair to accuse Yes voters, of not wanting to help, when they don't have the power to help. The absence of the Scottish vote wouldn't have changed the outcome of any General Election since 1945. While we're essentially disenfranchised in the UK as a whole, what more - politically - would we be able to do for those 'poor and underprivileged'?

We do have a fair amount of call centres here so I wouldn't be surprised if that stayed. I suspect when it comes to the banks that the call centre type work will be more likely to stay, but that there would be a gradual shifting of head office/finance/specialist functions. Similar with some insurance companies although Standard Life would be more of a wholesale move as it doesn't have much down south.

one we didn't get canvasser at all. Although randomly bailiffs for the last tenant showed up

Just got stuff through the door which all went straight in the bin. We are in an SNP stronghold so maybe they thought there was no point. I hand it to the campaign, they were very persistently visible. Someone even tied a Yes banner to some rocks underneath the water near a rather prominent spot on the road

I have a job in the States lined up already livingzuid. I could work anywhere in the UK, but I'm not sure I want to after all this. It's DH's job which will probably go, but the same company has interests in the US, so it may be possible for him to move with them. We shall see!

Thanks Numanoid - that makes sense.

So it would be similar to BT using Indian call centres or Irish call centres - the contract goes to whoever provides the most efficient/cost effective service?

They tend to go with whoever provides the service at the lowest price, and if they provide acceptable service and another reputable company doesn't undercut, they tend to just renew the contract. :)

I saw that (I think it was the Scotsman) had done a poll that said that 1/2 yes voters had put up posters or worn badges whilst only 1/5 no voters had done the same. Hopefully that can put it in some perspective.

I am annoyed that in stockbridge there is a huge yes stand. And nothing representing no - although it is pretty much definitely a no stronghold.

My folks are canvassing for no in Haddington and are getting massive of support.

VOTE RESULT

R&A have finally voted to allow women to join as members.

260 years of sexist exclusion overturned.

About bloody time.

Not quite as huge as the referendum but quite important none the less.

And nothing representing no - although it is pretty much definitely a no stronghold.

Probably why. There's no point in canvassing in an area which is a foregone conclusion.

Those who are voting 'No' are unlikely to change their minds at this point. It's the 'undecided' each side is after. That could swing the vote one way or the other.

I'm not from Haddington but I wish your folks well. At least they are getting out there and campaigning. I haven't seen many 'No' supporters doing the same.