indyref 14 - the one with the polling day

[StatisticallyChallenged]

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

Maybe that's a possibility eventually majestic after negotiations to get back into EU start in 2016.
A lot of young people miss out on the opportunity in the 4 years those negotiations take place though.

I was speaking to someone from Romania yesterday. He told me his country has 18 million people (down from 22 million before independence from the Soviet Bloc), and that the average salary is about equivalent to 300 or 400 Euros a month. They produce well educated, qualified people who are desperate to get out of Romania because they can't make much money there, however clever and hard working they are. Despite it being a beautiful country with stunning mediaveal cities. Its rife with corruption.

I can imagine Scotland turning into something similar. If you think the squabbling and level of "debate" is infantile now, imagine if this lot have a country of their own to dominate and boss around. Imagine what it will be like when much of the talent that is able to do so, ups and leaves.

Imagine the ordinary person, the one who doesn't earn a high wage, isn't able to get a well paid job abroad, and doesn't own their own home. They need the higher rate taxpayers to stay and pay for them but they want to leave to try and find the standard of living elsewhere that they once took for granted.

Corporation tax isn't the big revenue source for a country, its income tax. You only have a little over 5 million people to start with. You have royally pissed off your biggest trading partner and ally, who now rightly acts in the best interests of its own people. You are no longer in the EU. You don't have the protection of the European Convention on Human Rights.

But what you will have is various Scottish politicians telling you how wonderful it all is, claims that the media is biased if it reports anything different, and cuts in an attempt to balance the books hidden. Maybe you might be pressurised by someone from a government department if you dare to speak out.

Anniehoo I think that our current young people will be Ok because of their British citizenship. Best guess seems to be that those who were born British will still be entitled to be British citizens, possibly dual with Scottish citizens. Should pass to our children too. So even if Scotland is out we'll still be eu citizens

just had some poor market researcher on the phone. I was all ready to say, Yes I've voted and what I've voted, but

'MsFreddie, if you could have new windows, new doors, new patio and conservatory, all paid for blah blah'

'The future of the United Kingdom is at stake today and YOU'RE TALKING TO ME ABOUT PATIOS'

I'm watching with much interest all the way from NZ! All the best Scotland, whichever way the vote swings!

preferred solution, BTW, at the moment is a broadsword duel between the two campaign leaders

Have you ever seen the old broadswords in Edinburgh Castle or elsewhere because they are absolutely HUGE and I doubt there's anyone involved in either campaign that could even lift one these days let alone fight with it!

I've woken up late and so very tired. I feel a pie supper coming on tonight and my arteries can just take any consequences.

I shall now have a bath and then go to vote. I voted Yes in the devolution referendum but for this particular vote I shall say No and I feel completely comfortable with that. It sounds very quiet outside today but I shall let you all know how I get on.

Hmm, my last post seems to have disappeared into the ether.

Annie I'm not in work - because of where I work we have to be officially neutral (so you can probably guess) but of course people are talking about it all, just quietly.

That is a relief to hear stat , thanks .

Just back. Polling station v quiet.

When will the predicted results start being announced?

Aaaagh. Nerves are well and truly wracked.

That's all.

It's very quiet here today. Everyone seems quite subdued.

Chin up Phaedra, even if it's a yes, in the words of the thank God inimitable Elaine C Smith, "we kin a'ways pap him oot."

And glad you're right too majestic . I was really sad thinking about young scottish people not being able to freely live with others from EU so I'm glad I got that wrong

I am so nervous today, its weird never expected myself to feel like this.

Its going to be a close call.

I've got the news on in the background, and after so much coverage of the campaigns in the last few days, it's a weird change that it's all vanished. They've shown, as you'd expect, the prominent people from both sides arriving to vote and grinning at the cameras. And have cameras at various polling stations, none showing queues ATM but all busy with people coming and going.

No-one knows how long EU accession would take. The Spanish EU Minister estimated 5 years to apply, not to join, and I think he was right (and spoke with far more clarity and precision than any politician in Scotland has done).

The fast track of the former Eastern European states, still took 6 years from application, and that was with years of preparation beforehand. It also nvolved a lot of EU assistance in areas such as tackling corruption and preparing membership applications, because there was a real will on the part of the EU to unite Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Turkey has been trying to get in for about 20 years, but cannot meet the criteria, particularly on human rights.

I think we are looking at somewhere between 4 and 8 years for Scotland, but with no guarantees - equally it might be longer, or might never happen.

Obviously, the longer it takes, the more damage it does to Scotland's economy, as it will be subject to import and export tariffs that currently don't apply. There will be constant negotiations about those, meanwhile our farmers will be in limbo as their main source of funding will be gone.

The value of the pound against the euro has risen over a cent in the past 24 hours. I'd guess from that that early exit polls are saying no.

I thought they weren't having any exit polls?

Or do they carry out exit polls anyway but decide not to release them publicly?

Loads of TV cameras at my polling station. Word must have got out that I lived nearby.

Solomon I'm not sure there are any exit polls, but happy to be corrected

"I'd guess from that that early exit polls are saying no."

I didn't think they were allowed to publish any form of exit poll until polling stations closed? And this early in the day, it couldn't possibly be representative even if the campaigns are aggregating privately in real time.

There will be privately commissioned polls for businesses.

I didn't see any sign of exit polls.

I understood they're not having exit polls.

Squoosh