To feel sad that this could be the last day as a United Country?

[Loopylala7]

Anyone else?

People outside Scotland don't get to vote because each state has the right to self-determination. Scotland is free to leave the UK if its people, and only its people, want it to.

I'm English, from the South and in the Don't Know Camp.

Even though I don't have a vote I'm still riveted by current events. We could be about to witness a momentous period in the history of these islands.

Even if the outcome is No some things will never be the same again. This referendum will help set the agenda for next year's General Election. After years of apathy, more people are engaging with politics again. Many people, not just in Scotland, are inspired by the principle of moving power away from Central Government and politicians will have to start paying attention.

And if it's Yes tomorrow, has it been decided how the General Election would be conducted? Would Scots elect MPs to see them through until independence in 2016? Or would they not get a vote? But then there would be a period when they aren't represented. Will there have to be a recount in 2016 to determine who has a majority in rUK? Sooo many questions!

If it is yes - I will feel sad -

my family will become divided - with half on "foreign" soil... with the knowledge that borders can be opened or closed depending on the political whims of the moment

It's not really democracy if most of the UK doesn't get a say in what's happening. A yes vote will affect the whole of the UK.

I am not Scottish and am fairly ambivalent about the vote going either way. My OH is Scottish and his family are divided by this. They are all still on good terms though thank god. One thing I do wonder/worry about is how independence will make us ALL smaller and less powerful countries. Can this really be a good thing to make us all deliberately weaker on a global level? Whilst I am sympathetic to the Scottish Nationalists desire for independence, would remaining together not make us stronger on the world stage?

Eh? I was responding to your 'who are theh going to hate when the english are gone' question. The point I was trying to make was that the people who hate England will still hate England and that's how they will be able to rationalise it - no longer being joined to England won't mean they need a new target.

Errol - yeah I'd hope for a fair settlement too but I'm a bit more cynical about politicians than that, plus it's going to be very hard to figure out what counts as fair and equitable when you have people on one side of the divide who think England has been subsidising Scotland and people on the other who think England has been milking it.

It's easier to keep an eye on them when they are closer to home though

Now that's not true. I'm in London and have just as much or as little power as anyone in Scotland to 'keep an eye on' Cameron and his little coven.

becca, I completely agree. Along with the fact that an absolute majority is not required, the exclusion of the rest of the UK is my biggest objection to this whole process.

And I really don't think an indie Scotland would be 'more welcoming to immigrants'. Than what? Than London, where over half the population call themselves 'not white? Even Scotland's most cosmopolitan and mixed cities have a teeny percentage of non-white people.

the English will bargain very very hard (to save face for Cameron) so if the newly independent Scotland fails economically it will be easy to pin it on the unfair settlement on separation

I should hope they will, and please don't forget that the 'English' Government will be negotiating on behalf of Wales and N.Ireland too. I would also hope that Scotland would bargain very, very hard.

Interesting that you think that if it call goes pear shaped for Scotland economically that everyone will blame 'England' for their unfair settlement rather than Salmond and their new leaders for his lack of ability to negotiate a better settlement or to successfully run the country.

In other words you predict that if it all goes well, Scotland proves they are better alone and if it all goes wrong it's not their fault, the 'English' screwed them again?

I'm English, I've live in Scotland for sixteen years. I'm scared today. I think a Yes decision will be disastrous. I think a No will lead to violence. Either way I don't think anyone will really "win"

What will the exchange rate be for the pound to the err pound. My christmas holiday let might be dirt cheap!

Legion, yes, a bit like when business leaders came out in favour of independence and Salmond said it was marvellous that business was getting behind it etc etc; and when other business leaders came out in favour of staying he said it was a Westminster conspiracy.

He is all about political expediency. He's a deeply unimpressive individual.

the exclusion of the rest of the UK is my biggest objection to this whole process

I can see why you would feel that because it does affect the entire UK dramatically if Scotland gains independence. However, I would liken it to the UK deciding on whether or not to leave the EU. The British voters would expect to be able to make that choice themselves, not to have all member states voting on whether they should stay or go, yet their exit would affect the entire EU.

Or if someone wants to leave a marriage. It affects both parties but either person can make the decision to leave.

'Interesting that you think that if it call goes pear shaped for Scotland economically that everyone will blame 'England' for their unfair settlement rather than Salmond and their new leaders for his lack of ability to negotiate a better settlement or to successfully run the country.

In other words you predict that if it all goes well, Scotland proves they are better alone and if it all goes wrong it's not their fault, the 'English' screwed them again?'

No, I don't think 'everyone' will blame England - I was talking about the subset of people in Scotland who are already anti-English.

Scotland proves they are better alone and if it all goes wrong it's not their fault, the 'English' screwed them again?

Yeh, blame EVRYTHING on the English.
That's what we're hear for.

here (obviously) :)

I am genuinely bemused by how many people on here think that they should have a vote in the referendum. Why would anyone other that the Scots and people who live in Scotland have any say in the future of Scotland? Surely when someone leaves a job/marriage/community it's their choice and not the choice of the other.

Right becca so what would democracy be then - let 50 million people living in England affect the future of the much smaller 5 million or so population in Scotland that wants to be independent?

dot - I don't see there's any way we could have had a vote, but the scots are taking a vote which could deeply affect the future of England, Wales and NI too. And my identity is 'British' - not just 'English' - that bit up there is (for today at least, and I sincerely hope much longer) my country too.

How would the Scots have reacted if in some unthinkable alternate dystopia, England had decided to have a referendum on whether to become a separate state independent of the other parts?

I am genuinely bemused by how many people on here think that they should have a vote in the referendum. Why would anyone other that the Scots and people who live in Scotland have any say in the future of Scotland? Surely when someone leaves a job/marriage/community it's their choice and not the choice of the other.

You may be right, however if it is a yes, then everyone should get a say on the negotiations to a point.

I don't think it will be as easy as some think. rUK will not just roll iver and let iScitland have what they want. They have a significant larger number of people to 'look after'.

England cannot vote as they are the colonizing nation. England cannot seek independence from Scotland, or Wales, or Nothern Ireland or any other country they colonized. England could vote to grant independence to these colonized nations. Each colonized country can seek independence from England. They are two very different votes.

Great Britain cannot be broken up, only the United Kingdom can. Regardless of how the vote goes, the people of scotland will still be British on Friday.

What I don't understand, as a Scot, is why a possible Yes win is potentially such a negative for England/NI/Wales.

We hear enough up here about how unhappy many in England are with tuition fees, the Barnett formula, prescription fees, our audacity in wanting independence etc etc. But there doesn't seem to be any desire to do something about that unhappiness. Is there really such jaded cynicism towards politics ? Don't you feel that you have a say in how to shape your future ?

A yes vote won't destroy the UK, it will simply make it different - it gives the UK the chance to shape and plan it's own future.

I firmly believe that UK politics is rotten. It was exposed during the MP expense scandal, worsened by the economic difficulties and yet still there is no drive to change it.

Well, in Scotland, there is that drive so we're doing something about it. Why doesn't the remainder of the UK do something about it ?

England ... are the colonizing nation. LOLZ.

What I don't understand, as a Scot, is why a possible Yes win is potentially such a negative for England/NI/Wales.

Well the many billions it will cost to seperate as a starter.

The Acts of Union were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland.

HTH

theherb 'if Scotland goes the rest of us will be stuck with the Tory party for the foreseeable future. Please God don't do that to us.'