An outside perspective on Scottish Independence

On September 18, Scotland will vote on independence. Regardless of the outcome, this is an exciting time to be living here. The election propaganda has been fierce, but still much more limited than any election in the US (we've really only been getting spammed in the last 3 months!). We've been asked a lot of questions about the independence election, so we'll try to clear things up to the best of our ability. Disclaimer: We are not Scottish and can never truly understand the intricacies of the situation. However, we are living here right now and will do our best.

What are the two 'sides' called?

The two main 'camps' in this issue are 'Independent Scotland' (aka 'Yes') and 'Better Together' (aka 'No').

Do we get to vote in the election? 

No, because of the fateful day in history when the US rebelled against British rule. The election is limited to any UK resident living in Scotland and any Commonwealth citizens resident in Scotland at the time of the election. Even people who grew up in Scotland all their lives, but are living outside of Scotland are not eligible.

The voting age in the UK is 18, but the election age has been reduced to 16 for this particular vote. In Scotland, you only have to be 16 to marry (no parental consent needed) and if Scotland becomes independent, the voting age would be reduced to 16. I think back to myself at 16, still living at home, and realize that I didn't know the first practical thing about living on my own yet, managing finances, etc. My guess is the rebellious streak in teenagers will help the Yes vote. There are more cultural nuances here than I've listed because the school system works differently here and you can complete your required education at 16 and then pursue jobs or vocational training, while any students wishing to go to a traditional university must complete an additional 1-2 years of training before they begin. With this system in place, it is possible to be a completely self-sufficient 16 year old out in the world in Scotland. Once again, nothing is as simple as it seems.

Propaganda: 

We see it in commercials, in the mail, handed out on the street, signs in store windows - EVERYWHERE. In general, the Yes material discusses what could happen under an independent Scotland, but there are very few concrete details. None of the plans are guaranteed and everything is couched in terms of 'We hope' or 'We could'. Phrases like this (from the article below) keep coming up in relation to some of the issues: 'The reality is no-one can know how it would work out until it happens.' I think this is really the key problem with the Yes campaign.

It's hard to find an unbiased website, but here's a good site that seems to include a little bit of both sides (Edinburgh News). It brings up some of the contradictions in the two sides of the argument that we kept hearing/seeing:

	YES	NO
Is Independence feasible?	Independence achievable by 2016	Not feasible
Can Scotland be financially independent?	Scotland is one of the wealthiest nations in the world and contributes evenly in taxes to the UK	Scotland gets more public spending than the rest of the UK and receives more than it puts in
Could Scotland join the EU?	Scotland would be a EU member	There's no way to know
Could Scotland keep the pound?	Scotland could keep the pound	Scotland could not keep the pound (Misleading: Scotland could keep the pound, but could not have any say in interest rates, etc. since it would be another country's currency)
Would Independence require more tax money?	No increase in taxes to accomplish the whole plan	Increase by about £1000 per year

Here are some examples of the brochures we've gotten at our flat:

YES

YES: This would be fantastic and I'd love to see families have access to this.
I'm still unclear on where this money will come from.
Note: There is a full year of maternity leave built into the system here (typically 26 weeks regular, and you can take an additional 26 weeks at less pay).

YES: Many people are financially concerned about the election and this tries to explain the 'facts'. 

YES: 'Your Choice' sounds like it's unbiased - but this is definitely from the Independent Scotland campaign!

YES: Not a clear message of an actual plan, but more of 'a hope' for a better system. 

NO: What happy kids in the highlands. I'm sure they knew they were part of the message.

NO: This brochure does not say that they couldn't use the pound (common misconception), but it gets close!

NO: Note that they play on the whisky for their argument! We had also never considered that Scotland would need their own embassies all over the world. 

What does the UK government say?

NO: Once again 'You Decide' sounds so unbiased. This is a UK government publication.
They are not impartial and completely support the NO campaign.

How does the rest of the UK feel? 

The running joke: 'The easiest way to assure Scottish independence would be to let England vote!'
But there are many English people who believe in the unity of the UK.

J.K. Rowling lives in Edinburgh and (as might be expected) has written the most eloquent essay I have read on the topic. Here are two paragraphs (first and last) from her website, but feel free to check out the whole thing here.

I came to the question of independence with an open mind and an awareness of the seriousness of what we are being asked to decide.  This is not a general election, after which we can curse the result, bide our time and hope to get a better result in four years.  Whatever Scotland decides, we will probably find ourselves justifying our choice to our grandchildren.  I wanted to write this because I always prefer to explain in my own words why I am supporting a cause and it will be made public shortly that I’ve made a substantial donation to the Better Together Campaign, which advocates keeping Scotland part of the United Kingdom. 

...

If the majority of people in Scotland want independence I truly hope that it is a resounding success. While a few of our fiercer nationalists might like to drive me forcibly over the border after reading this, I’d prefer to stay and contribute to a country that has given me more than I can easily express.  It is because I love this country that I want it to thrive.  Whatever the outcome of the referendum on 18th September, it will be a historic moment for Scotland.  I just hope with all my heart that we never have cause to look back and feel that we made a historically bad mistake. 

How are our friends voting? 

We have friends in both camps, although I've never seen the two groups discussing the issue in person. On both sides, they admit that they understand the arguments from the other side. It is a complicated issue and the polls here are completely undecided and hovering around 50% for each side. I think we'll just have to wait for election day to find out.

If YES wins, when would Scotland actually become independent? 

The YES side expects the complicated negotiations to be completed in time for the next planned Scottish Parliment elections, so they have tentatively set a date of March 24, 2016 for independence. Considering it has taken longer than that to publish a volume of scientific papers from a big group, I am rather dubious about the predicted timetable.

How would we vote? 

Based simply on the logistics of becoming a country in less than 2 years, I think it's unrealistic and would probably vote NO. Not to mention that losing a country from the UK would deal a sizable blow to both economies until the dust had fully settled. However, there are so many cultural issues here that do seem to set Scotland apart from the other areas of the UK. I think a change this enormous requires a much more detailed plan and a much slower transition. If the Scots truly believe that this is enough to warrant their own country, then I would not want to deny them the opportunity. The issue of freedom is centuries old and we cannot possibly hope to grasp the full meaning after living here for only a year.

Check back for updates after September 18!

A Scottish highland 'coo' eagerly awaits the news :)