Scotland YES or NO

I just hope that Scotland remains part of the UK. I have always loved the diversity and strengths of all parts of the home nations. I went to the Commonwealth
games and supported the Scottish,Welsh and Irish competitors as much as the English because to me they all belong to my country! I would be really sorry to see them go

I do hope it stays like that

Latest poll reported on Newsnight: NO 54%; YES 46%.

Well, it's all over, for now, bar the counting. A lot of people on both sides will be on tenterhooks until the result. Hope the hooks aren't too sharp!

Quiet but busy here. The ladies at the polling station tell me they had a busy morning but slower in the afternoon. Expecting a post-work surge.

DS and a bunch of uni friends have hired a small lecture theatre for the night. As they are not all of one mind I'm sure they're ready for some interesting chat.

On the way home I was stopped by a middle-aged couple who asked where the voting was taking place. Maybe they'd just moved into the area or perhaps they were first-time voters who were at last moved to vote.

With so many people registering to vote ( can it really be 97%?) will there be a rise in council tax payments payments now more appear on the electoral roll, I wonder?

I'd like to add my thanks to Granny23 for such well-informed, calm and rational contributions.

All quiet in my town also,queues at the polling station at 7am,definitely a high turnout for this historic vote.

All is quiet in my small village, but we all rub along together quite amicably. I voted and then sat in the pub across from the Polling Station with friends of both persuasions, watching the comings and goings : fascinating. Many voters we have never seen before - everyone is coming out of the woodwork. Roll on the morning for the, hopefully, quick result.

Granny23 I had a vision of you cantering through town centres, either like a centaur, mane flowing, or like Lady Godiva with your hair covering your modesty.

Dear Jane I am quite sure if anything of that nature had been posted on this thread Gransnet HQ would have removed it at once but no such action has been needed.

Just been to vote- huge turn out. I sincerely hope that frannygranny did not mean me by her comments re "puerile anti Scottish comments". Anything I posted was heartfelt and based on direct and personal experience as a Scot living and paying taxes here in Scotland. Its been nasty here. I fear it will remain nasty. There will undoubtedly be recriminations and gloating. Thanks Alex. Sorry if that's "puerile" that's what my exasperation has brought me to. I can completely understand the feelings of the other parts of the UK. What a mess.

Great post Frannygranny,agree with every word of it.

Where in the three mandates that we ALL voted for does it say that if the vote is Yes the population of the UK will be asked with regard to the constitution? It is far too big for us to allow the MP's to take decisions without our input

Granny23 keeping fingers crossed the Yes vote wins. Thank you for all your extremely well put points and explanations, they were unbiased even though you are very up front with your allegiance and the fact that you never rose to the bait regarding some of the very nasty and puerile anti-Scottish comments that have been posted on this thread. Whatever the result you can hold your head up high and be very proud of your contribution to this and other threads.

I have found the link to the report from the Institute for Public Policy Research

www.ippr.org/publications/decentralisation-decade on how the national economy needs regional rebalancing.

and another

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/31/however-scotland-votes-england-must-change This one has links to a lot of articles on issues in the North - which are equally important in other regions of the UK.

Their representatives in Parliament will have a say in the discussion and passing/rejecting the Bill, when the time comes. That is the same input as the general population has on the conversion of any Bill into an Act. I am sure the MPs will get pressure from the electorate!

But my point is that most people who will be affected by this will have had no say what-so-ever is that fair?

This referendum is to ask the people of Scotland what they want. It is not passing a law making it a fact. That will be decided after the referendum shows whether yes or no is the wish of the population and all the horse-trading is over.

If it is enacted by the UK parliament at Westminster I assume that it would become legal. If a majority votes yes I cannot see Westminster failing to at least bring in a bill proposing the split - they would be mincemeat if they ignored a decision by free vote.

If it is no I foresee a lot of discussion about decentralisation and a concentration on bringing up the GDP of the other centres to a comparable position to London, not just for Scotland and Wales but for other regions too.

I posted a link to a think-tank report on decentralisation earlier in the thread. I shall look back and repost it.

'canters' of course should read 'centres' Apologies, but I am a nervous wreck....

Three highly expensive NOs, paid for by one person, in no way trumps the thousands who gathered to dance and sing in town canters throughout Scotland.

Friend Bags - whatever the result at least one of us will be very happy

If the vote is Yes, would it stand up in international law as the vast majority of folk whom it will affect re the constitution etc will not have had a say in the matter?

From Stirling

From Glasgow

and


From Edinburgh

Faye I don't think it's fair to say David Cameron wants us to leave the EU. Some in the Tory Party do, but it's not party policy.

FarNorth, the problem is that Alex Salmond had the opportunity to say it was wrong for his supporters to deliberately prevent someone from being able to exercise freedom of speech. He didn't do so.

Very much hoping that all these divisions will be put behind us after tomorrow's vote

This for me has been a fascinating thread, I have read every post. While I think the No vote will scrape through I do agree with those in the UK wanting Scotland to stay. I also understand the Yes voters wanting independence from Westminster's rule.

It does seem odd that Cameron & Co have been very assertive about holding on to Scotland while wanting to leave the EU. On the other hand Scotland wants independence but then wants to be a member of the EU.

I hope in the far distant future that the UK doesn't break up into fragments and then all become members of a huge EU state.