Share

Scots still agonising over independence vote

Edinburgh - Opinion polls show hundreds of thousands of Scots were still agonising over whether to stay with the 307-year British union or back secession, even as voting opened.

In the final hours before polling stations opened, leaders of both sides urged Scots to seize the reins of history in a vote that has divided families, friends and lovers but also electrified this country of 5.3 million.

From the remote Scottish islands of the Atlantic to the toughest city estates of Glasgow, voters are being asked to answer "Yes" or "No" to the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

"This is an historic day for Scotland. I've waited all my life for this. It's time to break with England. 'Yes' to independence," said a businessman who gave his name as Ron and was the first person to vote at Edinburgh's Waverley Court.

As he spoke, a couple of workers hurrying by in the morning mist and drizzle shouted "Vote No!"
Five surveys - from pollsters YouGov, Panelbase, Survation, Opinium and ICM - showed support for independence at 48%, compared with 52% for the union.

‘Yes we can’

An Ipsos MORI poll showed it even closer at 49% to 51%, while a second Survation poll, conducted by phone, showed unionists at 53% and separatists at 47%.

The surveys also showed as many as 600 000 voters remained undecided, making the vote far too close to call. Polling stations close at 21:00 GMT and a result is expected early on Friday.

"This is our opportunity of a lifetime and we must seize it with both hands," Alex Salmond, Scotland's 59-year-old nationalist leader, told hundreds of supporters who waved the white on blue Scottish flag and chanted "Yes we can."

"Scotland's future must be in Scotland's hands," Salmond said in Perth, a city in eastern Scotland 740km north of London.

The independence movement says Scots should be able to choose their own leaders and make their own decisions rather than be ruled from London. Supporters of the union say Scotland is more prosperous and secure as part of the United Kingdom and the ties that bind them are too tight to be undone.

But with a mix of shrewd calculation and nationalist passion, Salmond has hauled the "Yes" campaign from far behind to within a few percentage points of winning his dream of an independent Scotland.

Could cost Cameron his job

Facing the biggest internal threat to the United Kingdom since Ireland broke away nearly a century ago, Britain's establishment - from Prime Minister David Cameron to corporate bigwigs and the princes of pop culture - have united in a last-ditch effort to convince Scots that the United Kingdom is "Better Together".

Cameron's job could be on the line if Scotland breaks away, but the 47-year-old prime minister has conceded that his privileged English background and Conservative politics mean he is not the best person to win over Scots.

That has left the leadership of the unionist case in the hands of the opposition Labour party, winner of 41 Scottish seats in the 2010 British election and the only party with the local support capable of checking the secessionist Scottish National Party.

Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a Scot who has in recent days led the battle cry for the union, on Wednesday warned Scots in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city and a crucial battleground, that Salmond was "leading us into a trap".

"Have confidence, stand up and be counted tomorrow," Brown thundered, fists clenched, to applause and cheers from unionist supporters. "Say to your friends, for reasons of solidarity, sharing, pride in Scotland, the only answer is vote 'No'."

A united kingdom?

In the event of a vote for independence, Britain and Scotland would face 18 months of talks on how to carve up North Sea oil and what to do about European Union membership and Britain's main nuclear submarine base.

Scotland says it will use the pound after independence, but London has ruled out a formal currency union.

The prospect of breaking up the United Kingdom, the world's sixth-largest economy and a veto-wielding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has prompted citizens and allies alike to ponder what would be left, while the financiers of the City of London have warned of market turmoil.

Salmond has accused London of orchestrating a campaign by business leaders aimed at spooking Scots after businesses from oil giant BP to financial services group Standard Life cautioned about the risks of independence.

US wants unity

The United States has made clear it wants the United Kingdom, its main ally in Europe, to remain together.

"The UK is an extraordinary partner for America and a force for good in an unstable world. I hope it remains strong, robust and united," US President Barack Obama said.

To blunt Salmond's argument for breaking away, Britain's rulers promised to guarantee Scotland high levels of state funding and grant Scots greater control over finances.

British leaders accept that even if Scotland votes to keep the union, the United Kingdom's structure will have to change, as granting further powers to Scotland will provoke calls for a less centralised state from voters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

British Finance Minister George Osborne has cancelled a trip to a G20 meeting in Australia while Bank of England Governor Mark Carney will be in London for the result of the Scottish vote.

Swinging the vote

Electoral officials said the result of the vote is expected by breakfast time on Friday morning, but partial results will give an indication of the trend after the count of major cities such as Glasgow are declared around 04:00 GMT.

Police played down the prospect of violence, and the leaders of both campaigns have said they will accept the will of the people no matter what the result and seek to work for Scotland.

In such a tight contest, the "undecideds'" final decisions could still swing the vote.

On the night before the ballot, Edinburgh voter Karen Wood told Reuters she had still not made up her mind.

"At the moment it is just the uncertainty of what Scotland has got in store for everyone. It's worrying. It is just such a huge decision to make."

The second voter out of the Waverley Court polling station said he wanted change for Scotland.
"It's brilliant, it's very exciting," 51-year-old Jack McGinn said. "I'm a homeless veteran. How can that be in 2014? I voted for independence."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 162 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
60% - 238 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.02
-0.6%
Rand - Pound
24.01
-0.5%
Rand - Euro
20.53
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.6%
Platinum
900.50
+0.4%
Palladium
1,002.25
+0.1%
Gold
2,211.80
+0.8%
Silver
24.62
-0.1%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,080
+0.6%
All Share
74,278
+0.5%
Resource 10
56,967
+2.4%
Industrial 25
103,572
+0.3%
Financial 15
16,456
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE