Independence for Scotland-Pt. 6
- Iain Muir
- Aug 31, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 2, 2020
The Timeline - Preparations for Indyref 2
Lessons Learned
It wouldn't be unreasonable to consider what happened previously. What did we do and what was the outcome?
Indyref 1 - How was it for you?
A referendum took place on Thursday 18 September 2014 on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.
The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No".
What was the outcome?
The "No" side won with 2,001,926 (55.3%) voting against independence and 1,617,989 (44.7%) voting in favour. The turnout of 84.6% was the highest recorded for an election or referendum in the United Kingdom since the January 1910 general election.
The UK Government stated that, if a simple majority of the votes cast were in favour of independence, then "Scotland would become an independent country after a process of negotiations". If the majority was against independence, Scotland would continue to be a part of the United Kingdom.
Further powers would be devolved to the Scottish Parliament as a result of the Scotland Act 2012. The Electoral Commission prepared an information leaflet which confirmed that the UK and Scottish governments had reached agreement on these points.
David Cameron said in May 2014 that he believed that the referendum would be "'irreversible and binding". In the week before the referendum, both sides said that they would abide by the result. Alex Salmond said that it was a "once in a generation" event, citing the precedent of the two devolution referendums in 1979 and 1997.
In the event of a majority for Yes, the Scottish Government had proposed an independence date of 24 March 2016. It was suggested that, following the conclusion of negotiations, the UK Parliament would legislate for Scottish independence to take place on the date that had been negotiated.. A report by a UK House of Lords committee, published in May 2014, said that the UK could opt to delay the independence date.
Shall we try it again?
The Scottish Government has proposed holding a referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.
A referendum on independence was held in September 2014, with 55% voting to continue as part of the United Kingdom.
The SNP formed a minority government in May 2016, with the Scottish Parliament having a pro-independence majority alongside the Scottish Greens.
The United Kingdom government held a referendum on EU membership in June 2016. The "leave" side won the EU referendum with 52% of the vote across the UK. In Scotland, 62% of votes were to "remain" in the EU, with a majority of voters in every local authority area voting "remain".
The SNP had stated in its manifesto for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election that a second independence referendum should be held if there was a material change of circumstances, such as the UK leaving the EU. This was despite the 2014 referendum white paper stating that voting Yes was a "once in a generation opportunity to follow a different path, and choose a new and better direction for our nation".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gained approval of the Scottish Parliament to seek a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to hold a referendum "when the shape of the UK's Brexit deal will become clear". The Brexit process also met a 10-month delay due to lack of ratification of the exit deal by the House of Commons, and to date, no Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has approved the transfer of power for an independence referendum under Section 30.
In March 2020, the Scottish Government reported that it had halted preparations for a referendum, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a Poll there's been a wee swing!
Sure, polls make great headlines, but how accurate are they? How much faith should we put in polls, particularly political polls that attempt to predict the outcome of an election? Who conducts these polls, and how do they decide whom to ask? Is it possible to achieve a representative sample of voters from randomly pulling numbers out of the phone book?
Political polling is a type of public opinion polling. When done right, public opinion polling is an accurate social science with strict rules about sample size, random selection of participants and margins of error. However, even the best public opinion poll is only a snapshot of public opinion at the particular moment in time, not an eternal truth. If you poll public opinion on nuclear energy right after a nuclear disaster, it's going to be much lower than the day before the disaster. The same is true for political polls. Voter opinion shifts dramatically from week to week, even day to day, as candidates battle it out on the campaign field.
Poll: Support for Scottish independence rises to 55%
Asking 1070 people out of a Scottish Electorate of over 4 million eligible voters is obviously the way to go.
You have your "Landmark Headline."
A magnificent Headline it is too!
Have we got the new Scottish Currency ready?
Will Scotland need its own currency if it becomes independent?
Yes, of course it will. But it needs saying time, after time, after time.
Please watch the video below as it explains why.
Here is why Scotland needs its own currency
I've been reading a book!
British commander Lord Raglan had intended to send the Light Brigade to prevent the Russians from removing captured guns from overrun Turkish positions, a task for which the light cavalry were well-suited. However, there was miscommunication in the chain of command, and the Light Brigade was instead sent on a frontal assault against a different artillery battery, one well-prepared with excellent fields of defensive fire.
The Light Brigade reached the battery
under withering direct fire and scattered some of the gunners, but they were forced to retreat immediately, and the assault ended with very high British casualties and no decisive gains.
In the Final Analysis...
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