Yogi, what effect would an independent and separately sovereign Scotland have on those Scottish citizens, who have long contributed to government social insurance or pension credit funds? I would assume that at the earliest it would take many months to withdraw from the UK, but is there any framework for British social insurance payments either to begin or continue to Scots in the event Scotland is no longer a part of the UK?

Also, I would imagine that most voters in Scotland would oppose breaking from the UK. Do you have a sense of how the voters are leaning?

Klyd, I have no idea how it would work either. The politicians who want Scotland to stay in have said that the whole thing is too complicated to sort out and would take years to do so. At the start of the year there was a poll I saw that said most Scots would vote to stay in but according to other polls lately there has been a swing the other way. The Scots were not over impressed when our Chancellor of the Exchequer George "Fart Face" Osborne said an independent Scotland would not be allowed to keep the pound. My cousins and family say they will vote to stay in, they are happy to be Scottish first but British second.

It is half breeds such as me who face the problem. My work pals say if the Scots vote yes I have to pack my bags and head north and live with my own kind!!!!

It's getting close to decision time...

BEITH, Scotland — The case for tearing apart the United Kingdom was made on a recent evening at a community center in this small town near Glasgow. More than 200 people were packed into folding chairs and standing along walls lined with posters promoting an independent Scotland, like the one with the word “Aye” emblazoned on a Scottish flag. A disco ball hung overhead.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s deputy first minister, spoke from a lectern covered with a tartan drape.

“As a country, we’ve spent an awful long number of years being told we’re too wee, too poor and probably a bit too stupid to be independent,” she said. “If we were too small and too poor and too stupid, if we were the economic basket case, if we were the subsidy junkies that some of our opponents try to imply that we are, then don’t you think Westminster might have offloaded us by now?”

After the applause died down, she asked, “What’s the downside?”

Plenty, in the minds of many business leaders and economists, who are concerned that an independent Scotland will not have the financial strength to prosper alone. The economy would lean heavily on revenue from North Sea oil, which has been falling, and its per capita government spending outpaces the rest of Britain.
The official campaign period kicked off Friday for the referendum that will determine whether Scotland will remain in Britain. If successful, the vote, which will be in September, would fundamentally reshape America’s closest ally, redrawing the borders of a union that has existed for more than 300 years.

Although the pro-Britain unionists lead, momentum has swung back and forth. The spread narrowed to just three percentage points in an April poll by ICM Research for the Scotsman newspaper, but it widened to 12 points in mid-May, with 20 percent still undecided...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/02/busine...omic-costs.html

I remember reading in Craig Ferguson's autobiography that Glasgow had a large Italian population when he was a kid. Was that true? Is it still true?

Yes PB, quite a few Italians in Scotland.

On Thursday 18 September 2014 will take place the referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country.

Less than a month what do you think will happen?
There is some Scottish or English that we can explain how is the situation in Scotland?

Edinburgh is a beautiful city. Architecturally very consistent.

Quite a few in Wales, England and Ireland too. They usually come over to run take aways (fast food joints).

Well that is over and done with. Scotland voted no to independence and we remain a United kingdom. It was a pretty close run thing but as most folks here know I am English born but of Scottish ancestry and I am glad our cousins north of the border stayed in!!

To be honest im surprised the outcome was a no vote,

I'm an outsider on the subject and wasn't sure which way it would go. However, did I read there was a 90% voter turnout? That's great!! Geez, we never get that here in the U.S. (sadly)





TIS

I read the voter turnout was poor. We must have different sources.

Every thing i've read has said it was roughly 85-90%, where did you read the turnout was poor? Anyway the turnout was only because it was for Independence, you wont see turnouts like that here for the local or general elections.

Seriously? I didn't think for a second the yes vote was going to win.

You're absolutely right TIS. 86+%

Glasgow, Scotland (CNN) -- [Breaking news alert, 6:23 a.m. GMT (01:23 a.m. ET)]

Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom -- along with England, Wales and Northern Ireland -- following a historic referendum vote. A majority of voters rejected the possibility of Scotland breaking away and becoming an independent nation. "A turnout of 86% is one of the highest in the democratic world for any such vote ..."

anybody know the wining margin of victory? was it close?

I guess i was going by news reports last week, May i ask how you voted seeing as you are from Scotland?

55%-45%.

NO 2,001,926 55.30%
YES 1,617,989 44.70%

Of course you can ask, but i wont tell someone whose argument against it was basically: It wont work - Genius

Whether they would do OK on their own or not makes no difference to me. I am just glad they stayed together after all these years

The union is not needed. Imperialism died with the times. It should be consigned to the history books.

pizzaboy it is indeed true that Glasgow and nearby Paisley have Italian populations. The Scots Italians are also the first ethnic group to have their own tartan approved. Its red white and green from the Italian flag and blue from the Italian football shirts.

I'm very glad Scotland did not break away.

I understand there are some on this board who are from Scotland so I hope I'm not insulting when I say this.

In a time where we see Muslim extremists, an aggressive Russia, an unstable Middle East, and a horrible consuming virus it is more important than ever to stay unified.

The New York times had an article that basically went something like this: in the early 20th century the main conflict was aggressive nationalistic fascism versus the nations they deemed rivals or racially inferior. Then it was communism vs capitalism in the Cold War. Now we live in a world where it is order vs disorder. Groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda represent a world of disorder, brutality and chaos. It is up to the rest of the word, and especially the Western Powers to hold the line and democratic humanistic principles in the face of that disorder.

That's why I'm glad Scotland stuck to the UK. Great Britain is stronger because of it.