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| Let's all pray for the Unity of England and Scotland. |
With the Scotland referendum it vary possible that it will be the " end of Britain" With only eight hours to go until polls open in a referendum that could transform the 307-year-old union of Scotland and the rest of the UK, the yes and no campaigns have been gathering for a series of emotional final rallies across the country.Be in no doubt ,Britain could cease to exist. The polls are evenly split, and the momentum is with the separatists. Scotland is on the brink of walking out.But it's a bad idea driven by bad arguments. Together, the four nations that form the U.K. — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — have achieved extraordinary things. The union between Scotland and England, more than 300 years old, has been a global beacon of solidarity, a lesson in how to live well together, so much more than the sum of its parts. Again what happens to the English monarch ? Does Scotland become a "republic" or a "kingdom" after all 307 years ago there was a Kingdom of Scotland? At this moment, a majority for independence looks unlikely. ***Opinion polling has found the no vote consistently ahead since last year. Last month, the gap narrowed to single digits, though it’s opened up again. It may seem strange that Scotland is contemplating breaking its constitutional connections with its neighbors at a time when economies are becoming more integrated, when public recognition of the interdependence of nations is increasing, and when the power of people – through social networks and non-governmental institutions – is challenging the old nationalist fixation with the trappings of state power. One of the strangest aspects of this Scottish referendum is that Queen is not an issue. Who bound Scotland to England? None other than King James I. But do not presume that the Scots now wish to express their freedom from England by getting rid of the Queen. No, says the Scottish National leader Alex Salmond, she will from henceforth be the Queen of Scots. Yet the Queen in Scotland lives an almost feudal life, mistress of a great house, with a vast estate, and lesser houses in which other members of the Royal family live –- including the heir to her throne, Prince Charles. He lives in Glams Castle where his granny, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, lived. Huge chunks of the Scottish Highlands are in their collective hands. The fights for freedom down the years in Britain have been to free the land from the hands of the aristocracy. (1)> The Queen made a rare intervention on the political stage when she expressed the hope that voters will "think very carefully about the future" before the Scottish independence referendum on Thursday. If voters back independence on Thursday, a hugely complex negotiation will begin between Edinburgh and London to carve up resources and assets for Scotland, which would become a separate country on March 24, 2016. Curiously the United States "tweeted" a message , Talking of Barack Obama, the White House just sent this tweet out from him. The US government’s position against Scottish independence is well-established.
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. -bo
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 17, 2014
NOTES AND COMMENTS:
*** A series of opinion polls confirmed the two campaigns are in effect neck and neck. An Opinium poll for the Observer found that no was six points ahead with 53% to 47% for yes. A further poll by Panelbase for the Sunday Times put the two campaigns only two points apart at 51% for no and 49% for yes. A further ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph gave yes a more dramatic lead of 54% to 46%, but its significance was played down since its sample was only 700, under the normal threshold of 1,000 voters. (1)> In 1977 when there were calls for a devolved parliament in Scotland, the Queen used a speech to issue a blunt warning against breaking up the Union.She said: 'I cannot forget that I was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and of Northern Ireland. Perhaps this Jubilee is a time to remind ourselves of the benefits which union has conferred, at home and in our international dealings, on the inhabitants of all parts of the United Kingdom.'
*** A series of opinion polls confirmed the two campaigns are in effect neck and neck. An Opinium poll for the Observer found that no was six points ahead with 53% to 47% for yes. A further poll by Panelbase for the Sunday Times put the two campaigns only two points apart at 51% for no and 49% for yes. A further ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph gave yes a more dramatic lead of 54% to 46%, but its significance was played down since its sample was only 700, under the normal threshold of 1,000 voters. (1)> In 1977 when there were calls for a devolved parliament in Scotland, the Queen used a speech to issue a blunt warning against breaking up the Union.She said: 'I cannot forget that I was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and of Northern Ireland. Perhaps this Jubilee is a time to remind ourselves of the benefits which union has conferred, at home and in our international dealings, on the inhabitants of all parts of the United Kingdom.'
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