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2014 Scottish independence referendum

2014 Scottish independence referendum154 posts
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10 Jan, 2012

Referendum in 2014

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First minister Salmond announces that he wants to hold a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014. The timeframe for the vote is designed to allow all the necessary legislation required to authorise it to be passed and for proper preparations to be made:

What Scotland objects to is all the strings they (the UK government) are trying to to attach. They are trying to run a referendum by proxy.

18 Jan, 2012

Expats cannot vote

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Scottish ministers say Scots living outside the country will not be allowed to vote. Eligibility for the referendum will be determined under the same rules that govern Scottish parliamentary elections. The Scotland Act states that while people living abroad who were registered to vote in the UK in the previous 15 years can remain on the election register, this only allows voting in UK or European parliamentary elections. It does not allow voting in local elections or in elections to the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Bruce Crawford, minister for government strategy, tells the Scottish parliament:

Hundreds of thousands of people born in Scotland now live elsewhere in the UK and beyond. The registration and validation of entitlement to vote would add significant complexity to the task of electoral professionals in organising and running the referendum.

20 Feb, 2012

‘Noone knows what devo-max is’

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Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, a Liberal Democrat, says that the most difficult issue with placing a third option on the Scottish referendum ballot, allowing for the union to remain together but with Scotland granted ‘maximum devolution’ of powers, is that noone knows what the term means:

Devo max is really a brand without a product, a concept of more powers for Scotland without any detail about what that entails.

He says those who use the term should define what it is that they want. The three main unionist parties – Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative – prefer only a single question on the ballot, ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’ with only two possible answers – Yes or No.

‘Full devolution besides defence and foreign affairs’

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Stewart Maxwell, a former Scottish National Party minister and Member of Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland says the party has no clear view on what ‘maximum devolution’ means, but that the generally understood meaning of the term is that Scotland would have responsibility for all but two main government portfolios:

It’s not up to us to define devolution max. We support independence, but I think the common understood definition of devolution max is that it is full devolution of all powers with the exception of defence and foreign affairs … Many people including civil Scotland have said they want devolution of welfare, they want devolution of certain taxes, pensions so there’s clearly a desire out there for more devolution. So, I think it’s important that we allow that debate to occur before we decide what goes on the ballot paper.

15 Oct, 2012

Governments reach agreement

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The UK and Scottish governments agree to ‘work together to ensure that a referendum on Scottish independence can take place.’ The agreement issued in Edinburgh says the referendum should fulfill several conditions:

  • Have a clear legal basis;

  • be legislated for by the Scottish Parliament;

  • be conducted so as to command the confidence of parliaments, governments and people, and;

  • deliver a fair test and a decisive expression of the views of people in Scotland and a result that everyone will respect.

The governments agree to promote an Order in Council under Section 30 of the Scotland Act of 1998 in the UK and Scottish Parliaments to allow a single-question referendum to be held before the end of 2014. This will allow the Scottish Parliament to legislate.

The governments are agreed that the referendum should meet the highest standards of fairness, transparency and propriety, informed by consultation and independent expert advice.

30 Jan, 2013

Yes/No question

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The Scottish government approves the Electoral Commissions recommendation for the referendum question. The question submitted to Parliament for approval for the public to vote on consists of six words:

Should Scotland be an independent country?

Voters have the choice to answer only Yes or No.

21 Mar, 2013

Referendum set for Sept. 18

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First Minister Salmond announces that Sept. 18, 2014 has been selected as the date for Scotland’s vote on independence from the UK. He says this will be:

A date which becomes etched in our nation’s story as the day Scotland took a decisive step forward to a better, fairer future.

14 Nov, 2013

Referendum bill passes

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The Scottish Parliament in Holyrood unanimously passes the independence referendum bill, setting out rules such as the referendum question and campaign spending limits.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon:

I think we can be proud that we’re passing legislation that will put Scotland’s future into Scotland’s hands – I hope that the people of Scotland will seize that opportunity, seize that future, seize that prospect of a better Scotland with a resounding ‘Yes’ vote.

19 Feb, 2014

Poll: Majority support devo-max

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A ScotCen Scottish Social Attitudes survey shows that a majority of Scottish voters would back remaining in the union with the Scotland granted ‘maximum devolution’ of powers, if it were included as an option on the referendum ballot. It finds that 32% of voters would back a devo-max plan with the Scottish Parliament running everything apart from defence and foreign affairs, while only 31% back independence. When voters are asked to choose between independence and more devolution, 61% would back ‘devo-max’ and 39% independence. In a run-off between ‘devo-max’ and the status quo, ‘devo-max’ would win by 62% to 38%.

18 Jun, 2014

Li: United UK keeps global peace

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Premier Li says at a joint press conference with Cameron in London that the union should stay together:

I believe that the United Kingdom can stay at the forefront in leading the world’s growth and development and also continue to play an important and even bigger role for regional stability and global peace, [but] we certainly respect the choice you make.

21 Jul, 2014

Starts cairn

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Stewart, the Conservative MP for Penrith and the Border, starts the Auld Acquaintances Cairn by placing the foundation stone in a field near Gretna on the westernmost edge of the border with England. He hopes that visitors to the site will add stones until the monument is nine feet high. Stewart:

[The debate] has been too much about politicians and celebrities and not enough about giving ordinary people the chance to show how they feel.

18 Aug, 2014

Murray: ‘Yes’

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Murray tweets his support for independence:

26 Aug, 2014

The Woman Who Made Up Her Mind

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Better Together releases a video featuring a housewife who discusses how the Referendum discussion are affecting her family:

D’y’know, ma Paul’s worse than the telly these days. He will not leave off about the Referendum. He started again this morning. “Have you made a decision yet?” I was like, “It’s too early in the morning to be discussing politics. Eat your cereal”.

The woman who made up her mind

31 Aug, 2014

Headliners confirmed for #VoteYes concert

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Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai and Frightened Rabbit are confirmed as headliners for A Night For Scotland at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, Sept. 14. Support comes from comedienne Elaine C. Smith, singer-songwriter Eddi Reader and Deacon Blue’s Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross. Mogwai:

In just a few weeks we will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to take our place on the global stage and show the world what we are made of.

4 Sep, 2014

Won’t resign

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Cameron says that he won’t resign if Scotland votes for independence:

I think it’s very important to say no to that emphatically for this reason: that what is at stake is not this prime minister or that prime minister, or this party leader or that party leader. What is at stake is the future of Scotland … I think it is very important for people in Scotland to realise the consequence of their vote is purely and simply about Scotland and its place in the United Kingdom. We shouldn’t try and tie up in this vote the future of Alex Salmond or me.

5 Sep, 2014

GQ interview

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Salmond discusses the referendum with Campbell for GQ. Asked if he considers himself a historic figure:

I prefer modern studies to history.

He says the Yes campaign is trying to dismiss ‘unreasonable’ fears about the outcome of independence, and that keeping the pound is the most likely scenario for an independent Scotland, drinking culture in Scotland, and whether Spain and other opponents of independence can keep the country out of the EU. His general view on Putin:

Well, I don’t approve of a range of Russian actions, but he is more effective than most and you can see why he carries support in Russia.

On whether he ‘admires’ Putin:

Certain aspects. He’s restored a substantial part of Russian pride and that must be a good thing. There are aspects of Russian constitutionality and the inter-mesh with business and politics that are difficult to admire.

He also discusses whether the Iraq War was illegal and former Prime Minister Blair a war criminal, Kosovo, Syria and Afghanistan. The leader he admires most is German Chancellor Merkel, and he admires Obama’s campaigns but says he should be effective despite running a minority government.

6 Sep, 2014

Irvine Welsh: ‘Yes’

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Welsh, the author of The Acid House and Trainspotting, says he is in the ‘Yes’ camp on Scottish independence:

I think Scotland is on the brink of great and exciting things. It’s actually beginning to realise itself now. The nationalist debate seems to have got a lot more mature. The two countries have gone their separate ways, so independence seems inevitable.

Proclaimers: ‘Yes’

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Charlie and Craig Reid of the Proclaimers say they support independence:

We’re voting yes to an independent Scotland because we want to see a fairer and more just society. We think that is much more possible if we ran all of our own affairs, and stopped blaming other people.

Rowling: ‘No’

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Rowling says independence would divide the UK and endanger relations:

It will take microsurgery to disentangle three centuries of close interdependence, after which we will have to deal with three bitter neighbours.