Will Scots break away?
Pro-independence “Yes” campaigners stage a march at the BBC Headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland, Sunday. / AFP-Yonhap
By Kim Hyojin
Scotland goes to the polls on Thursday to vote “Yes” or “No” in a referendum on whether citizens across the country want independence from the United Kingdom, a political union formed in 1707.
The Westminster Parliament in London agreed that the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh should conduct the referendum under the “Edinburgh Agreement” signed by the U.K. Prime Minister, David Cameron and Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond on October 15, 2012.
Recent polls suggest that David Cameron initially underestimated the number of Scots who are in favor of independence.
The latest ICM poll, conducted for the conservative Sunday Telegraph newspaper, puts projected support among Scots to leave the U.K. ahead by 8% -- with support for the “No” campaign at 46%, and the “Yes” campaign at 54%.
With such a close margin, the result could go either way.
The U.K. Prime Minister wrote a heartfelt emotional letter in the conservative Daily Mail tabloid last Tuesday, calling on the Scottish people not to “break up” the family of nations that make up the United Kingdom Scotland. And yesterday, this was followed with an equally emotional appeal warning that if the U.K. splinters, it will be a “painful divorce.”
Scottish expats can’t vote, but support the referendum
For the first time in 307 years since becoming a part of the United Kingdom, Scots will be asked to vote “Yes” or “No” this Thursday on a ballot paper with this question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
This historic referendum is open to anyone over the age of 16 who is legally a resident in Scotland, regardless of ethnicity or place of birth. A record number of people have registered to vote with 97% of the population now ready to take part in tomorrow's ballot.
As only registered residents in Scotland are eligible to vote, this means that many Scots living in London and overseas are not able to vote in the referendum.
Craig Branch, 44, from Glasgow, Scotland, says he would vote “Yes” in the referendum but won't be able to. He now lives in South Korea with his Korean wife and works as a lecturer at a university in Seoul.
“A 'Yes' vote will give the Scottish nation an opportunity to take things into its own hands and to tackle the issues that I think need addressing: Foodbanks, nutrition, education, inner-city deprivation, and so on,” Branch said. “Scotland not only has huge natural resources, but also great people resources.”
He thinks that autonomy will give Scotland the chance to fulfill its full potential, utilizing power to make important decisions that can benefit as many people in the country as possible.
He said it was disappointing that he was excluded from the vote. "Having lived the first 30 years of my life in Scotland and being born there, I'm not happy that I don't get a vote.”
The vote is open to any registered residents, Scotland has a diverse population consisting of people from diverse nations and regions such as Ireland, multiple European nations, India, Pakistan, the Caribbean and, of course, England. The total population is around 5.2 million. More than a million people born in Scotland are currently living outside of Scotland and will not get to vote in the referendum.
One Scot born in Edinburgh who now lives in London explained part of the reasoning behind this.
“You ultimately have to draw the line somewhere — if it was a blood-based vote, 20% of Canada’s population would be casting a ballot in this referendum, outnumbering all those who are resident in Scotland,” he said.
He added that although he does not get to vote, he supports the referendum because it is concerned with the right of self-determination.
There is a wide range of opinion on the referendum among those who are overseas, but many are unhappy that they are excluded.
“Why can’t I have a say on deciding the destiny of my country?” said a Scottish expatriate, also born in Glasgow, but now working in Seoul in journalism. He added that other Scottish expatriates he knows have similar strong feelings on this issue.
However, he says he has a very positive perspective regarding the referendum itself.
“The Scottish referendum signifies the exercise of the democratic voice. It is good for Scotland and good for the world to see the democratic process in action at a time when it often appears to be diminishing,” he said.
The Scottish independence referendum is also resonating with people seeking more decision-making; from Catalonia, Spain to Okinawa, Japan. If “Yes” wins in Scotland, independence movements in many regions are expected to become stronger.